Record breaking day!   The hubby bought me a Fuel band for Christmas a few years ago, because he said I would like it.  I found this gift suspect in the beginning, I wasn’t sure what he was thinking giving a girl who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who used to count everything, a device which quantifies how many steps she takes on a daily basis and informs her if she didn’t meet her daily goal.  I will say, in the beginning, that little black band around my wrist had a hold on me and I wasn’t sure if it was healthy, but one day I realized it was a useful tool to help me time my walks, or figure out what direction I should take, or to help me figure out if I was strolling as opposed to walking.   The other day I had seven walks scheduled, which may not sound like that much, some were a half hour in length, but the majority were in the forty-five minute range.  On top of that I had my regular chores to complete throughout the day,  basically I was on my feet from 7 am until 11 pm.  Usually a banner day for my Fuel band is around 17,000 steps, I think my highest was in the 19,000 range.   Tuesday night as I went to plug my band in to recharge it I decided to check to see how many steps I had taken and my jaw dropped!  29, 907…I contemplated that if I kept walking around for another ten or so minutes I would break the 30,000 mark which in some regards, seemed too cool to pass up, but the fact that I have been struggling with plantar fasciitis and a sore hip won out over the idea of a new record and I sensibly went to bed!  As I laid there, waiting to fall asleep I got to thinking that it would be fun to have Fuel bands for the dogs I walk, to see how many steps they take in the day!!

 

 

I love those moments when I am dog sitting that make me smile!  My Grand Puppy and Grand kitty are here for the week visiting while their parents are away, that makes two felines and two canines…team Waterloo versus team Belleville?  Or perhaps the dogs would band together and the cats would be partners in crime?   Lucas for the most part likes to sleep, this morning I found him parked in the middle of the living room after his morning stroll, head bobbing as he was trying to maintain consciousness, he could care less what everyone else was up to.  Romeo came into the kitchen looking for a snack, he was famished after a night of trying to get to his food bowl without being thwarted by Savannah, as she pushes him out of the way and eats every morsel in his dish, leaving him nothing.   I poured a couple tablespoons on his saucer and stood by the door, to supervise, now that I was awake it was my duty to be his security detail and keep off all the lurkers who doubt his abilities to eat his own meal.   As Savannah slunk into the kitchen, trying to look like she wasn’t on a mission to perform her magic trick “now you see kibble, no you don’t”, Rupert, her house mate, briskly walked up and blocked her.   That saucy little puppy that nips that back of my calves, because I apparently look like a sheep, was not going to allow that cat to steal one more plate of food! He stood between the two cats making sure that Romeo had a chance to eat every last bite!   I have been pondering this morning, did he stave off Savvy’s thieving intentions out of altruism, trying to help out his host or was it simply, “if I am not allowed to eat these tiny bite sized morsels, by gum that bossy feline that swipes at me with her claws and hisses at me,  she is definitely not going  to!”  Whatever the case may be, watching the scenario, made me smile!

Some good news!!!

Quebec Superior Court Justice, Louis Gouin, has temporarily suspended the ban and restrictions on pit bull-type dogs until he makes a further ruling on Oct. 5.   Gouin’s ruling comes at the end of full day of arguments by lawyers for the SPCA and the city of Montreal.   Let’s hope that he has time to reflect what it means to dispose of a breed and other dogs with specific characteristics that liken them to that group of animals.   Exterminating a type of canine that find them self at a Pound or  in Shelters isn’t a resolution to deal with the prejudices that Pitbulls face.  Education is key, what about instituting a policy that if people wish to adopt a “suspicous” breed that they must take obedience courses and be evaluated as responsible or even licensed to have this dog and must understand that if they do not follow the requirements their pet will be taken away.

Gouin makes his decision Wednesday on a longer temporary ban, which would last until the SPCA’s challenge of the bylaw is heard in court.   I am thinking of the well being of those animals whose lives hang in the balance as this judge deliberates on his decision and hope that he makes a choice that is based on the value of the innocent lives of these dogs.  Perhaps if he was flooded with images of families with their Pitbulls living in harmony, if he could see their goofball, lovable nature, he will not succumb to pressure by those who supported this ban based on fear.

 

