Big News!

This is Pixie. Doesn't she look a little like me???

Hi everyone! It is me, Trixie, popping in again for a visit with some exciting news!

Lily and I are going to be FAMOUS DOGS!

Mama is telling us to settle down right now because we are not going to be that famous. But just a little famous is good enough for us!

It all started when Mama had the idea to write a book for kids, about dogs. She wrote a book called The Best Dog In The World. It is about a little boy whose family fosters a dog from a rescue organization. Mama said she got the idea from me! In fact, the main dog in the story even looks a little like me, and her name is Pixie, which rhymes with Trixie!

I think the book should say "by Trixie" on the front, but Mama says she is the one who did all the hard work of writing and drawing the pictures, and all I had to do was exist. But she did say that Lily and me are her Official Spokesdogs!

The best part of Mama's new book is that she is going to donate half of the profits to different rescue organizations. Most of the money will go to the rescue that I was adopted from. But she will also spread it around to other organizations. For instance, three times this summer she is going to be selling her book at different fundraisers for particular shelters, and whatever money she makes on those days, she will donate half of it to the shelter that hosted her. Also, if she hears of an animal who needs some special help, like a dog who needs a lot of medical care, she will donate some to that dog.

We are all excited about how many pets we may be able to help!

Oh yeah... and another thing? Mama says Trixie and I can have a blog again! We will probably start a new blog site, because Mama says this blog has a lot of personal information on it, which Mama felt safe sharing with you guys, our friends, but maybe not with the entire whole wide world. When it is all set up, we will come and give you a link. Will you follow us there?

She's also looking for a few people who might want a copy of our book to review on their blog. Would that be you?

Okay... if you want to go find out more about our book, our website is at http://nickimannbestdog.weebly.com. Be sure you look at the link that says Spokesdogs! That is my favorite page!

Oh yeah... also Mama said, at the risk of making her sound crazy, we can tell you that she called the Pet Psychic Radio one day because she really wanted to hear about Sammy-Joe. She was worried that maybe he somehow gave himself cancer because he felt like she didn't love him anymore. I knew that was ridiculous, but you know Mama, once she gets an idea in her head there's no arguing with her! Anyways she called, and the Psychic on the radio told her that Sammy-Joe is happy, that he met Mama's grandmother, and that he is a great hunter. He also said he is with Mama all the time and that he is her angel now! (Actually he said he was a cat with wings, but we knew what he was trying to say.)

Snowy Day

This is Trixie, everyone! Feels good to stretch my paws on the computer after being away for so long! Me and Lily just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the support for Mama's post about Sammy-Joe. She really is having a hard time getting over losing him. We tell her that he is still here with us... we see him all the time!

We thought we'd stop by and post a few pictures! Here in Chicago, it has been so cold for the past few days, we've barely been able to go outside! We'd go outside for a few minutes, and our paws would start to hurt. We've basically been going outside, doing our necessary business, and going back in. So today it is 15 whopping degrees out, and the sunshine felt lovely! We actually stayed outside and played for a while! You can see that the snow is so deep, Grampa shoveled out part of the yard so we'd be able to walk in it. Especially Lily...the snow is over her head!

We're going to bug Mama to let us come back here and post once in a while. Mama started her own blog where she posts about having ADHD and autism, and we do appear in there once in a while, but we think it is not fair that she should have all the bloggy fun. So, look for us!

With love,
from Trixie

It's Been Nearly A Year...

Hi everyone! This is Trixie, Lily and Sammy-Joe's Mama writing. It's been nearly a year since I posted here. The last time I wrote was the day that Sammy-Joe died. I promised I'd come back and blog again when I started feeling better... but it never happened. It was too hard to come back and blog again, without my Sam. 

But I still read some of your blog posts on Facebook, and I've been missing all of our bloggy friends. So I thought I'd come back and check in... and who knows, maybe we'll start blogging here again with Trixie and Lily! 

I wanted to write about the day that Sammy-Joe died. 

The night before, he'd been seeming to feel okay. But early the next morning, my dad came upstairs and told me, "You'd better come down and see Sammy. I think he's dying."

I ran downstairs to the basement and found Sammy-Joe lying on his side on the floor behind the water heater. I picked him up in my arms and held him. I wrapped him in a towel and sat down on a chair in the living room, snuggling him. I could tell he was in pain. For the first time in my life, I was actually praying that he would die... just die quietly in my arms... so he'd be out of pain. 

