So, for this entry I’ve decided to introduce you to our furry kids. Josh and I don’t have kids yet, so our beagle Jasper and our cat Oliver are our only “kids” at this point. We sometimes refer to them as “the ‘ers” (because both their names end in ‘er’) or simply “the fur”.
First up is Oliver, since he joined the family first, back in November of 2005. I have to say, I am not a cat person in general. I love all animals, but I have always had dogs (and once a snake), and I wanted a dog. However, we weren’t ready for a dog yet, and we visited PetSmart one evening with some friends who wanted to look at the kittens, and there he was. A log of orange and white fur. No, that's not a typo. I said L-O-G. I read the info sheet – fully de-clawed, neutered, male, about two and a half years old. I didn’t need the info sheet to tell me that this cat was LAZY. He was 14 pounds. He had short hair, but was fluffy and he was from the local humane society. I told Josh, who had been talking about getting a cat, that if everything worked out and I could select the litter box (I wanted fully automatic!), I would go for it. We called the shelter and learned that he was healthy, had no incidents of spraying or coughing up hairballs, and indeed would only play if he really wanted to. The only “issue” he had was that his food bowl could not be plastic because he was apparently allergic. He had broken out on his chin at the shelter, but it was almost cleared up. So we took the leap and brought him home (along with the top-of-the-line LitterMaid litterbox with optional “tent” enclosure). And who do you think he has become obsessed with – Josh, who wanted a cat and kept pushing until we got one, or me, who had to be convinced and had “conditions”? If you guessed me, you’re right. The cat follows me around, demands love from me, and has even been heard to say “mama”. (I swear!) And in fact, he is the BEST cat ever! He doesn’t climb on things he’s not supposed to, he doesn’t spray, and he hasn’t coughed up a single hairball since we’ve had him. He just wants to be loved, and he does like to play now that he’s lost some weight. We have him down to about 11 pounds now. He even plays with the dog! And here he is, our Oliver on Christmas day…
As for Jasper, she joined the family in June 2006. I wanted a puppy badly. Josh had wanted a beagle (tri-color to be exact) for years and wanted to name it Jasper. We found a breeder, and when it came time to pick from the litter, there were two tri-colors left – both females. So yes, we have a girl dog named Jasper. (We get a lot of questions about it in case you hadn’t guessed.) Actually her full AKC name is Oliver Payne’s Princess Jasper. She weighed three and a half pounds when we brought her home, and she is about 24 pounds now! She’s too cute for her own good, and she loves people and other animals. She is a bit stubborn to say the least, but overall she is a good dog. She has her Canine Good Citizen certificate, and we’ve been doing agility training with her since she was just under a year old. (As a form of exercise and entertainment for her) She loves it, but won’t be winning any awards any time soon. She does a pretty good job though, and how can you not love this face?
So, there you have it - the 'ers! And I'm gonna wrap it up now since they are both laying on me right at this very moment. Until next time...
~Lynda
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