New Addition

Charlie (the cat) and Arnold (the dog) have been in our family for seven and four years, respectively. Being country folks, we've not been successful at keeping pets for many years. There are no fence or leash laws here in Ralph, so you can imagine the problems that arise when you have a mutt and no fence. Almost all of our pets have been strays that we adopted or puppies or kittens from friends' and family members' pets.

Charlie was the kitten of a friend's cat. I brought him home in March 2003 and he's been around ever since. He's an interesting cat. When my mom moved from her house to my grandmother's (as her new house was in the final stages of construction), Charlie jumped ship and disappeared into the woods. He was gone for a month - and then mysteriously reappeared. After his excursion, he became a much more loving cat, though he is still quite temperamental. Charlie also likes to sleep in some pretty strange places, which is my favorite part about him.
Here is Charlie... sleeping (well, I woke him up when I started taking pictures) in my L.L. Bean duffel bag. Not too weird, except that I hadn't quite finished unpacking - notice the Ziploc bag!

Then came Arnold.

On April 14, 2006, I adopted Arnold from the Shelby County Humane Society. He has been THE best dog! Other than his love for licking people in the face and his EXTREME need for attention, he really is a good dog! He knows a few tricks and is actually obedient when he wants to be. :) He LOVES kids and loves new animals! He just loves to play. He is resilient, which is what I love most. In August 2008, he was attacked and almost killed by a pack of German Shepherds. It took over a month for him to heal from all the wounds, but he made it! He's so sweet.... and funny. He loves to sing and... okay, I realize that I sound like one of those crazy pet ladies. Get over it!
I love my dog!

Now we have a new addition! I wanted a new playmate for Arnold because I won't be able to take Charlie with me when I move next year. If you've ever seen Charlie and Arnold "fight," it's hysterical. I never have a video camera around when they start playing, but I am determined to capture it on film one day! Hopefully the new kitten & Arnold will be good friends, too.

Anyway, so my friends Kristy & George were looking for homes for their cat's new kittens and I gladly offered to take one off of their hands! We ended up with a girl - and I am so glad! That means I can buy her a frilly collar! :) So far, she's extremely sweet and adorable - all kittens are, of course! She's adjusting really well, although the animals are all still trying to get used to each other. She is really attached to me, which I'm okay with! She's snuggly and warm and has already done 1000 cute kitten things that every kitten does but it's especially cute when she does it because she is mine! :) So, thank you to Kristy & George! Come visit her soon!

Oh, and her name is Elaine... yes, like Elaine Benes on Seinfeld. :)

If you read this, cheers to you. :)