Father's Day 2025

 Happy Father's Day to the best Dad ever!!!!!

Ok truth be told, Roary actually wakes ME up every morning, but Lenny plays with Roary and helps with his litter and occasionally feeds him. He will often sit and cuddle with Roary and they love each other!

This is soooooooo true (but we share Vet responsibilities!) That being said, Levi runs poor Lenny ragged!!! Levi loves CONSTANT attention and yep it's Lenny who is on poop patrol 99.9% of the time!!!! Lenny is sooo patient!

Our boys couldn't have a better Dad and we are blessed to have him!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

xoxo

Happy 5th Birthday to our "Roary Boy"!!

 Oh my where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I saw a photo of my boy on Petfinder and submitted an application. Now, here it is, Roary's 5th birthday!!

I hate to admit this but I think that Roary is the most intelligent of all of the cats I have been blessed to live with. Roary is our "Little Professor". He doesn't kill bugs or flies, he sits and studies them, as he does with so many other things.

Roary knows where certain toys are that he can only play with when Levi isn't home (because Levi will eat them), and Roary will open drawers to get to the toys. He also is adept at opening cupboards and certain doors.

Roary is incredibly loving. He loves to sit and cuddle he also loves to push all of Levi's buttons to send him into a frenzy!!

I often feel bad for Roary because due to his having had bladder stones a couple of years ago, he is on an extremely strict diet. No treats, no human food, no nothing except his prescription food. Actually, his surgery turned out to be a Godsend. It took me a LONG time to truly bond with Roary because I was still deeply grieving Cody. When Roary had his bladder stone surgery I was with him CONSTANTLY. Roary knew this and that was when our bond was formed. We both needed each other so much !

Roary comes into bed every morning and kisses me to wake me up. He also "talks" a blue streak to me first thing in the morning.

Roary takes everything in stride. He is laid back, truly a "chill" cat, he is virtually never angry (even though he puts up with A LOT from his Sheltie brother).

Our precious boy who was named after the Detroit Lions mascot "Roary", has brought us so much joy and love and has helped us to heal more than I ever thought was possible.

Happy 5th birthday to our "Roary Boy"!!!!

We love you more than you could ever imagine!

xoxo

Mom, Dad and Levi

Happy National Pet Day 2025

 My boys mean the world to me!!!

Roary and Levi  certainly have a different dynamic than Cody and Dakota did. While Roary and Levi love each other, their relationship is much more adversarial. 

They will occasionally play together, but Levi still, even though being almost 5 years old, often has to take it to another level.

That being said, Roary gives as good as he gets! He is a MASTER at knowing EXACTLY what to do to send Levi over the edge and it works, EVERY TIME!!

Here's to all of our fur babies who give us so much unconditional love and bring us tons of joy!!!

Love Your Pet Day!

 Yes, yes,  I know it's EVERY DAY but today was designated as "Love Your Pet Day." A day to pamper and spoil your pets (as if we don't do that EVERY DAY), and to appreciate the time we have with them. I love my boys so much,  even if much of the time they drive me crazy!

one of my favorite kitten photos of Roary

Roary is such an intelligent and interesting cat. If you snap your fingers (literally), he comes running. Loves to carry his toys in his mouth (neither of my other cats ever did that). He's an expert at opening drawers and closets and knows exactly where certain toys are hidden in those drawers! He loves going on top of the shower. He is obsessed with the dishwasher. He adores teasing the living daylights out of Levi (and seems to nap all day just to drive Levi crazy when Levi goes to bed in his crate at night.). He "talks" a blue streak.. Prefers sleeping in boxes rather than a cat bed. He is loving and likes to cuddle...if he's in the mood.

Levi is our BIGGEST challenge. Stubborn, determined with the strength of an ox he continues to help Lenny and I add gray hair to our already gray hair!!!! He's super intelligent, rather high anxiety (at times), extremely food motivated and feels that every single human being that was put on this earth is here for the sole purpose of giving him kisses and petting. He LOVES people (unless they are trying to bathe him!!) He likes to be our shadow and is one of the most affectionate dogs I have ever known. THAT is what saves him!

