Pip pup hooray! … and weird pet-lover tricks
By Gina Spadafori
November 1, 2007
Pip (or maybe Kip, I’ll have to see what works) will be here tonight, or maybe tomorrow night. Depends on the logistics of hooking up with his foster mom. And of course, I’m not at home and of course I forgot her number.
No matter what, though, he’ll be here by the weekend. I’ll have pictures, I promise.
Now … do you ever find yourself doing things that you know people who don’t have pets would find … um … crazy? I’ll give you a purely hypothetical example:
You’re in bed, reading a book. You have a large, fluffysmall, slender cat named ClaraBob, who thinks you really ought to be petting her rather than reading. So you put down the book and start petting her, and since she’s there you check all her nails and decide they need to be trimmed. So you get up and get the nail-trimmer, get back under the covers and clip your cat’s nails.
And then you notice your retrieverPomeranian, a large, blacksmall, white dog, scratching. You realize that tomorrow is the date to put topical flea control on the dogs and cat, so you get out of bed — again — get the meds and dose them all. But while you’re up you decide to clean the litter box, and change the papers in your littlebig parrot’s cage, change the pets’ water, eat some Halloween candy, read the latest issue of The Bark magazine and finally notice it’s now two hours past the time you had intended to be asleep.
As I said, purely hypothetical. But do these sorts of evenings happen just to mepeople who are definitely not me? Hypothetically speaking, of course?
can’t wait for the PKip pics!
“um, no, that doesn’t sound familiar at all”, says one who has been known to not only clean litter boxes, trim nails, etc while already down for the night, but also embark on full brush out sessions on 5-8 cats . . .
Comment by straybaby — November 1, 2007 @ 2:04 pm
I want to meet a person with a small, slender cat that actually names it “Bob”!
I don’t think you can get more hypothetical than naming a cat “Bob”!
In my real life, the cat stuff gets taken care of in the evenings like that — suddenly, time is gone with litterboxes, brushing and nail clipping. Dog stuff tends to get taken care of after the morning walk — I seem to notice it more then.
Comment by Dorene — November 1, 2007 @ 3:08 pm
Oh, I thought maybe you videotaped me last night??? Then I realized you weren’t talking about me after all because I don’t have a parrot. Last night after settling in I was reading a chapter in “Hounded to Death,” when I was prompted to clip kitty nails as the neck massage was more Ouch! than helpful. Well, I was up, so I put morning coffee on the timer, and while there figured may as well change dog and cat water since I was running water anyway. Back and snug in bed, dog commenced to scratch large, floppy ears with fervor, so back out of bed. Was certain the sun would come up in the middle of that extensive earwash on newly rescued, knows he’s home, handsome Old English sheepdog the size of a small pony with alotta ears. Keagan extends to Pip/Kip a warm welcome into The Priveleged and Sublime Royal Order of Pets Living Forever With Crazy Pet Lovers.
Comment by Nadine L. — November 1, 2007 @ 3:17 pm
My Mum? One in the same….sad thing is, if she doesn’t rest, neither do I! Woofs, Johann
Comment by Johann — November 1, 2007 @ 3:25 pm
Nadine! You got your dog! (Remember - you told us he was coming).
How’s it going? Have you picked out a training class for him?
Comment by The OTHER Pat — November 1, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
Other Pat, yes, Keagan has been with us for two weeks now and he’s a huge, 130 pound, silly delight! And, oh that face! He has captured every heart that’s walked or driven past him! He comes when called and responds to “no” in a flash. Has learned “sit” while here. Not sure if he’s ever been on a leash before, and never wants to see another backyard in his life again, only if we’re out there with him. Loves the car, loves walks, loves to be loved, loves people, kids, other dogs and can’t understand why Mrs. Murphy (cat) won’t play chase with him. His feelings get hurt (whimpers) when she hisses and growls at him. Basic obedience began the minute I took the lead, but the “trainer” needs to be trained first in clicker dog training concepts. Since we live so far from anything—-we’re seriously at the Ends of the Earth—-and after reading everything I could (thanks to you) online, I think I’ll have to get the training manuals and do it solo. I’ve got to order the clicker, the manual, and the therapy dog training manual! (And find a good treat recipe!) Will have to post Keagan’s pics somewhere, for he’s a real cutie. The face alone will bring sunshine into your life! Thanks for asking about him!
Comment by Nadine L. — November 1, 2007 @ 4:45 pm
130 pounds!!!
Send me a picture. I’ll post it here. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 1, 2007 @ 4:56 pm
Gina that is so funny. I so need a program where I can cross things out. We have guinea pigs now and last night I went to the bathroom just before bed and opened a new 12 pack of toilet paper and Pepper, Pumpkin and Jeffie all screamed for me to get them lettuce because they knew I had just been to the supermarket. While I am there, I clean their cage. Now the dogs want to go out, but I don’t want to disturb the neighbors so I leash them and take them for a walk. While outside I pick up yesterday’s toys off the front lawn and pick up a rake and bag some leaves. Come back in and hear my son’s rats trying to get water. Go downstairs and fill their empty waterer and then can’t just walk by the computer so I read blogs etc. Back up to bed, both dogs climb in and start to wrestle. Now they bark and wake up the 6 year old who climbs in my bed.We each take a dog’s butt and scratch. Get 6 year old back to bed. Realize dogs were muddy, and change sheets. Go to sleep about 2am wake up at 6.
