It's been a year!

tara g

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Oh boy, it's been over a year since I've been on here, and I've missed it! I even thought about the TCS SS and how I missed it, again! Been so ridiculously busy ....

May 2014 the BF and I signed a contract on getting a house built, then watched the slow building process through until our closing in November 2014. It got pushed out a couple times, and ended up being the same day our lease ended at the apartment! :rolleyes: So much for giving ourselves 2 weeks to move!! We did end up extending our lease a couple days as a result.

In October, we had brought his 10 year old Rottweiler Jasmine to live with us, even though it was a 3rd floor apartment and we weren't sure if she'd be ok with the stairs... his brother told us we had to bring her to our place because they were going to try and sell theirs. Luckily, she because so much more energetic having to go up and down the stairs! She's 11 now, and still chasing tennis balls and zooming around the living room with me.

December 2014 was our 3 year anniversary :) Seems like it's been a lot longer than that lol!

The cats now have their own kitty room in the house, one of the bedrooms is theirs. It has their cat tree (going to buy them a 2nd one this year), cardboard scratchers, litter box, and basket of toys. The closet holds their litter, food, treats, and feeder for when we go away for a weekend. We originally gave them their own room so that they didn't destroy our expensive leather couches - but now we also have a new furry family member we want to monitor them with!

For Christmas, the BF gave me a leash and collar from the cats, and a puppy training book from himself, and told me to pick out my new baby. I had been asking for awhile to get another, larger breed dog. We had Jasmine and Gnat, but I've been dying for a German Shepherd since I was a kid and lost my GSD when I was 12. I've been bugging him for awhile on the breed also. We went and picked a puppy out the following day, and brought him home on Jan 6 when he was 7 weeks old. His name is Ruger, and he melts my heart! He's 14 weeks today, only 21lb, but going to be a lot bigger as he gets older - his mom was 80-85lb, and his dad was 100+lb! Puppyhood is a pain, but fun and exciting to watch him grow and explore and learn. We're enrolling him in puppy training, then basic & advanced obedience off leash training. If he is cut out for Schutzhund training, we'll be looking into that too, since he's a working dog breed.

My poor Hoshi Kitty, who stayed with my ex, was determined to be blind sometime in the last year. He recently went back to the vet and had inflamed eyes, resulting in surgery to remove them :( But I am glad he's still living a full, happy life, and that my ex cared about him enough to get the surgery done and tell people there's no reason to put a cat down just because he had to have his eyes removed. Hoshi was "his" kitty of the 3 when we were together. It's probably one of the only reasons I stay friends with him on FB, is to keep updates on Hoshi.

Hope everyone has been doing well, and I look forward to catching up on posts and being much more active here again :clap:
 
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tara g

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Thanks! Having 5 pets, 3 being dogs, has been interesting. Especially house-training a puppy!! I've never raised a dog since puppyhood, so it's a new experience for me. I've had cats my entire life, and luckily Nero & Ruger play with each other A LOT :) I think Nero thinks he's a dog sometimes.... He plays with Gnat on occasion as well.

Just realized I didn't put a picture of Gnat in - this was her at the beach last summer. One of her days that she decided the water was fun and not evil.


I could say having 5 pets has kept me busy, and it does take up some time... but it's really just been work and side work. Though I'm incredibly slow at work these last couple weeks, leaving me plenty of internet time, plus mine & the BF's new year's resolution was to not live at work / spend so many hours here this year, so we have more time to do things we enjoy :) (Last year, we both were working 7:30/8am - 7:30-9pm very often. I got OT, but he was on salary).
 

Kat0121

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In October, we had brought his 10 year old Rottweiler Jasmine to live with us, even though it was a 3rd floor apartment and we weren't sure if she'd be ok with the stairs... his brother told us we had to bring her to our place because they were going to try and sell theirs. Luckily, she because so much more energetic having to go up and down the stairs! She's 11 now, and still chasing tennis balls and zooming around the living room with me.

December 2014 was our 3 year anniversary

For Christmas, the BF gave me a leash and collar from the cats, and a puppy training book from himself, and told me to pick out my new baby. I had been asking for awhile to get another, larger breed dog. We had Jasmine and Gnat, but I've been dying for a German Shepherd since I was a kid and lost my GSD when I was 12. I've been bugging him for awhile on the breed also. We went and picked a puppy out the following day, and brought him home on Jan 6 when he was 7 weeks old. His name is Ruger, and he melts my heart! He's 14 weeks today, only 21lb, but going to be a lot bigger as he gets older - his mom was 80-85lb, and his dad was 100+lb! Puppyhood is a pain, but fun and exciting to watch him grow and explore and learn. We're enrolling him in puppy training, then basic & advanced obedience off leash training. If he is cut out for Schutzhund training, we'll be looking into that too, since he's a working dog breed.