My dad was leaving for work, and since he felt like Sammy-Joe was going to die that day, he came to pet Sammy and say goodbye to him. Sammy growled and bit his finger so hard it started bleeding. That's when I knew Sammy was probably out of his mind with illness. He and my dad loved each other and had a very special friendship, so I knew Sammy would never hurt my dad if he was himself. It was a miracle he was letting me hold him!

Although I had always said, my whole life, I would not be the one to put Sammy to sleep and make the decision to end his life, at this time I realized it was the only thing I could do. But the vet was not open yet, and I also couldn't fathom subjecting him to a car ride at this time... he hated cars and the vet so much. So I got online and Googled "euthanasia at home." I came up with Lap Of Love, a company that provides veterinarians who come to your home. Typing in my zip code connected me with Dr. Juliana Lyles. It must have been some sort of miracle that I came up with her info so quickly... not only that, but it turned out she lives only a few blocks away from me! Although it was still early in the morning, when I called her and explained the situation, she was able to get up, get ready, and be at our house in less than an hour!

It was almost surreal... she asked me if I needed time to say goodbye to Sammy, but all I wanted was for it to be over. He was crying and in so much pain. Dr. Lyle explained to me that the type of euthanasia she gave pets was different than usual, because it was really an overdose of anesthesia. Most vets give the pet something that causes their heart to stop. But the overdose of anesthesia enables them to feel really good and pain free right away, and they just fall asleep and don't wake up. 

While we waited for Dr. Lyle to arrive, I had been assuring Sammy-Joe that someone was coming to help him. I can never stop thinking how abnormal it felt to want him to die, but he was so scred and in pain, and I knew it was happening either way, and I just wanted it to happen as quickly as possible for him.

Dr. Lyle gave him the shot. Then we both stood around him petting him, and I was telling her about how I got him, and all these memories about him. I was actually happy and laughing, just before we realized Sammy was gone. 

Dr. Lyle had brought a special basket with blankets to tuck Sammy into. She put him in the basket, and Trixie and Lily came over to investigate. We all sat on the floor around the basket. The saddest part was that Trixie kept trying to play with him... she kept taking her nose and trying to get the blanket off of him, trying to nudge him to get him to move, and whimpering at him. 

Dr. Lyle also gave me two things to remember him by... she cut off a lock of his fur and tied it in a ribbon, and she made a pawprint in some Model Magic.

We spent a lot of time just sitting there with Trixie and Lily, petting Sammy-Joe in the basket and talking about pets. When it was finally time for her to go, I gave him a kiss goodbye just before hse carried him out of the house. 

It was the only good thing about the whole experience... instead of having to take Sammy-Joe to a cold, sterile vet's office, and drive home without him, we both got to be at home. It also helped that Dr. Lyle was not just a veterinarian doing her job, but she was really there for me, helping me get through it. 

After she left, though, I cried and cried all day long. 

It has been almost a year, and I still haven't gotten "over" Sammy-Joe. When my dog Chopper died, about 5 years ago, it was so painful, but when we got Trixie I was able to focus on her and it helped me heal. But because I am still staying at my mom's, I am not allowed to get another cat... not that a new cat would ever replace Sammy-Joe, but I have always believed that when one pet dies, he or she helps choose the next pet for you. I really believe Chopper was chosen by our first dog, Zip, and I believe she helped bring both Trixie and Lily into my life.. especially since my mom had said we wouldn't be getting another dog at all. Loving Trixie and Lily feels like a natural extension of loving Zip and Chopper. And someday, Sammy-Joe will help bring a new cat into my life. But until then, I still cry about him all the time. 

Part of it is also that I feel I failed Sammy-Joe in so many ways. I was really young and dumb when I got him. I was living on my own and he was my first "own" pet. At the time I was living with some "friends," and I found out later that they had been very rough with Sammy-Joe when I wasn't around. 

At that time I was around 20 years old and had been on my own, sometimes homeless, since I was 17. When I lost my place to live, my parents offered for me and Sammy to move in with them. For years I had refused to live with them again. I was adnament about being on my own. But because my only other option would have been to become homeless again and leave Sammy-Joe with someone else, at the last minute I decided to take them up on their offer. 