Nancy
Comment by nancy freedman-smith — November 1, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
I was going to reply earlier but got side tracked by the “dog room” not being as clean as I like so out came the scrub brush and Oxi-clean. I was so engrossed with that that I didn’t hear my locked out husband and two older kids at the front door. I will probably not get around to toenails and ears and wrinkle care until every is in bed so ETA for bed time is probably 1:00AM, IF I don’t get distracted by the computer!
Congrats and good luck on the soon-to-be new addition!
Comment by Jennifer J — November 1, 2007 @ 7:22 pm
Beautiful Clara looks comfy—wonder how she will greet Pip. I bet you did not tell her a new d-o-g is coming. She will find out soon enough.
Comment by Colorado transplant — November 1, 2007 @ 9:08 pm
Nah, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Last night was pretty typical. Came home at 6:30 PM to two starving (or so they think)cats, gave them first course, changed clothes, gave the second course, looked at mail, cleaned cat dishes. 7:15 PM- oops need to make dinner (scrambled eggs), time to clean the litter box, vacuum up litter tracked in the hallway, try to finish looking at the mail, LASER PEN chase for 10 minutes. Make one quick phone call. Around 9 PM: Sit down to watch a little TV and remember we have a trip to the vet tomorrow - out comes the furminator cause they always shed like crazy at the vet. Clean kitty water bowls, time for FETCH - about 5 minutes. Chase cat with chin ickys around so I can clear her chin. Finally, finish going through the mail. Turn on the 10 oclock news - darn missed the weather again! 10:30 PM Get stuff ready for morning - kitties see me in kitchen and cry WE”RE STARVING. I ignore them, they continue until I relent and give them a couple of kibbles each. 11 PM - get into bed and try to work a small crossword puzzle. One cat lays across it, while the other one sits with a ball in his mouth crying and crying to play FETCH! 11:15 PM - get up play FETCH! 11:30 PM - go back to puzzle - cat lays back down on it. Give much wanted tummy rub to puzzle cat. Other cat repeats the FETCH! routine. Midnight: turn off the lights, both cats jump into beg for snuggles. Finally asleep around 12:30 AM. Up at 6 AM.
And my co-workers wonder why I’m tired all the time.
Comment by 2CatMom — November 2, 2007 @ 6:52 am
CT … yes, Clara thinks she’s winning the dog v. cat war, since she’s down one dog, with Woody in Texas until April.
Little does she know, P/Kip arrives this afternoon … hahahahahaha!
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 2, 2007 @ 6:58 am
I feel sooo much better now! Here I was thinking that I am just not organized enough and that’s why I never get to bed on time, much less early. Big tip of the hat to all of you that manage pets and spouses and two legged children; I’m barely keeping my head above water with just me and two dogs. On the other hand, I can think of a lot worse ways to spend my evenings; when I finally do get to bed, it’s with two content, furry bodies curled up against mine. . .
Comment by Cardimom — November 2, 2007 @ 7:39 am
Mrs. Murphy extends her generous offer to have Clara come for a visit and learn about canine training. Keagan got punched in the face last night when his nose went too far into her dark closet. This morning Mrs. Murphy rules as she sits smugly on the ottoman in the middle of the room muttering under her breath, “You just try it, Buster!” I think it’s amazing how 20 pounds can call the shots over 130 pounds.
Who needs TV?
Comment by Nadine L. — November 2, 2007 @ 8:54 am
Oh, gee, I thought clipping my cats’ claws in bed was normal. I mean, not something people who don’t have cats do, but mainly for the same reason I don’t spend Saturday afternoon cleaning and spiffing my Mustang.
The dog and the long-haired cat get groomed earlier in the evening, because it’s just easier to do on the grooming table than in bed, plus it’s a soothing way to spend the evening. Okay, I admit, that might sound a little weird, to people who don’t have pets. Maybe even to people who do have pets, but not pets whose coats require daily grooming.:)
Comment by Lis — November 2, 2007 @ 9:07 am
I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about!…..http://shelvis.zaadz.com/blog/2006/2/adult_onset_add
;)
Comment by Shelly — November 2, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
ooops… let’s make that clickable
http://shelvis.zaadz.com/blog/....._onset_add
I’d almost think we’re all related!
Comment by Shelly — November 2, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
Congrats Gina! I like Pippin best!!!
Comment by Judi — November 2, 2007 @ 1:44 pm
i want to know hopw to tach my puppy how to do some tricks with out him jumping on us and the table if you can mail me asap
Comment by carrie paul — November 5, 2007 @ 4:35 pm