My poor Hoshi Kitty, who stayed with my ex, was determined to be blind sometime in the last year. He recently went back to the vet and had inflamed eyes, resulting in surgery to remove them
But I am glad he's still living a full, happy life, and that my ex cared about him enough to get the surgery done and tell people there's no reason to put a cat down just because he had to have his eyes removed. Hoshi was "his" kitty of the 3 when we were together. It's probably one of the only reasons I stay friends with him on FB, is to keep updates on Hoshi.

Hope everyone has been doing well, and I look forward to catching up on posts and being much more active here again
Hello and welcome back!! You have a beautiful fur family!! I love German Shepherds. They are my #1 favorite dog breed. I have a Border Collie now. She's almost 13. If I ever get another dog after she crosses the bridge it will be a GSD for sure. 3 cats and 1 dog is enough for now.
 
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tara g

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Hello and welcome back!! You have a beautiful fur family!! I love German Shepherds. They are my #1 favorite dog breed. I have a Border Collie now. She's almost 13. If I ever get another dog after she crosses the bridge it will be a GSD for sure. 3 cats and 1 dog is enough for now.
Thank you!

My BF and I almost got a Border Collie, (he didn't want a GSD at first but now he adores Ruger and can't wait to utilize his mind / abilities) but I have wanted a GSD for years - my first one died in 1999 and I still miss her, she was a great dog. It's been the breed I've been stuck on for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't mind getting a BC ALSO ;) He's not too sure about getting another dog after Jasmine crosses the bridge, but I might get used to having 3!!

I have a friend with two Border Collies now - she got her most recent BC puppy, a red/white one, around Thanksgiving. We're going to try and set up some puppy play dates in the future. They are such smart, beautiful dogs!
 
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Kat0121

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Thank you!

My BF and I almost got a Border Collie, (he didn't want a GSD at first but now he adores Ruger and can't wait to utilize his mind / abilities) but I have wanted a GSD for years - my first one died in 1999 and I still miss her, she was a great dog. It's been the breed I've been stuck on for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't mind getting a BC ALSO
He's not too sure about getting another dog after Jasmine crosses the bridge, but I might get used to having 3!!

I have a friend with two Border Collies now - she got her most recent BC puppy, a red/white one, around Thanksgiving. We're going to try and set up some puppy play dates in the future. They are such smart, beautiful dogs!
Thank you!

My BF and I almost got a Border Collie, (he didn't want a GSD at first but now he adores Ruger and can't wait to utilize his mind / abilities) but I have wanted a GSD for years - my first one died in 1999 and I still miss her, she was a great dog. It's been the breed I've been stuck on for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't mind getting a BC ALSO
He's not too sure about getting another dog after Jasmine crosses the bridge, but I might get used to having 3!!

I have a friend with two Border Collies now - she got her most recent BC puppy, a red/white one, around Thanksgiving. We're going to try and set up some puppy play dates in the future. They are such smart, beautiful dogs!
Yes they are smart. They are also as stubborn as the devil's favorite mule. Probably because they are smart. I think she has some black lab in her, too. Fortunately she gets along with the kitties and has never tried to herd them. 
 

larussa

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I love your new home and your 4-legged family.  The cat room sounds really nice and I'm sure they are very happy with it.
 
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tara g

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I love your new home and your 4-legged family.  The cat room sounds really nice and I'm sure they are very happy with it.
Thanks! The only thing I'd change about our house is that it would have some more land.... 1/4 acre isn't much! I just pretend the lots next to us are ours to play on til they start building there ;)

They enjoy their room, and even "ask" to go back into it at times, but they've dug down to the floorboard trying to get out during the day :rolleyes: Have had to put some sticky tape in that door corner so they can't tear it up anymore. Its a good thing our carpet is only temporary - they wanted WAY too much to do hardwood in the house - we can do it for about 1/3 the cost by ourselves. I want to put some more things in there for them - another tree, and other types of cat furniture and places to climb, but we're still settling in ourselves - the 3rd bedroom is bordered by unpacked totes and boxes...:lol3: They used to have to share with our Boston Terrier's crate, but now they get the room completely to themselves since we moved her downstairs.
 
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