links for 'more info': Added Several Cats to the family

(scroll down for more pictures)

In the fall of 2012 Sarah went into a bit of a funk, and I was actually quite worried about her. I had to almost FORCE her to go along on a trip with her friend Rosie's mom, to surprise Rosie for her birthday. She was just really DOWN. Well, while she was there, they apparently found a small abandoned kitten, in a bush, and she called, SO EXCITED and wanted to know if she could bring the poor thing home. How could I say no? We figured he would just have to be outside, since Annie and I, and really even Emma too, have cat allergies. She brought him home, named him Elliot, and he brought so much joy and gave her a purpose. Emma soon felt the need to provide him with a little friend, and went to the local shelter and brought home Lilly. The two became fast friends. Unfortunately Lilly came with a bit of a cought and runny nose, and shared her sickness with Elliot, and we spend the next several weeks trying to get the two of them healthy. Eventually receiving the devastating diagnosis of FIP, which is fatal, and the suggestion that both kittens be put to sleep. We sought a second opinion, and even consulted with a naturalpathic vet, who has actually brought cats through FIP, but in the end we did lose Elliot, but Lilly was fine. We are very thankful for the advice of the second vet, to 'wait and see' and not just put them down as a matter of course. Sarah grieved for a few weeks and then, when she was ready, went to a different shelter and brought home Logan. She had set out to get a different kitten that she saw on their website, and had said specifically that she did NOT want another black cat, but she fell in love with Logan when she saw him, and decided to bring him home.

Now, in the mean time, while Elliot and Lilly were both so sick, the vet had told us that they really needed to be brought indoor, so that they could get better. I relented and said the girls could keep them IN THEIR ROOMS. We all know that THAT didn't last long, and it was not long before they had full run of the house. But the interesting thing was that I did not seem to be reacting to them. Turns out that the daily Zyrtec that I was taking to control my eczema was also controlling my cat allergies. Annie and Em's allergies were not as intense, and they were (mostly) willing to live with the occasional stuffiness and sneezing. So, we found ourselves with two cats. Well, three, actually, since we still had Hobbs, the cat that was still sometimes found nursing on Maggie. Unfortunately Snoop did NOT like Hobbs and eventually managed to run him off, he would be gone for days at a time, and eventually just never came home. We will never know if he was gotten by a coyote, a car, or if he (hopefully) found a new home. Maggie missed him terribly and never did really like Snoop, much, partly because he ran Hobbs off. She went into a real funk when Hobbs disappeared and we thought we were going to lose her. Thyroid meds brought her around, but she was just not the same playful gal. Though she was also getting older. She was still always her sweet self, though, right up to the end. She had a cancer, in her mammary area, which we had removed, just before we left for the wedding. The vet said it would just depend, which organ the cancer attacked next, if it was her heart or liver, we would likely just wake up one morning to find her gone. If it went after her lungs we might have to put her down, to end her suffering. Well, one Friday morning it seemed to be headed that direction, and I was wondering if we were going to have to do something over the weekend. I called her to come outside when Lon and I were heading out in the morning, and she came out, and was trying to get in the car with us. She couldn't, and we gently pushed her back, but completely forgot that she might not be so good at getting out of the way of the wheels and we backed over her. She was not killed instants, so we scooped her up and headed to the vet, but she went somewhere along that trip down to town, wrapped in my arms and being comforted as she went. We miss her, but we are almost glad that she was able to go in that way, receiving comfort and not having pain for too long.

So, I was REALLY enjoying having cats in the house, and realized that Sarah and Emma would both be moving away in the next 4-5 years and likely taking their cats with them, so I decided to get one of my own. I wanted one that was cuddly, and BOY did I luck out, my Max is the most cuddly cat I have ever met.

Then, after the move, Em was very unhappy, and convinced us that getting a German Shephard would help comfort her. We agreed, reluctantly, but were not disappointed at ALL when she decided a few months later that another cat would be a better choice. So... we now have four cats, that come in and out. Oh, and for a while, there were three that the previous homeowner left here (we told her she could) that lived out in the garage/barn. Two of those three have since disappeared, but the remaining one, Marco, is still around, and has even been coming in the house now and then, for short 'visits'.

We pretty much discovered that we were a family of cat people who were 'making do' with dogs, because of allergies, but now we have cats, and love it, and are not entirely sure that Snoop won't just be our last dog. We'll see.

Elliot had a strong desire to conquer the world of pencils.

Lilly is our most 'cat-like'cat - with her own agenda, always!


This was one of her favorite places to sleep with Elliot, and after he was gone, she slept there till she got too big for it.


This is Logan - Lilly was not impressed with him. She tolerates him now. She and Elliot were best friends, Logan was/is more of a pesky little brother.