This our new cat, Simon. We got him yesterday. There’s more about him here.

Technorati Tags: pets, cats

Yesterday we went to Petco to pick up some dog food, and at the front FOGAS (Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter) had cats up for adoption. The woman hosting the event was just getting the cats out, and a cat caught my eye. I talked to the lady for a while about him and found out that:

• He was surrendered by his owners Saturday, who decided to move and that he wasn’t going to be part of their new home.
• He was in great health and had no behavior problems.
• He was great with kids and other cats, and fine with dogs.

We ended up adopting him on the spot yesterday. He came to us with the name Sugar Daddy, but that won’t fly at our house so we have renamed him Simon. Some stats about Simon:

• He was born in August 2004, making him about 2 1/2 years old.
• He’s mostly white with a few grey tabby patches, and has a grey tabby tail.
• He weighs 14 pounds, but is a smallish guy and likely needs to lose a little weight.
• He has deep green eyes.
• Despite being a little overweight, he’s on the muscular side.

We set him up in one of the guest rooms to let him get acclimated to his new home, but he really wanted to explore so we introduced him to the hounds last night. They are mostly disinterested in him, but Phoebe wants to be his friend. Everyone has gotten along well so far.

Things we have noticed about his personality:

• He’s very friendly and mellow. He has rolled over on his back several times to have his belly rubbed, and has been lying in the middle of the floor.
• He can open cabinets and drawers, so we are getting some child locks today.
• He’s very curious and likes to explore.
• He’s young enough that he still plays.
• He likes to be held and purrs a lot.
• He follows us around to see what we’re up to.

Photos to come once they are uploaded to my computer…

Technorati Tags: pets, cats

Today is Phoebe’s third birthday. Now that she’s all grown up, I’m hoping that the days of chewing on the ottoman, putting holes in the wall, and tearing down blinds is over. But the barking, howling, and playing can continue.

We’ve had Phoebe for about a year, and she’s come a long way during that time. When we first got her she was so scared that we had to put her leash on her to make her go to the bedroom for bed. She wouldn’t walk through doors unless we stood at least 15 feet away from them, and she ran away from my husband anytime he got near her.

Since that time, she’s blossomed into a social butterfly who loves house guests, adventures, and new situations. The early destruction aside, she’s a spirited, fun-loving dog who melts the hearts of everyone she meets.

Technorati Tags: greyhounds, dogs

When I was a kid my parents’ church had Halloween parties every year. Believe it or not, they used to do things like this in the South.

I recall that one year I went to the church Halloween party as the devil.

Here are my very own hellhounds from this year:

Daphne the jester…

Phoebe the witch…

And Joey the pirate…

I head out to NYC on business until Thursday night.

technorati tags: halloween, greyhounds, costumes, dogs

The Soup Peddler, an awesome local business that makes wonderful soups and other goodies, is donating 5% of all sales to Greyhound Pets of America Central Texas if you order through through this link.

How does it work? It’s simple… you order your food, and the Soup Peddler delivers it to your door if you live in delivery areas, or you can easily pick it up. The food is tasty, healthy, and cheap.

This is a great and easy way to support a great local cause while supporting a great local business. Please check it out!

technorati tags: austin, texas, dining, food, greyhounds, charity

I spend a lot of quality time sitting on Mopac in the mornings. I see a lot of interesting things: people reading, putting on make-up, arguing with a passenger, having elaborate one-sided arguments with other drivers (with the windows rolled up, nonetheless), and singing encore performances.

Today I noticed a bumper sticker on the Kia in front of me that made me smile. It simply said:

“Lord, please help me to be the person my dog thinks I am.”

Perhaps it’s that simple.

technorati tags: Austin, traffic, life

This is our new greyhound Joey. We had already decided to adopt him before we knew Morrison had cancer, and we decided to go ahead and take him on Friday, as scheduled. It wasn’t Joey’s fault that we had misfortunes on Friday. It turned out to be a great decision: We needed him as much as he needed us.