I would love to hear about some of the quirky things about YOUR pets too! Leave a comment and tell me!! Also, give them extra kisses from all of us!

Happy "Love Your Pet Day!!"

From My Turkeys to YOURS....

 

ALSO...If anyone would like to, we posted Levi's 4th Gotcha Day post on November 21st and no one read it.........you can read it here.

Have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving!

Celebrating August with Good Friends (Created by Ann at Zoolatry!)

 

Hi furiends!!!!! It's Levi and Roary and we are proud to be helping to celebrate the month of August with Ann and June over at the Zoolatry blog!!! It's so much fun seeing old friends and making new friends!!! Isn't this photo that Ann made just the BEST???

Notice the football players in the background?

You can read the most PAWTASTIC  story Ann made up about this darling photo over at her blog!!! (click above on HER BLOG  above to read it!!) WE LOVE IT! THANK YOU ANN! IT'S AMAZING!!

Happy Independence Day!

 Have a happy and safe 4th!!!!

National Pet Day 2024-Thankful Thursday

 Yes, yes I know!! EVERY DAY is National Pet Day but someone decreed THIS DAY as the OFFICIAL National Pet Day!

Today, as we do EVERY DAY we honor the pets who have come before, as well as those currently in our lives. My focus today are the two silly boys who I am blessed to share my life with!

First, because he arrived first, is our silly Roary!

Roary is super curious, talkative, loving and over all a very good boy!!! He unintentionally falls through the cracks sometimes because Levi is so incredibly demanding. We love this adorable, quirky fellow and he knows it!!

These photos were taken yesterday of Levi and our postal carrier (Natalie). Levi and I take a walk every day in our complex searching out Natalie. Why? Because not only is she a postal carrier, she is also, (according to Levi), the MilkBone carrier!!!!! Levi can spot that truck waaay down the street and will drag me to get to her!

Wishing all of you a Happy National Pet Day!!! I know we are all sure thankful for all of the pets who share our lives! Love to all of you and your pets!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you SWEETHEARTS! #WordlessWednesday

 

Happy Thanksgiving 2023!!

 

Stay tuned in the next week or so to learn about what Roary is sitting on!!

We are posting for Thanksgiving a day early because the humans will be attending the Lions game on Thanksgiving...and.......we know many of you will be busy!!! (if you don't see your comment posted right away it's because I use comment moderation and will be behind tomorrow and Friday but will approve them as soon as I can!! Thank you!!)

We are so grateful for each and every one of you! While I don't blog as often as I used to, I love keeping up with as many of you as I can and I deeply value the friendships I have made with so many of you!!

May you and yours be blessed with good health, happiness, peace, love, prosperity and some deliciousness on your table today!!!

If you have a second......maybe put in a good word for the Lions so they beat the Packers on Turkey Day? 

Happy Thanksgiving all!

We LOVE YOU!!!

Caren, Lenny, Roary and Levi

Remembering My Angels on #WorldPetMemorialDay

 World Pet Memorial Day, (a day that falls on the second Tuesday in June and is a day to honor all pets who are no longer with us),

This gorgeous holder was made by Bernadette E. Kazmarski of The Creative Cat

Dakota and Cody were the best of friends, they were the light of my life for 13 years.

It was Cody who this blog was originally named for.

Cody was glued to me like velcro. He was definitely my "heart" cat or "soul" cat.

He was such a loving and special boy who should have been with us much longer than he was.

Dakota was my first dog as an adult.

He was sensitive, sweet, skittish, shy, stoic, a clown and such a good boy!

My Angel Bobo was the first cat I ever had the joy of sharing my life with.

He was found in a blizzard in 1989 or 90. 

Another "velcro cat" Bobo was fiercely loyal to me.

He hated other cats, the only dog he ever tolerated was a Sheltie

who lived near my apartment. Her name was Kelly.