For a lot of Sammy-Joe's life, I wasn't around. He became partly my parents' cat. When I joined AmeriCorps and moved to Colorado for a year, I opted to leave him with them, because I was afraid he wouldn't be safe with me in Colorado. I was going to be living with a roommate who had a young son, and also a cat who was an "outdoor" cat, and I just felt worried about bringing Sammy there. So for a year, he was without me. Then, after a year, I lived at home for a few months, but ended up getting in a fight with my parents and moving out again... to be homeless. I left Sammy behind again then too. It was like that for years... I would move in and out, but always left Sammy behind with them, because I just couldn't give him a secure home and I felt like he was safe with them. I know I saved his life by letting him stay with them. But my regret is that I left him in the first place, letting my anger and depression get in the way of making good decisions. 

By the time I started this blog, my life was a lot more secure. I had moved back in with my parents for good, this time bringing with me the small dog I rescued from the place I lived before... a dog you would come to know in this blog as Lily! But even that makes me feel a lot of guilt. Sammy-Joe never felt comfortable with Lily in the house, and he spent the rest of his life tiptoeing around her, never quite being the cat he had been before. He was already old by the time Lily moved in, and I guess he didn't have the energy left to put up with her shenanigans, although he had been best friends with Chopper and medium friends with Trixie. 

I think about him all the time. Right next to my bed is a picture of me holding him in my arms, when he was only a few years old, still huge and bright-eyed and energetic. I still cry for him a lot at night... not only for losing him, but for not being there for him when I had the chance. 

Maybe writing this will help me finally heal my heart? But I just wish I could talk to him, and tell him I'm sorry, and have him understand how much I loved him. 

Sammy-Joe's picture from our first blog entry, on December 30, 2010.  

A Sad Day

We are so sad to let you know that our Sammy-Joe went to the Rainbow Bridge today.
He died at home, with the help of a wonderful Laps Of Love vet. Mama says she will write more about it but now she is so sad and has to lay down. We are all going to snuggle on the couch for a while.

Mama Consults A Psychic

It's me, Sammy-Joe again! Thanks everyone for your kind words and thoughts on our posts! I wanted to give you another update on how I'm doing.

Mama did something kinda funny! I don't know if she ever told you this, but a long time ago when our big sister Chopper was still here with us, Mama talked to a pet psychic. She said it was eerie because the pet psychic (who was over the phone and had never met Mama or Chopper) was able to tell her a bunch of small little details Mama would have never thought to tell her about... like the fact that Mama had just recently bought Chopper a new bed. Chopper had never had her own bed before, because she usually slept with the humans, but as she got older Mama wanted to get her a bed to make her comfy when she was lying around on the floor. The psychic said that Chopper showed her a red, rectangle shaped dog bed, and said that she really liked it and that it was very comfortable! (We still have that bed... Trixie and Lily sleep on it sometimes now!) The psychic also said that Chopper showed herself being fed some skinny orange little sticks and that she really liked him... that day Mama had been eating carrots and ranch and had shared several of her baby carrots with Chopper! Much later, when Mama got Trixie, she talked to the same psychic, who was able to describe Trixie's weird habit of jumping around in circles, chasing her tail and shaking her head.

So. I think it is a little silly because, as you can see, Mama talks to us all the time, such as when she helps us write this blog. But when it comes to really important things, Mama wants to make sure she really gets it right. So she called a pet psychic (a different one before... this one has her own online radio show and Mama actually got to be in ths show so the call was free!)

Mama wanted to know if I was in any pain and how I was feeling lately, and if there was anything she could do for me to make me happier. The psychic told Mama that I wasn't feeling like I was in pain, but that I had kind of a tight feeling in my stomach. She told Mama that I enjoy eating cut-up people food. (That is definitely true... Mama cuts up a little bit of her meat for me every time she has it, and I wolf it down. Isn't it funny how both me and Chopper wanted to talk about our favorite people food?) She said that I feel like I don't want to go to the Rainbow Bridge yet because I want to stay here and take care of my Mama. (That is very true. I don't want Mama to be sad. I know how sad she got when  Chopper went to the bridge, and I know she will be just as sad if I go, because I am her very special kitty boy.)

The psychic also told Mama to look for a better quality of food for me. I've been eating Meow Mix all my life, because when Mama was younger she liked the Meow Mix commercial and I liked the food and whenever she tried to change it on me I got mad. But as of late I got to switch to Meow Mix wet food, which was even better than the dry food! And the psychic said to look for a food that does not have as much wheat in it. Mama says the wet Meow Mix doesn't have as much wheat as the dry food, but she still decided to look for something new. Last week she started giving me Nutro wet food, and today she brought home some wet food called... you'll never believe this... Chicken Soup For The Kitten Lover's Soul! (She gets me kitten food because she thinks it will have more protein and be gentler on my stomach.)

