National Love Your Pet Day!!

 I know, I know, if you are reading this you are going to give the same snarky reply that I gave for the past 13 years. "EVERY DAY is NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY "and you're right. But this year, I'm looking at it less with the thought of giving a snarky reply and MORE from the viewpoint that we need to cherish EVERY SINGLE DAY with our pets because you never know if it will be the last. 

In my collage below, I am showcasing the pets who have shared (and are sharing) my life as an adult. My Angel Bobo (bottom right who passed in 2007, one day after his 18th birthday, he shared my life from 6 months old to age 18), Angels Dakota and Cody are  above him, (they passed in the summer of 2020 both at the age of 13),  and Levi and Roary on the far left. (Roary joined our family in September of 2020 and Levi joined our family in November 2020, both on the 21st of their respective months!!)

Losing a beloved pet is ALWAYS hard. When it is an expected loss it is horrific, when it is a completely out-of-the-blue loss it is a hurt that is simply indescribable. Many of you have experienced losing more than one pet in a short period of time as I experienced. Cody and Dakota passed within 9 days of each other. Having them both with us for 13 years and then suddenly having them both gone, was almost more than I could bear. May you never have to experience that type of pain, and to those who have, my heart goes out to you. It is the kind of a hurt that takes quite some time (if ever), to recover from.

So, this year, rather than giving my tacit "I love my pets EVERY DAY" comment (as we ALL DO).....I am simply grateful that  my home and heart are once again experiencing the crazy times, loving times, noisy and messy times, and yes, sometimes the extremely trying times that comes with the territory when you love your pet(s). 

The bottom line is, it's all worth it, isn't it?

Happy National Love Your Pet Day to all of you, I know I am going to be giving my boys extra kisses all day long,  and I hope you will give those babies of yours special kisses from ME!!

I'm Thankful for my "Boys" National Love Your Pet Day"

Today is National Love Your Pet Day

Yes, Yes I KNOW it's every day of the year and every day of the life of your pet. 

“An animal’s eyes have the power

 to speak a great language.” — Martin Buber

This year both of my boys will turn 13 and will become  "teenagers." (in HUMAN years). Dakota on February 28th and Cody on April 1st. (My husband thinks we should have Bar Mitzvahs for both of them!!!) As both of my boys age, they are each experiencing some health issues. Dakota's was primarily his blood pressure (and some hearing loss and arthritis), Cody still possibly has a thyroid condition (he was borderline again when last checked in late 2019 and he will return to the Vet in the next couple of months),  he has lost a bit of weight (I so miss the days when I made fun of him for being chubby!), but they are both as loving as ever. They don't play together as often as they used to but occasionally I will see Dakota strolling over to Cody and planting a kiss on his "I just ate some kitty food" mouth.

I am thankful for each and every day with both of them and am trying not to think too much about the future. I love them both more than I have words for and am hoping that I am giving them  comfortable and HAPPY  senior years. 

It seems as if they both arrived yesterday........where has the time gone?

We are happy to be participating in the:

Remembering Our Michigan Friend Wally on National Love Your Pet Day

This is happening far too often. Another beloved pet has left us for the Bridge. This time it was Wally of The Island Cats.

This is beyond surreal to me. Wally was a special kitty.  He was incredibly handsome. He lived in Michigan, (maybe 40 or so minutes away from me), but while I had gotten together with his Mom,  I never had the pleasure of meeting him or his kitty siblings.

Hoping The Island Cat Family doesn't mind that I "borrowed" this photo

If I am doing the math correctly I think Wally would have been 16 this June, doesn't matter if he was 6 or 16, anytime a kitty leaves us it is too soon. 

My heart goes out to The Island Cat Family, Ernie, Zoey, Mom and Dad. I know that Wally was adopted at an extremely young age,    which makes this even harder. Losing a beloved pet is ALWAYS hard but living with them for so many years....as so many of you know and as I know all too well, the void is cavernous.  

I am also sad because Wally's family had recently moved to a new home and Wally barely got to enjoy it. 

The purpose of National Love Your Pet Day (WHICH TO YOU, ME AND EVERYONE WHO LOVES PETS IS EVERY DAY) is  "to encourage pet owners to spend some time with their pets and show them the love and affection they deserve. It doesn’t matter if you own a cat, dog, bird, fish or reptile, today is the day to pamper them and show them how much they mean to you."

I think if we are all candid, we would  admit that we have times that we are just "too busy" or "too stressed" to actively play with our pets. I am at the front of the line on that one. While I adore both of my boys, I know I don't actively play with them as often as I should. But...they are deeply, deeply loved, are kissed and cuddled daily, and they know how much they are loved.  

Wally was deeply loved too, not just by his family but by his blogging family, his facebook family and by all who read their blog. 

One of the most awful parts about blogging for many years as The Island Cats have been, and as we have been, ( we will hit 10 years blogging in October), is that when we all first began blogging our kitties were babies (Cody was 2 years old and now he is going on 12)...after spending multiple years reading someone's blog you become attached to the pets often more than to the humans (sorry but it is true!!)  Losing yet another long-time blogging kitty is painful for everyone, but especially Wally's family.

Cody and I want Wally's family to know how much we loved and enjoyed reading about Wally, and we want them to know how much he will be missed......I am sorry for this disorganized post, but as I write this, my heart is getting in the way.

Thank you Sue for sharing Wally with us, Wally thank you for being YOU.....

To all of you, you can stop by The Island Cats and leave them messages of sympathy and comfort, and hug your pets a little tighter, I know I will.