I am new to the site and love it so far 
My family has always been a dog family, through and through. The only one with cats was an aunt and she came into the marriage with her cats. When I was at school, I was worried my Labrador retriever, Maggie, would be lonely while I was away for long hours in class and working. Another dog was out of the question because Maggie was just 2 and finally out of her puppy stage. One day, I went to the local nursery to buy some pansies and they had a box full of tiny, dirty, adorable kittens. The lady put one in my hand and it was all over. That is how Frannie came into my life 15 years ago.
I knew nothing about caring for cats other than I would need a litterbox and some food. I found out Frannie was only a few weeks old and shouldn't have been taken away from her mother so soon. Thankfully, Maggie adored her and was very gentle with her new baby. As a result, we are pretty sure Frannie thinks she is a dog. A small, funny looking dog. She has always been Queen Bee of the house and we all respect her authority, including our pit bull. She is very small but very regal. We went through a few months of deep depression together when Maggie passed away two years ago. I think Frannie misses Maggie as much as I do. She is amazing about knowing when I am sad or not feeling well and will come sit on my stomach and purr. She is my dearest friend.
Wheezie came from the pound after 9/11. I was sad and wanted to do something good. She is the only cat I actively sought out and chose. She is a sweet love of a kitty who constantly talks. Her favorite word is 'nyerff' used with many different inflections. She is our supermodel kitty who actually poses for photos. She sleeps right next to my head and loves to have her belly rubbed. She snores so loud, you can sometimes hear her in the next room.
A few years after Wheezie joined the family I met my husband, another cat lover. At this point, cats started coming to us. We have fed, doctored and rehomed countless strays who show up in our yard. As we are still renters, we decided that our limit to keep is 5, although I'm trying to convince him that we can fit in two more now that both of our dogs have passed away.
Our 'acquired' indoor cats include Bob (we thought she was male at first) who took close to a year to trust us enough to come inside. We think she was mistreated and abandoned and it has taken her a few years to come out of her shell. Now she is super lovey and likes to get under the blankets with me in the 'Kitty Cave'. She tolerates the other cats but I think she would prefer to be an only kitty. Lately, she seems to be trying to learn how to play, but I don't think she quite gets it yet. She'll get there, though [emoji]128512[/emoji]. Bob is crazy for pork chops- when I cook them she will beg relentlessly till she gets a little bit.
Sammy the Dude is my husband's best friend and the only male. He still goes outside to hang out in the yard occasionally, otherwise he gets grumpy. He was the bully of all the other stray cats in our old neighborhood until we took him in and found out how sweet he really is. The Dude loves to be brushed and considers my husband his personal bed. He makes a funny little face whenever you say 'scrunch' to him.
Pooper is the baby, even though she is about two now. She was probably about 12 weeks old when we saw her sitting on the curb of a Wendy's restaurant next to a busy highway. It was like she was waiting for us. The poor baby was tiny and her ears were so crusty with ear mites they made crunching noises when I looked in them. She is still a certifiable nut case, very chatty and an accomplished stalker of cats, dogs and hair ties. We are encouraging Bob to take out a restraining order against her.
We have no human children and fully consider our pets as our children. One day, we would love to be able to own enough land for a cat sanctuary. As far as my experience (other than my own cats), I worked for a fantastic vet in college who encouraged me to attend vet tech school. When I moved back to Virginia I started the courses but dropped out after a year. I enjoyed the work but was discouraged by the lack of caring I saw from the local vets for whom I worked. They were not necessarily mean people, it's just that in many offices, I felt like I was a part of an assembly line. I missed my old office, where we knew everyone's name, took the time to listen and truly cared for the clients and their pets. I should have looked harder for a compatible doctor, but what can I say, I was young at the time. Also, I was making a lot of money as a bartender at night and was lured into the restaurant business, which I love (much to my parents' chagrin).
So, that's the story of me and my babies. I really didn't mean to make it so long, lol! I am looking forward to becoming part of this community and hearing about everyone else and their babies. Here are some photos if I can figure out how to load them [emoji]128512[/emoji]
Frannie
Wheezie
Bob (this picture cracks me up, it looks like a mug shot!)