Last night I didn't feel much like eating. Even when Mama gave me some cut-up porkchop, I didn't really want to eat it. (Don't tell Mama, but the real reason I didn't want to eat it was because it was really, really dry!) But Mama was a little worried about me, and she came in and had a long talk with me. She told me that she loves me so much, but if I want to go to the Bridge I should go whenever I want to. She said she'll be really sad, but that she'll kind of feel not as sad because she knows that Chopper is there waiting for me. (Chopper and me were best friends... not like these newer dogs who get on my nerves!) Then she hugged me and petted me and kissed my ears. I felt bad because I knew she was trying hard not to cry. So I stood up and gobbled down the dry porkchop pieces, just to make her feel better!

Mama wants me to let you know I am definitely not miserable or anything like that. I am happy and walking around, and I stand on top of Grampa's work bench and wait for her every morning when she gets out of bed, and I still love catnip and Mama just bought me a new mouse with catnip inside! So I am a happy kitty. And all your kind thoughts make me even happier!

Love,
Sammy-Joe

Sammy-Joe's Vet Visit

Hi everyone! Sammy-Joe here! I read all of your comments, and thanks, everyone, for caring about me! I don't even feel like I am sick, but I know Mama has been very worried. 
Mama has been telling me that she was going to take me to a special doctor just for kitties. I was a little nervous about that! And it turns out, there was a good reason to be nervous!
First we had to stay there for ninety million years two hours because even though Mama asked the other vet to fax over my records, their fax machine was broken or something and the faxes weren't coming. We kept waiting and waiting. I heard other cats meowing all around me, and it was freaking me out! I used to live with other kitties when I was a kitten, but I haven't seen another cat in person for about 12 years! I know that's a little weird, but I just don't do kitty playdates. 
Then the nurse came in to take my temperature. At my usual vet, they use an ear thermometer, which isn't too bad. I usually just hide my head in Mama's armpit while they do it. But at this vet, they use a different kind of thermometer. 
THEY STUCK IT IN MY BUTT!!!!!!!!!
I got really angry then! It took two nurses to hold me down while they finished taking my temperature. I was trying to bite them. Mama got really nervous then, because they said, if I bit someone, I'd have to stay at the vet for rabies observation! Luckily I didn't manage to bite anyone. 
Then the evil meanies nurses went away for a while, and I had some time to explore the room. I walked around growling, the whole time. Mama really tried to help me calm down. She even put her coat on the floor for me to lay on! But I would have none of it. 
The real horror started when the veterinarian came in. My Mama picked me up so the doctor could look at me, but I just kept hissing and flapping my paws around, and when the doctor tried to hold me I jumped away. Then the mean nurses came back in. 
One of the nurses opened a cabinet to get something. I saw my chance! I jumped into the cabinet and tried to hide! The nurses were reaching in and trying to get me, and I was yowling and spitting and hissing and trying to bite them! When they managed to pick me up by trapping me under my carrier (I have a carrier that is more like a gym bag with screens for me to see and breathe out of) I was acting even crazier! I was so scared. I would have done anything just to get out of there. 
Then the worst thing happened. THEY PUT A MUZZLE ON ME! It went over my eyes and mouth and I couldn't even see. The two nurses were holding me down while the doctor looked at me. I was screaming through the muzzle, "Let me go! Let me go!" 
Mama was embarassed because I had never acted like that before at the other vet's office. Also she was upset that I was so afraid. Mama wanted to call it quits and take me home. But something even worster had happened. Somehow in all my freaking out, I cut my paw! The doctor couldn't get it to stop bleeding right away. It was only a little blood, but the doctor said he didn't want it to get infected. So he put medicine on it, and then he put a bandage on it! 
Finally they put me back in my carrier and took the muzzle off. I was so happy, I calmed down right away. But I didn't like the bandage. I kept shaking my paw and trying to flick it off. 
Now I am at home. I am llayiing in my kitty bed and hiding my bandaged paw from everyone. Mama wanted to take a picture of it, but I said no. (Maybe later, unless I figure out a way to get it off!) 
Next time Mama says she wants to take me to the vet, I am going to bite her nose!