We all know that our pet is cool!  That they can do tricks that would make other’s eyes pop out of their heads and jaws drop!   I am the same as everyone else, I recognize my boys’ brilliance!   When we got Lucas, he was very enthusiastic at greeting us at the door, in part, I think it was because he was so grateful we came back every day and didn’t abandon him!  After a few times where his exuberance caused me to get knocked into a wall or head bashed against a door frame I had to come up with some way for him to show his appreciation!  It took awhile, but we realized if he brought a stuffie in his mouth as a gift, he was less liable to launch himself against us, which was much less invasive, so we went with that.  If he came to the door with no holds barred, we would simply ask him where his “Baby” was, he would run away and look for it (giving one time to get their footwear and jacket off) and  everyone was happy!  As he is getting older, he misplaces his toys and he also doesn’t hear us all the time, so if he happens by and realizes someone has come home without detection he feels remiss that he hasn’t presented them with some sort of recognition.  Yesterday, I entered the front door, with no Lucas, I called out  “Hello!”   Big boy jumped off his perch, the downstairs couch, which he spends most of his day languishing on nowadays and came to say Hi.  He was running up and down the stairs and turning in circles, as he couldn’t find a toy.   As he was searching around at the bottom of the stairs I informed him “your Baby is in Danielle’s bedroom”.  My brilliant boy stopped his fruitless search and went right where I instructed and brought me his stuffie.  I have been marveling ever since how fantastic his grasp is of the English language and of our psychic bond!!!  It’s wonderful to celebrate our animal friends talents and to let them know how truly gifted they are!  (might I say it is cool simply that I am actually heard….he may be the only one at my address who listens to me when I talk, that in and of itself is a pretty cool trick!)

If I lived in Quebec and found myself in a shelter, as I did five years ago in Thunder Bay….due to the new legislation that was voted on regarding certain breed characteristics, I would be euthanized.   Take a good look at me!  I am beautiful!  I am gentle!  I am lovable! I am sweet!  I am misunderstood!  I am not a killer!

Nature versus Nuture…. if you raise an animal with love and compassion and protect it and honour who it is, it can be live in harmony with others!   Killing an animal because of it’s potential to cause harm is ignorant!   There are lot’ s of dog breeds out there that have attacked or injured people or other animals that are Labs, NewFoundlanders, Shepherds , the list can go on and on.   As a society we need to have compassion and tolerance, banning a breed isn’t the answer.  Eradicating stupidity is!

This is Romeo, he has a congenital defect where his liver is wrapped around his heart, this in turn created a void where his organ should have been and causes his lungs to over inflate.  He also has to deal with crystals in his urinary tract if he is not kept on a very strict diet for his condition.   The picture on the left is the first week he came to live with us, when we agreed to be his foster family.  We didn’t know he had any health issues and neither did the women from Kitty Kare,  who rescued him from the pound.  When we discovered what his problem was, it was recommended to us to put him down, another vet recommended to do a rather invasive surgery that could potentially result in his death and yet another suggested I take my boy home and love him.   I remember her saying he is here for a good time, not necessarily a long time.  That was over five years ago, the picture on the right is what Romeo looks like today.  Happy, content and intact!  Life isn’t perfect, when we are given lemons, it is important to make lemonade!   When I came across the  image of our Romeo in his first weeks with us, when he was underweight and not the epitome of healthfulness I feel very grateful that I listened to the third vet!   I decided to go on faith that we could give our cat quality of life as opposed to subjecting him to surgeries or euthanizing him, thinking he couldn’t thrive the way he was born.  When he is curled up below my chair purring or cuddling me as I fall asleep at night, I appreciate the blessing that he is!  I know that the decisions we made on his behalf are ones I will never have to second guess and I also know that I have to continue to learn to trust my instincts.  I also think of all those animal in shelter’s who might be denied the opportunity to ever be loved or appreciated for who they are and it breaks my heart!   Every creature out there should be granted the opportunity to know happiness and love.  And I mean, EVERY creature….I am going to pray for all of those dogs in  the province of Quebec whose physical characteristics might result in their deaths.  I feel bereft and wish there was some way I could spring them all and find them opportunities to shine!

 

Everyday it’s all about averting “cat-astrophe!”   There are days that I truly understand why it is dangerous to have a cat.   My boy Romeo likes to lay on the stairs, making it rather unsafe to be in a hurry when going up and down, and god forbid you have something in your hands!  He likes to stealthily jump onto the cushion where one is about to rest their back side.  One of his favourite pass times, swishing his tail underneath a person’s foot as they are walking by, first off it startles you as you recoil thinking “What the heck is that?”  and secondly it sets you off balance.  Everyday, it is all about staying up right!   Today, as I went to throw out some garbage I realized the trash can was incredibly stinky,  it needed to go out to the garage, I picked it up and with purpose headed towards the stairs.  Romeo seized the opportunity to make the experience less mundane and more adventuresome.  Garbage can out in front, I caught a blur of grey fur whisk into my trajectory,  seeing impending disaster and reacting fast enough to it, are two entirely separate phenomena’s.  I am not sure why attempting to break the neck of the person who is responsible for your care seems like a whimsical way to entertain oneself, but that hasn’t deterred my frisky feline yet!   Perhaps he thinks that humans have nine lives too?  As I tripped over him and launched sideways, I somehow managed not to fall headfirst down the stairs, instead I gave my elbow a good thwack on the closet door.  I passed with flying colours, managed not to break my neck and the smelly garbage is no longer stinking up the kitchen!   Romeo is now safely curled up on the living room chair, most likely plotting his next opportunity to test my reflexes.  Life with a cat, there is never a dull moment!