Joey is a four year old, 71 pound sweet guy. He comes to us from Greyhound Pets of America Central Texas, where we adopted both of our other greyhounds Phoebe (age 2) and Daphne (age 6).

Joey ran two races in Florida under the racing name Joseph’s Dance, and like Phoebe (who ran under the name Rayna Ann Walker), he didn’t do very well. Seems he prefers retirement and got there was quickly as he could.

So far Joey has made a wonderful addition to our home. He’s quiet and gentle, and has proven himself to be quite the gentleman. And our other greys love him. He likes to follow me around, sticking right by my side, and to cuddle with me in the mornings. Perhaps he knows I need a new friend…

technorati tags: greyhounds, dogs, pets

My beloved cat Morrison died on Friday. He had been sick off and on for the last couple of years with a variety of ailments: diabetes, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, etc.

Over the last few months he had started to slow down. I knew something was wrong, but we could never figure out what. Finally on Friday his specialist discovered that he had a huge tumor in his chest. She didn’t think he’d make it through surgery, and I didn’t want to have him doing chemo once a week when we all knew it wouldn’t cure him. He had between two and eight weeks left, and eventually he would suffocate.

So, I decided that enough was enough, and to let him go before he really started to suffer. It absolutely broke my heart, but I firmly believe that it’s the obligation you have to your pets to know when to say goodbye. They give so much to you over the years and ask so little in return, and it’s the least you can do.

I got Morrison on September 24, 1993 when he was 13 weeks old and I was 19. He was the first thing I got when I moved away from the dorm and into an apartment in college. He was my roommate when I lived alone, always welcomed me with a purr no matter how bad my day had been, traveled with me countless times to visit my parents, moved five times without complaining, welcomed my new boyfriend who later became my husband, lived with four dogs, slept by my side every night for 13 years, and took his entire illness in stride.

What I learned from Morrison was to take things as they come and to not sweat the small stuff. And to always be friendly to anyone and everything… life is just easier that way.

I’ll miss you, little man.

technorati tags: pets, cats, death, loss

Today we had to have out our beloved cat, Morrison, put to sleep. He’s had diabetes and arthritis for the past two years, and today we learned he had cancer and that there was nothing that could be done. We let him go before things got really awful for him.

This is probably going on in Heaven right now (after Zephyr finished sniffing his butt that is)…

Believe it or not, there’s actually very good news today too, but it will have to wait.

technorati tags: pets, cats, death, loss

Sporting a new pedicure, brushed teeth, and fresh bath, Saturday morning greyhound Phoebe took her first trip downtown and first ride in an elevator.

Greyhound Pets of America has a booth at this weekend’s Austin Home and Garden Show, and like a good girl Phoebe was a goodwill ambassador, along with her new greyhound booth pals Daisy, Fancy, Mary, Grappa, and Phoenix.

The Austin Home and Garden show is a great way to spend a couple of hours on a hot weekend in August when it’s pretty much too hot to do anything outside. The show features a variety of vendors ranging from portable buildings to interior items. One area to check out is the Go Texan row, which features Texas vendors. Here you’ll find a variety of products from Texas-based businesses… let’s support any little guys there, won’t we?

The hounds have a great piece of real estate pretty much right in the middle of the show, and this is a great way to get introduced to often misunderstood greyhounds.

Greyhounds generally ARE NOT:

• Hyper
• Aggressive
• Sad
• Hunters
• Outdoorsy
• Stoic

Greyhounds generally ARE:

• Gentle
• Affectionate
• Intelligent
• Mellow
• Loyal
• Non-slobbering
• Non-shedding
• Non-barking

Greyhounds are great companions who can thrive in many homes, including those with children, cats, and small dogs. It all just depends on the personality of the greyhound, just like people.

If you have some free time this weekend, please go check them out and even give them a buck or two. These sweet dogs need all the help they can get. To learn more about the plight of greyhounds, please visit the Greyhound Protection League.

To read my husband’s post on this event, please click here.

technorati tags: greyhounds, pets, volunteer, charity