Me in bed, hiding my paw from the camera

Note from Mama: Yep, all this is true. Sammy-Joe was acting like Satan's Spawn at the vet. He was even spitting at them! I really expected his head to spin around at any minute. I kept telling the vet and nurses, "He has never acted like this before!" I don't think they believed me. 
As for the outcome... because they never managed to get his medical records from the usual vet, they couldn't decipher his blood test results for me. But they did do a physical exam, and they found a mass in his belly. The vet thought it might be in his spleen. The good news is, if it is only in his spleen, he could get an operation and get the tumor (and possibly his spleen, which is rather useless anyways) removed. 
I really have to think about it, because besides it being expensive (I would pay every drop of money I have for him to get better, but I can't spend more than I actually earn, and I don't have a credit card) I'm worried about him being put under anesthesia for an operation. They also said he might have a heart murmur. I would be afraid that the anesthesia itself could kill him. Plus, the way he acted today for just a thermometer in his butt, I would hate to have to torture him with a full operation! 
If anyone has any input, I would really love to hear it. 
Thanks, as always, for all your comments! I have a job now that really isn't going so well, and sometimes when I come home I just can't force myself to do anything but sleep. (I'm on winter break now, so that's why I've been a little more energetic.) But I will definitely keep everyone posted on Sammy-Joe and the others. 
Love, 
Nicki

We hope you read this!

Hi everyone! This is Trixie at the wheel. We are so sorry we've been gone for so long. And Mama is sorry too. She just hasn't been able to get herself to blog lately. Her new job is kind of wearing her out. Mama gets home from work every day and just collapses on the couch. Me and Lily lay with her. We all squash together on one little couch. Maybe someone will take a picture of us one day. 

We've got some sort of sad news. Mama thought maybe we shouldn't come on here to write about it, since we haven't blogged for so long. She said it would be like just showing up when we have problems, after ignoring our bloggy for so long. But me and Lily thought it would be sadder if we didn't tell our old friends about this, after all you've been through with us. 

For a long time, Sammy-Joe has been losing weight. For a while, way back in February, he kind of stopped eating for a while. He got really skinny and bony. It was weird to see, because Sammy-Joe has always been kind of... um... volumtous. 

Mama took him to the vet, and they tested his thyroid and tested him for some other stuff. They ended up telling Mama that nothing was wrong with him, and that he was probably just bored with dry food. So Mama started feeding him wet food instead. Which he loved! And from then on he gobbled down as much food as anyone would give him. He also loved gobbling down kitty treats, and any meat leftover from Mama's meals. He even ate a potato chip once! But he didn't really gain much weight. 

So a few weeks ago, Mama and her family went on vacation in Hawaii. We all went to our various boarding places... Lily at doggy daycare, me at my friend's house, and Sammy-Joe at the vet. Mama asked them to do another blood test on Sammy-Joe, because she thought he might be diabetic.

When Mama came back from Hawaii, she went with Grampa to the vet. I, Trixie, was going to meet them there, and they were also going to pick up Sammy-Joe. While they were there, the vet asked Mama and Grampa to come into a little room. Then, he told them that he thinks Sammy-Joe has cancer, and that he only has four or five months to live!!!!!!

Mama got really upset. She cried and cried. Then Mama started trying to think positively. She did some research and found out that a mixture of cottage cheese and flax oil, fed in a small amount each day to a pet, has been known to help dogs and cats beat cancer. It strengthens their immune system, which is a really important part of fighting cancer. Mama also decided she wanted a second opinion about Sammy-Joe. 

See, when Mama talked to the vet, he said Sammy-Joe's bones were making a high amount of white blood cells, and that it was probably cancer. But Mama thought that cancer makes you have a low amount of white blood cells! So she was confused. Then she emailed a special vet just for cats, and the people there told her that there can be many reasons for a cat to have a high white blood cell count. They asked Mama to bring Sammy-Joe in for an exam with them. So on Wednesday, Mama is going to bring Sammy-Joe to the kitty vet and see if they can help him. 

Mama says, if it turns out that Sammy-Joe does have cancer, she doesn't think she'll put him through chemotherapy. Mama knows a little human girl who is going through chemo, and the chemo is tearing the little girl apart almost worst than her tumors were! Mama is afraid that would be a lot of pain to put Sammy-Joe through, and that he might not even understand why, and that the treatments could even end up being what kills him. So she is worried about that. Plus, cat chemo is really expensive and Mama probably couldn't pay for most of it. 

