Ruby’s waiting
About a month ago, my 86-year-old father fell in the bathroom at home and began bleeding into his brain. We don’t know if the fall caused the bleeding, or if he had a hemorrhagic stroke that caused him...
View ArticleStory: Dogs and cats living together
Dogs and cats living together While my dogs and cats don’t have the snuggle-up-with-each other, lion-lies-down-with-a-lamb kind of relationships, they get along pretty well with members of the other...
View ArticleTales and tails on Hanukkah
Hanukkah in our home is filled with unique family traditions. It’s a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar, but over the years we have found ways to make it special and meaningful. Years ago, I...
View ArticleEvery Day is Boxing Day When You’re a Cat
On December 26, people in many countries around the world celebrate Boxing Day. Traditionally, the more privileged class provided gifts for the tradespeople, servants and serfs. While serfs are hard to...
View ArticleCat Video: Calvin Plays Catch that Dog
Last week, when I told the story of Tucker and how I inadvertently lodged his ball an unreachable part of a tree, there was a part I left out. While I did note that it was heartbreaking to watch him...
View ArticleA Visit to Super Pet Expo, and I Fall in Love … with Cat Toys
Yesterday I stopped by the Super Pet Expo in Edison, New Jersey. It was my first time at the Expo and I had a set of simple goals: to meet local rescue organizations, check out some pet technology...
View ArticleThe Last Snow of the Season
Yes I did. I put it right there in the title: The Last Snow of the Season. Am I tempting Fate? Am I teasing Mother Nature? Am I sneering in the face of Murphy? Athena watches the birds scrounge for the...
View ArticleSpring, You’re Late!
Ah, Winter. We’ve had our fun. We’ve met Snow Dog… He was quiet and well behaved. …and Snow Cat. Lilah loved Snow Cat We’ve played games. Let’s play! We reached new heights. Even when he looks down on...
View ArticleWhat Dogs and Cats Say
If Athena and Tucker were on Facebook, their relationship status would probably be listed as “It’s Complicated.” When Athena gets the Kitty Crazies, Tucker tries to play with her, thinking she’s asking...
View ArticleGetting Down and Dirty: Pet Photography Tips
Calvin A few days ago, I found my cat Calvin in yet another comical position: all stretched out, but with his paws completely hidden under his head. I grabbed my camera to take a few pictures. Later,...
View ArticleTunnel of Fun: A favorite cat (and dog) toy
Sneaky Calvin Leopard-spotted and more than four feet long, it has two holes designed for peeking. The crinkly tunnel is, by far, Calvin’s favorite toy. There’s so much a cat can do with it. First of...
View Article5 + 5 Reasons to Adopt a Shelter Pet
All of my dogs and cats came from shelters or rescue organizations. Jasper and Lilah Jasper and Lilah were pulled from high-kill shelters in Louisiana and brought to New Jersey, where they were...
View ArticleFall is the New Black: All Dogs Look Good in Autumn
Fall is the Thanksgiving of seasons: you spend a long time getting ready for it, the fun part lasts a short time, and then there’s the clean up. This year was a particularly beautiful autumn; Mother...
View ArticleCelebrating Hanukkah with Dogs and Cats
Hanukkah with dogs and cats No tree to climb or pee on. No ornaments to swat or destroy. No elves to knock off shelves and play keep-away with. This time of year might seem pretty boring if you’re a...
View ArticleSnow Fun: Dogs, Cats & Humans Enjoy the Blizzard of 2016
Be careful what you wish for Last week, I noted how underwhelmed my dogs were with the first snow of the season. I’m thinking maybe Mother Nature didn’t like being judged. Because she sent us a...
View ArticleDogs, Cats & Humans Uncover Snow Joys and Challenges After the Blizzard
After last weekend’s blizzard, our entire landscape had changed. The snow was two feet deep in most places, except in the drifts, where three feet of snow dwarfed my dogs. The only way to get around at...
View ArticleSpeechless in New Jersey: What laryngitis taught me about my relationship...
I leaned back from computer, stretched, looked over at Tucker curled up in one of the dog beds in my office and said, “Well, don’t you look comfortable.” At least that’s what I intended to say. What...
View ArticleKind-hearted Women
Years ago, for her birthday, I bought my mom a plaque with a drawing carved on it that looked something like this: Yes, I drew this. Though it may look a bit crude (the version above was drawn with...
View ArticleKetsishe Rose: A Mother’s Day Story
“They called me Ketsishe Rose.” “What, Grandma?” “Ketsishe Rose.” The afternoon sun crowned a nimbus of light around my grandmother’s silver hair. Her back to the window, she sat in one of the dining...
View ArticleFriends in High Places: My Cat Finds a New Bestie
Calvin curled up next to his friend. My dogs love stuffed animals. They love to chew on them. They love to play tug with them. They love to de-stuffify them. They love to shred them. It doesn’t take...
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