Bobo was my first "heart" cat.

I was blessed to share my life with him for 18 years.

I think of and miss all of my babies every day. They helped shape (for better or worse), the woman that I am today. I thank them all for their unconditional love and for sharing their lives with me.

((((hugs))) to all of you who are remembering cherished and departed pets today. 

#NationalBrothersDay (Brothers from another Mama!!)

 

Spring Quotes 2023

 Happy Spring! While it might be Spring on the calendar, it will be a while until we see glorious flowers and trees with their leaves. In Michigan, we are known to get snow in April, so we shall see!

Enjoy some additional Spring quotes below and HAPPY SPRING! (to those in the world where it IS Spring!)

"Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world."---Virgil A. Kraft

"Blossom by blossom the spring begins."---Algernon Charles Swinburne

"In the spring I have encountered 136 kinds of weather inside of 24 hours."---Mark Twain

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant."---Anne Bradstreet

"Seasons change, and so do we."---NikkiChe

"Spring adds new life and new joy to all that is." Jessica Harrelson

"Where flowers bloom so does hope."---Lady Bird Johnson

Angel Dakota's Birthday and #WorldSpayDay

 Today is World Spay Day and it is also Angel Dakota's birthday. I am sure Dakota wouldn't mind if Angel Cody shares his day. I love this graphic I did of Cody for World Spay Day and just had to share it again.

World Spay Day always takes place on the fourth Tuesday in February! (But the entire month of February is Spay/Neuter awareness month!)  Not spaying and neutering dogs and cats is responsible for millions of unwanted animals living on the streets without homes or food, which could lead to them ending up in a shelter which may not be the fate that one would want.  If you are not a breeder, please, please spay/neuter your pets!!!

Happy, Heavenly Birthday to our sweet Angel Dakota. We mention you, think about you, miss you and love you daily. You will never be forgotten sweet boy!! Love, Mom and Dad

#PRESIDENTSDAY and #NATIONALLOVEYOURPETDAY

 

Who would YOUR choice be????

I love both of my boys

so I would have to choose both!

HAPPY PRESIDENTS' DAY

(to those who observe)

and 

HAPPY 

NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY

which is EVERY DAY!!

WORLD LION DAY and NATIONAL SPOIL YOUR DOG DAY

 

SO YOU WERE EXPECTING TO SEE

 A CAT ON WORLD LION DAY?

OR MAYBE A LION?

OK THERE ARE YOUR LIONS

AND HERE ARE SOME MORE...

Ok, there is a cat there too, but YOU tell ME

WHO LOOKS MORE LIKE A LION?

(I had to check my camera to be sure that the photo on the right above WAS Levi, even I was shocked at how huge he has become. That was taken outside the Vet when Levi went to be groomed)

I REST MY CASE

ABOUT WORLD LION DAY

"World Lion Day  is an annual observance that takes place on August 10. This day is an opportunity to celebrate the king of the jungle and raise awareness about its well-being and conservation. On this day you can voice concern about the threats faced by lions such as poaching, habitat destruction, human-lion conflict."

TODAY IS ALSO NATIONAL SPOIL YOUR DOG DAY

Yes, you should (and we do!), spoil your dog (and any pet), EVERY DAY but the top "spoiling" offender at our home would be my husband, Lenny. The photo above was taken when we were on our way home from Ohio with Levi for the first time. The spoiling from Dad started that second!

Levi does things with Lenny that he doesn't (and would NEVER) do with me (because he knows there are things I just won't allow). One of them is that Levi will do this annoying whining/crying when Lenny is in another room. (I heard from the man who is the daddy of Levi's brother, Stormy, that Stormy also does the annoying crying/whining, and Levi's breeder said that Levi's mother used to whine and cry when she wanted to see her puppies, so...maybe he has a good excuse to be whining/crying...he learned it from his Mama)....

Levi will also bark at Lenny until he takes him out (for trips outside that HAVE NOTHING to do with potty breaks because  he immediately wants to come back in. With Lenny being home for the summer this can happen at least 50 times a day. ANNOYING!!!!)