Our biggest hope is that the kitty clinic is going to say there is something else wrong with Sammy... something that is easily treatable. If it really is cancer, then our biggest hope is that the kitty vet will help Mama find ways to keep Sammy as healthy and happy as possible, for as long as possible. She'll keep on giving him the flax and cottage cheese, and she'll do whatever else the vet says she should do, and maybe we'd even try pet reiki and things like that.

So that is what is going on with us. Mama hasn't even mentioned this to very many people in real life, because she thinks if she says "cancer" out loud, it is going to make the cancer real and give it too much power. 

It was two years ago today, almost to the minute, that we started our blog. And even though we didn't get to post in it as much as we should of, during 2012, we never forgot about all of our friends. So we thought you should know about Sammy-Joe... and if you can, send pawsitive thoughts our way!

Love, 
Trixie and Lily

A Flower Dog Is Better Than A Flower Girl!

Hi everyone! Mama was telling us about this cool thing one of her friends invented. This isn't a sponsored review or a commercial break or anything... we just thought it was so cool, when we heard about it, that we wanted to tell our friends about it! 


Mama is in a Meetup group so she can make new friends because apparently hanging out with two dogs and a cat isn't enough! (LOL, just kidding, Mama... we know you have to hang out with humans every so often!) One person at the group, a lady named Sheryl, started telling Mama about a thing she and her husband invented. It is called a Pet Petal Pullcart! It was invented because, when Ms. Sheryl was planning her wedding, she wanted to have something even cooler than a flower girl... she wanted a flower dog! She already had her very own cute little dog that would be perfect for the part. But she wanted to figure out a way for her dog to toss flower petals along the aisle as she walked! This is a very hard trick for a dog to learn, especially since our fingers are tiny and round! 


So Sheryl and her husband made a little cart that can be attached to a dog's harness. When the dog walks, and pulls the cart, flower petals drop out of the cart!

There is one thing humans will have to do on their own. You have to teach your dog to walk down the aisle, instead of running around like a crazed raccoon with the cart! Ms. Sheryl's website says that this is a pretty easy trick to teach a dog. You start out by standing a little far away from your dog, showing them a treat, and having them walk towards you. (We two dogs already know how to do this, because Mama teaches us "sit-stay" with cheese or hotdog pieces all the time!) We think maybe the dog will run towards you down the aisle. If you want him to walk slowly, that might take more training! LOL! Or maybe the dog could just be trained to walk behind someone in front of him, and the human in front of him can be secretly holding a treat in their hand! 


We don't know if any of our friends' humans are getting married... but if they are, and they want you to be in the wedding, maybe they can order you one of these! They have to put in an order a long time before the wedding, because it needs to be custom built according to your weight. 


Isn't that so cool? When Ms. Sheryl told Mama about it, Mama used her cellphone to find the website right away, because she thought it was so cute! It almost makes Mama want to get married, just so we can all be in her wedding! 


(Lily and Sammy-Joe have an idea! We think Mama should order a cart anyway, for Trixie's size. Then, she can attach Trixie to it, and Trixie can take us for rides!)


Thanks for reading, friends! Be sure to tell your humans that you want to be in their next wedding!

Lily's Weird Day

Hi everyone! Lily here! You'll never guess what a weird day I had yesterday!
Mama dropped me off at my doggie daycare in the morning. I don't usually go to daycare, but Mama is going out of town pretty soon and I will be staying there for a week for boarding, so she wants me to get used to being there. 
So I was hanging out with some of the dogs, having fun, relaxing, etc. Then a lady came and picked me up. She took me to a different room.

AND SHE CUT OFF ALL MY FUR!

Well, not all of it, exactly, But a lot of it. She also shaved my butt area. Suddenly I felt so naked! 

I was so happy when Mama came to pick me up. I was sure she'd have a fit when she found out what the weird lady did to my fur! But instead, Mama was laughing and smiling and petting me! She kept saying how cute I was, and how I'd be so much cooler on the hot days. She also said something about how it would be way easier for her to wash the squirrel poop off of me when I roll around in it outside. She said maybe I wouldn't have to take so many baths! Which is kind of good, because the day before that Mama gave me two baths in a row, and she still called me stinky. 

Still, though. This is not something I ever imagined would happen to me!

I'll show you what I look like, if you promise not to laugh. (That means you, Sammy-Joe!)

Ready?

TA-DA!