Sammy the Dude
Pooper
My family has always been a dog family, through and through. The only one with cats was an aunt and she came into the marriage with her cats. When I was at school, I was worried my Labrador retriever, Maggie, would be lonely while I was away for long hours in class and working. Another dog was out of the question because Maggie was just 2 and finally out of her puppy stage. One day, I went to the local nursery to buy some pansies and they had a box full of tiny, dirty, adorable kittens. The lady put one in my hand and it was all over. That is how Frannie came into my life 15 years ago. I knew nothing about caring for cats other than I would need a litterbox and some food. I found out Frannie was only a few weeks old and shouldn't have been taken away from her mother so soon. Thankfully, Maggie adored her and was very gentle with her new baby. As a result, we are pretty sure Frannie thinks she is a dog. A small, funny looking dog. She has always been Queen Bee of the house and we all respect her authority, including our pit bull. She is very small but very regal. We went through a few months of deep depression together when Maggie passed away two years ago. I think Frannie misses Maggie as much as I do. She is amazing about knowing when I am sad or not feeling well and will come sit on my stomach and purr. She is my dearest friend.
Wheezie came from the pound after 9/11. I was sad and wanted to do something good. She is the only cat I actively sought out and chose. She is a sweet love of a kitty who constantly talks. Her favorite word is 'nyerff' used with many different inflections. She is our supermodel kitty who actually poses for photos. She sleeps right next to my head and loves to have her belly rubbed. She snores so loud, you can sometimes hear her in the next room.
A few years after Wheezie joined the family I met my husband, another cat lover. At this point, cats started coming to us. We have fed, doctored and rehomed countless strays who show up in our yard. As we are still renters, we decided that our limit to keep is 5, although I'm trying to convince him that we can fit in two more now that both of our dogs have passed away.
Our 'acquired' indoor cats include Bob (we thought she was male at first) who took close to a year to trust us enough to come inside. We think she was mistreated and abandoned and it has taken her a few years to come out of her shell. Now she is super lovey and likes to get under the blankets with me in the 'Kitty Cave'. She tolerates the other cats but I think she would prefer to be an only kitty. Lately, she seems to be trying to learn how to play, but I don't think she quite gets it yet. She'll get there, though [emoji]128512[/emoji]. Bob is crazy for pork chops- when I cook them she will beg relentlessly till she gets a little bit.
Sammy the Dude is my husband's best friend and the only male. He still goes outside to hang out in the yard occasionally, otherwise he gets grumpy. He was the bully of all the other stray cats in our old neighborhood until we took him in and found out how sweet he really is. The Dude loves to be brushed and considers my husband his personal bed. He makes a funny little face whenever you say 'scrunch' to him.
Pooper is the baby, even though she is about two now. She was probably about 12 weeks old when we saw her sitting on the curb of a Wendy's restaurant next to a busy highway. It was like she was waiting for us. The poor baby was tiny and her ears were so crusty with ear mites they made crunching noises when I looked in them. She is still a certifiable nut case, very chatty and an accomplished stalker of cats, dogs and hair ties. We are encouraging Bob to take out a restraining order against her.
We have no human children and fully consider our pets as our children. One day, we would love to be able to own enough land for a cat sanctuary. As far as my experience (other than my own cats), I worked for a fantastic vet in college who encouraged me to attend vet tech school. When I moved back to Virginia I started the courses but dropped out after a year. I enjoyed the work but was discouraged by the lack of caring I saw from the local vets for whom I worked. They were not necessarily mean people, it's just that in many offices, I felt like I was a part of an assembly line. I missed my old office, where we knew everyone's name, took the time to listen and truly cared for the clients and their pets. I should have looked harder for a compatible doctor, but what can I say, I was young at the time. Also, I was making a lot of money as a bartender at night and was lured into the restaurant business, which I love (much to my parents' chagrin).
So, that's the story of me and my babies. I really didn't mean to make it so long, lol! I am looking forward to becoming part of this community and hearing about everyone else and their babies. Here are some photos if I can figure out how to load them [emoji]128512[/emoji]
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