Our weather isn't supposed to be that great today (severe storms are coming), so we can't take Levi to a pet store or to the park or anywhere today to "spoil" him more, and he has yet to eat people food. (We are holding off on that as long as we can), otherwise I would make him a burger like I used to do for Dakota.

So, since EXTRA spoiling can't take place, we'll just stick with our usual a zillion times a day hugs and kisses.....oh and maybe I will try and yell at Levi a little bit less.......(like THAT will ever happen!)

Ok, so I lied, I guess it will!

"Brothers Are We" #NationalSiblingsDay

Happy National Siblings Day All!

I know Dakota and I aren't "brothers" in the traditional sense, but we all know that sometimes those who aren't your blood (or species) oftentimes make the BEST siblings of all!

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:

He May Be A Dog, But I LOVE Him and he needs some POTP Please!! (NOMS) "Not of My Species Day"

Just a little chat between brothers.................

Hi furiends, it's Cody. Today I have a huge favor to ask of you. My brother, Dakota is experiencing some health issues which could be quite serious. Dakota has had hypertension since late May. He has been on meds, and on his trip to the Vet this past Saturday he went from 180 to 190 compared to a week before. He also has an abscessed tooth Nothing can be done with the tooth until they can find what the cause of the high blood pressure is (Dakota is taking an antibiotic right now). The Vet told my Mom some things that it could be, and Mom, Dad and I are quite scared.  I love my brother. He is my best furiend.

Dakota is scheduled to see an Internist this Tuesday, who will check him and probably do an abdominal ultrasound. If you have a moment, and if you believe in the POTP, could you please send some good, positive energy to my brother? He is 12 and a half years old, like me.  I can't imagine him not being with us, who in the world would I bug if he isn't around?  I have even been giving him kisses to cheer him up. I am trying to cheer Mom up too, but that has been hard to do.

Anyway furiends, I know the POTP works and I would sure appreciate it if you could please put a good word in for my brother? He has been a great brother all of these years and I want him to stay around with me.

Thanks from the bottom of my furry heart.....

Love, Cody

I Love My Cat Daddy!!!

Hi all!!! Today is a most special day! It's Father's Day!!!

First, I would like to share a photo with you that portrays an event that takes place EVERY night at "Casa de Cody." At approximately 5pm (or a little earlier, depending on how long, how loudly and how much I whine), my Dad performs a ritual.

Dad calls Dakota and I into the living room like this: "Gentleman! Come in for the announcement!" As you can see by the photo below we are on high alert! My tail is even raised with glee!

Then, once Dad has our full attention, he will say "Dakota, do YOU want dinner? Cody join us in the dining room!!" Ok, yeah, I know he asks Dakota, but that is the routine and it DOES mean that I get fed too! Then I jump over the baby gate into the kitchen at full speed! I love my Dad for many reasons but mostly because even when I jump on his head and face beginning at approximately 3am, he NEVER gets upset. My Dad feeds me every morning, he makes the announcement at night, he gives me a "pre-snack" at 10:15pm, and then the REAL snack at 11pm, I can count on my Dad to hand over treats WHENEVER I start whining!  My Dad also pets me and cuddles me. I LOVE to watch baseball and basketball games with my Dad too! My Dad is the BEST ever and I am grateful to have him!

The photo I am sharing below is one of my all time faves. I was a tiny little kitten, so young that my eyes were amber and hadn't changed to the glorious green that they are today. I just love this photo though because it shows how my love affair with Dad started right from the time I was first adopted!

Happy Father's Day to the BEST DAD EVER!!!! Now, gimme some food!!

Love, Cody

I think I found the above
on Pinterest some time ago

We also would like to wish all Kitty Dads, Doggy Dads, Uncles, Brothers, Grandfathers, anyone who has taken on the role of "Dad" (even WOMEN who have to take on the role of "Dad" !) a Happy Happy Father's Day!!!