Do you see the tiny ribbons in my hair? I think I look like I have no ears. But Mama keeps on saying how cute I look. What do you think? 

We Are Blessed!

Hi everyone! This is Lily! The other day Trixie told you that I was going to come here and tell you about something really cool that I did. Well, the church that our Mama sometimes goes to (when she can manage to get up early on a Sunday) has a Blessing Of The Animals service every summer. Everyone is allowed to bring their pets, and the service is all about animals!


So, Mama and I went to it. Mama wanted to bring everyone, but Sammy-Joe probably wouldn't like it, and Trixie gets kind of hyper around other dogs and its hard for Mama to handle us both by herself. I am lucky because I am the calmest and the most portable dog, so I went with Mama to represent all of the animals in our family.


The service was really cool! All of the songs were about animals, and all of the readings were about animals, and then we all said a special prayer together about blessing all of the animals in the world.


Also, during the service, dogs and cats didn't have to sit quietly or anything. We were all on leashes, but we could move around and sniff each other's butts, and try to get petted and everything. We were sitting next to a giant Alaskan Malamute who really loved sniffing me!


Here's me, right after the service. The reason Mama's hand is on me is because she only had her phone camera, which is really slow, and every time she'd try to take a picture of me I'd move at the last minute and make it blurry. So she was holding me still. You can see I was kind of annoyed.

Then, after the service, we got to walk around and talk to people and pets. I sniffed so many butts! Some people had dog treats that they passed out to us! I met a really nice lady who kept giving me lots of treats! I am usually shy around new people, but after she gave me a treat or two, I just jumped up on her and wagged my tail like we were best friends! She had two dogs. One was a chihuahua. The other was a mixed breed dog who didn't really like other dogs, but he liked me! 


One of the nicest parts was that there was a table where people could put photos of their pets who went to the Rainbow Bridge. Mama made this really nice picture of our family members at the Rainbow Bridge... Woody, Zip and Chopper.

Isn't it sweet? We think its funny that in one picture, the bird is eating the dog's bone, and in another picture, the dog is eating the bird's ball! Zip and Woody, who were Mama's pets when she was a little kid, were the best of friends. Unfortunately, both of them passed away very young, which broke my Mama's heart. Fortunately, she got Chopper right after that, which healed her heart a little! 


AND NOW FOR A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY!
Did you know that the Catholic religion actually has an official Blessing Of the Animals day? well, technically it's one of the Saint days, or Feast Days I think they're called. It's in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis loved all animals. In fact, he referred to all animals as his brothers and sisters. He would even preach to them about God, and they would sit and listen! There are many stories about things St. Francis did for animals. 

In one story, he was sleeping in a cave (St. Francis lived much of his life in poverty, on purpose) and he gave up his bed to a donkey. 


In one story, someone asked St. Francis to free a rabbit from a trap. St. Francis freed the rabbit, and told him he should be more careful in the future. But instead of hopping away, the rabbit jumped up on St. Francis's lap and refused to leave!


Another story says that, whenever St. Francis was near by and saw fish being caught, he would free the fish and warn them to be more careful. When he went out in a boat, fish would gather around his boat and listen to his sermons, and not leave until he was done! 


A famous story tells about a wolf that was very hungry, and had been attacking and eating people in a village! Some people tried to kill the wolf, but he attacked them and ate them. Finally, St. Francis went out to talk with the wolf. He saw that the wolf was hungry, and asked him to make a pact. The people of the village would feed the wolf, and in exchange, he would not attack any people or animals in the village. He held out his hand to the wolf, and the wolf gave him his paw. From then on, the wolf and the people lived in harmony, and when the wolf finally died of old age, the people were sad because he'd become a member of the community. 


One more story talks about how St. Francis saw a little boy who had caught some doves in a cage, and was planning to sell them. St. Francis worried that the doves would be killed and eaten, or otherwise harmed. He spoke to the little boy about how sweet and gentle doves were, and how they were a symbol of peace. The little boy agreed to let the doves go. Then St. Francis began building nests around the monastery for doves to live in, so that they would be safe. 


St. Francis usually rode on his loyal donkey. At the end of St. Francis's life, when he was in his death bed, St. Francis thanked his donkey for carrying him and helping him. And his donkey wept. 


You see why St. Francis is Mama's favorite saint, even though she is not Catholic?


St. Francis's Feast Day is on October 4. He is the Patron Saint of Animals. Some Catholic churches, especially Franciscan churches, celebrate this day with a Blessing Of the Animals. At a traditional Catholic animal blessing, a friar says a special prayer for each pet, and then sprinkles the pet with holy water.


