PetWise #11 Katie Lou’s Angels!

HAPPY EASTER everyone!!

Katie Lou’s Angels!

Next month, my beloved Katie Lou will have been gone for four years. She says it’s time for me to write of her two angels now. It’s comforting to know they were already around her during her illnesses and difficult passing.

When I picked up Katie’s remains, the beautiful little wooden urn made me think of a lovely ceramic angel I had purchased a while before as a possible gift for my daughter. It now sits atop the box as if made for it with another angel and light over it.

The vet’s kind sympathy card was adorned by yet another angel. My friend/pet ‘communicator’ told me that these two angels look just like the ones she saw around Katie before she left. In her last few days I often observed Katie looking up; just looking, not barking (which had become unusual)... Could it have been her angels reassuring her—as they still do me?

Before she passed, Katie had already decided to 'stick around' to be sure I know how much she loves me. Katie's spirit was communicating with me BEFORE she left, too! And it’s fun to know in this way she finally got to display her sense of humor both before and after she passed in her frequent antics coming and going in our house.

Often I was awakened by one solitary Katie-bark between about 2 and 4 a.m. The first few times I heard it of course I jumped out of bed as a vigilant mother would do only to find Katie still soundly asleep. And then several times after she died, the same thing happened. The final night of her visits I heard a huge, loud “WOOF!” that I knew couldn’t be her (and could NOT have been a dog outside). Since I’d not gotten the message thus far, I believe she brought Olga (our former Great Dane) along so that I’d finally realize what she was trying to tell me! Yes, she definitely ‘stuck around’—until I finally got the message--that she loves me deeply and is finally very healthy & happy!

Months later as I was taking my large bag of clothes to the Mission I spotted the big bag of comforters that were Katie’s bedding. I'd just not been able to part with them yet. I grabbed it knowing it was time. I didn't put it all together until I got home and 'felt' Katie's pleasure in her bedding being used to help keep others warm that winter.

Yet again I must say our pets are SO wise if we will just listen!

PetWise #10 “Cyber” dog talk?

4/17/11 Over my pb&j today, the kitchen seemed unusually quiet and empty (yes, I actually took the time to sit at the table and force myself to finish chewing before I got up!). I began to realize that as time passes, it’s becoming more and more okay to know there will never be another Bubbles, Katie Lou or Black Jack in this lifetime, but that there will be another with different very special qualities.

Right away, thinking of the company of another pet companion, my pragmatic mind began rolling up my decorative area rugs and covering my white furniture remembering the messiness of canine old age. Then my positive nature kicked in reminding me that there were many, many years needing no precautions such as these.

Strangely it doesn’t feel as if these three are the ones ‘talking to me’. Earlier in the day I’d posted on PET PEOPLE how Target’s tragic murder was making a difference hopefully for thousands of pets who are now brought in to the shelter where the crime was committed. And of course daily I look forward to updates on dear Patrick’s progress, rescued just in time from certain death after unthinkable abuse. So while they aren’t here in body—any of them—it feels as if they are here gently guiding and reassuring me that all is in the ‘right and perfect order’—perhaps sharing their wet, slobbery ‘cyber kisses’, too.

And the WINNER of the facebook PET PEOPLES’ FUNNIEST or MOST EMBARRASSING PET MOMENT

WINNER: CONGRATULATIONS Pete & Susan Rakay! Susan wrote: "I was feeding and getting fresh water for my birds one day an after I took out Pete's bowl I turned away to get another of the birds bowls. Well Pete thought he saw a silly sight, my naked bum, so he stuck his head out of the bowl opening and bit my butt."
So Pete & won (for one of the pooches in their family) a hoodie with up to 10 letters for a slogan from Poochpark Wear, http://www.poochparkwear.com

Yet another runner up in the Facebook PET PEOPLES’ FUNNIEST or MOST EMBARRASSING PET MOMENT

Susan wrote: "I had had Princess for only a few weeks when one night, after I put my birds to bed, I was looking for her to give her the nite-nite cookie my dogs get every night before bedtime. I call her over and over and searched the house. She was no ware to be found. I found my flashlight and went looking for her outside, still calling her name. No luck. I got in the car, rolled down the window and started driving my neighborhood calling her name. No luck. I went down the large street near my house and drove it to town, looking and calling all the way. No luck. I saw some activity down one of the side streets so I went down to see if maybe she had an accident, Police said no but took her description and my phone number just in case. I started to drive further back in my subdivision calling her name. Still no luck. By this time I was horse from calling her name, after all it was January so the night was cold. I decided to go home and get something to drink and use the bathroom. Sitting on the commode I asked my other dog Oliver "where could Princess be" and it was then I heard the light scratching on the bird room door. I opened the door and there was Princess, safe at home the whole time. I had checked the bird room before closing the door but she outsmarted me by hiding behind the door the whole time. I never thought to look in there as the dogs are not allowed in there and I thought she would answer when I called. Well it happened again yesterday. Same scenario, but this time I checked the bird room and there she was. Save me from loosing my voice again."

Another runner up in facebook PET PEOPLES’ FUNNIEST or MOST EMBARRASSING PET MOMENT

Linsey Bise says, "My husband left his chip bag unattended for 1 minute and returned to find our 3 year old Sphynx cat, King Tut, helping himself! This picture always brings the LOL's!"

Runner up in PET PEOPLES’ FUNNIEST or MOST EMBARRASSING PET MOMENT Contest on facebook!

"My dog Pudder's not a barker and one day he went missing. My daughter and I scoured the neighborhood stopping people strolling down the street and working in their yards to no avail. I knew if someone found him they would never give him back because he is just too sweet and lovable. We went home to figure out another course of action when I decided to go back upstairs and look. Nope... but as I began to descend the stairs I realized that I had not looked in the utility closet. Lo and behold! There was Pudder. The little brat heard us calling and let us look forever! We were glad to have found him and laughed about it for some time. He's such a goofball. :)