“You got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative…”  I have a canine friend that comes to stay with us that loves to forage for something edible.  He will sniff and poke around the kitchen and will alert me to an errant piece of dog food under the oven or chunk of granola under the fridge.  He is quite dedicated, he will work away trying to extricate that morsel from it’s place of neglect.   The thing about my little friend, he isn’t allowed to have any people food and is on a very strict diet due to allergies.   When he is visiting one has to be very vigilant when eating as he may be small, but he is also very resourceful and doesn’t give up easily.   My spouse keeps insisting that the dog must get table scraps or the occasional little incentive of human food , otherwise he wouldn’t be so intent or interested.   I keep reiterating not to share what he is eating regardless of how utterly convincing he seems to be that sharing is caring.  The other night, when we were watching a movie my hubby was trying to eat a snack and my little friend was sitting in front of him, his whole body was wagging along with his tail, he was watching closely, hoping a crumb would fall.  My spouse stated emphatically, “He has to be allowed to have a smidge now and then otherwise he wouldn’t care.’  I retorted “You just don’t get it, he is an eternal optimist, he stays hopeful that one day someone is going to share”.  A truly admirable trait, that’s what I love about dogs, they carry on with the expectation that if they sit at our feet and wag their tale enough, one day, someone is going to have a heart, and hopefully maybe the end result will be bacon flavoured.

That moment when you write a rather witty blog about a near death experience and you realize that you accidentally deleted it…deep cleansing breaths!   Some days I feel like I need Danger Pay!   It is raining today, but I don’t let that dampen my spirits, I am not going to let a little precipitation prevent me from taking my charges out for a good long stroll.  As the boys and I headed through the park this morning, it began to pour, and although I am not made of sugar, my pooch Lucas is!  Soggy and trembling I steered us towards home, but the skies opened up and the rain disappeared, we hadn’t been out very long so why not do another lap.   The road we headed down has no sidewalks, but I am all about safety, we face traffic and hug the shoulder of the road.  I looked up and noticed an SUV coming towards us with a gentleman driving.  He was driving at a good clip, his body was stretched over the back seat, his right arm swiping at his children who were either having some sort of distress or behavioural issue.  He didn’t slow down, he was having a moment where he was in a hurry to get where he needed to go and was distracted, completely oblivious to the fact that he was veering up onto people’s lawns and driving like madman.   Thankfully, I was paying attention, the dogs and I took the high ground and got out of his way.  He drove on past, still focused on things going on behind him and not on the road, completely unaware he could have hit us.  The take away for me was to always be mindful and in the now.  Thankfully, the condensation and Mr. Mom didn’t turn the morning into a total wash out!   For the dogs and I it was all part of the adventure, after all, when they are with me,  there is “No Time to Paws!”

Allergy sufferers, UNITE!  Ever since I was small I have been dealing with allergies and the irritations and unpleasantness that go along with them.  I always heard adults say, “she will out grow them”, I am still waiting for that sentiment to become a reality.  Some of the things that gave me grief don’t seem to be as offensive, but it seems the older I get, more and more triggers are being added to the list.  I have often wondered what it is that makes me so susceptible, is it my geographic location, a genetic predisposition or is there something inherently wrong with the world and the impact we humans are having on our environment.   I think the first time that allergies for an animal appeared on my radar was when we had our dog Amber, that poor pooch had a hypersensitivity to fleas and had severe reactions if she was bitten or exposed.  When I look at my client list I can say that over half of my canine friends are on specialized diets due to food sensitivities or external factors in the environment.  One of my buddies has been having a truly rough time that started in August and seemed to get worse with the onset of Autumn.  His family has been trying to sort out what causes him to scratch for some time, switching his foods and trying to simplify his diet.  With a lack of a success in solving the issue, he had skin testing done, which validated his people’s concerns and the results confirmed that he in fact is allergic to eleven triggers that covered the spectrum from grasses, trees, weeds, molds, insects and indoor allergens.  Turns out my cute little friend is allergic to many of the same things as I am, the one I found most fascinating though was cats!!!  Who knew that canines and felines can have sensitivities to one another!  I knew I was allergic to my cat and have chosen to suffer through, but I now have a better understanding what ignited my friends discomfort awhile back when his family was away for a wedding.  Sam and my cat Romeo spent two nights sleeping on our bed, that poor pup, he was itching incessantly by the second night.   Thankfully, there is a serum that he can be given to help him combat his issue that should take affect over time.  In the interim, avoidance of triggers, a few changes in his internal environment and lot’s of TLC will hopefully help him manage.   I wish there was some way I could convey to him that I “get it”, I feel for him how annoying and frustrating it is to have skin that burns and an insatiable urge to scratch an itch that just won’t go away.  I am grateful though for people that are willing to investigate and help their animals when they know their quality of life in being impacted.  Kudos to the pet parents that don’t throw up their hands and ignore the impact that allergies have to their furry friends!