Since Mama is Unitarian Universalist, and the UU's march to the beat of our own drummer, our blessing was in July and St. Francis was not mentioned. Also nobody put water on me. Thank goodness! But Mama does say she wants to take us to a traditional blessing at a Catholic church this October. If you want to find one, you could Google Franciscan churches in your area, or just Google "blessing of the animals" and your state. AmericanCatholic.org has a website where you can search for a blessing, by town or state. But not all churches submit their info to the site, so if you don't see one in your area on that site, keep looking on your own! Maybe you could even arrange one at your own church, or at an animal rescue organization!


Well, I really wasn't planning on telling you all about St. Francis, but Mama thinks he's such a cool dude, and she thought we should share him with you. Even if you're not Catholic or even Christian, St. Francis is a great role model for people who love animals! 


That's it for now. By, friends! We love you! 

Some Updates, and Raise Your Hand if Your Humans Like To Read!

Hi everyone! It's me, Trixie, updating the old bloggy-blog today. How is everyone?
Here in Illinois it is soooooooooo hot! We don't even like to be outside! Mama put a small blow-up swimming pool outside in the yard, in hopes that Lily and me would get in it to cool off. Lily went in it only if Mama was sitting in it, and then she just walked around. Me... I wasn't sure what to think of it! Gramma picked me up and put me in it, and it felt really weird and cold on my feet. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to get out, so I just stood there. I'm such an obedient dog! Maybe we will try the pool again next week. 


Sammy-Joe seems to have started eating a little more again. And his poops, we all noticed, are looking better. He's been a little ornery though, and has been hiding a lot. Personally, I think he's mad that Mama won't take him outside on his leash, because she thinks it is too hot for him!


OMG, did anyone hear those fireworks the other night? Lily and I hated it! They went on for days! Mama and Grampa took us for a walk that first night, and people in our neighborhood were shooting of fireworks. We were so scared! We kept trying to head back to the house, and Lily got Mama to pick her up and carry her most of the way. 
By the third day, the fireworks had stopped, and I was feeling brave again. But not Lily! Even though we couldn't hear fireworks any more, she was still scared to take a walk for a few nights! Mama had to carry her down the street, set her down to pee and poo, and then carry her back! Or else she would just plop her little fuzzy butt down and refuse to move! She's such a little baby. 


In other news, I wanted to ask you all if any of your humans like to read. You may know that our Mama likes to write. She found out that you can publish ebooks directly to Kindle, and they can be read by anyone who owns a Kindle! So Mama did that. She has one book called Skye Blue, and one book called What Some Call Heaven. A few people have already bought her books. Mama says more people would buy them if there were some reviews on their Amazon pages. So we had this idea!


If any of your humans like to read, tell them that we will send them a free copy of one of Mama's ebooks! We could send it as a Word, or PDF, and you could read it on your e-reader or your regular computer. Then, you could write a review on Amazon for the book! It doesn't have to be a long review. Just a few sentences. And you could use a fake name or something if you don't want Mama to know it was you who wrote it. But that way, more people would notice Mama's books and buy them for themselves on their Kindles!


If you would like to do this, please email us. Let us know which book you want to read. Here are your choices.


SKYE BLUE is about 305 pages long. It is about a girl named Skye who is being raised by her older brother, who rescued her from their abusive parents when she was little. Her older brother also has a drinking and drug problem, and doesn't take great care of Skye. The book is about Skye's adventures in  trying to keep up with and deal with her brother, whom she loves fiercely and never wants to be separated from, even though he has so many problems. This book has a lot of swearing in it, just to warn you. Mama was younger when she first wrote it, and in the settings where this book takes place, people do swear a lot. So if you hate foul language, you might not want this one!


WHAT SOME CALL HEAVEN is only about 75 pages and is an easier read. Like the other book, it also involves homeless people. In this book, a young girl shows up at a city homeless shelter, and introduces herself to everyone as an angel. The girl, and the things she talks about, don't match most of the people's ideas of angels and Heaven. Many people think the girl is crazy, or at least confused. They try to decide how they can help her, because they're pretty sure a girl like her won't last long on the streets! This book may not correspond entirely with your religious beliefs, no matter what religion you are... so if you do not like to read books that have ideas that are sort of different from your religion, you might not like this book. 


We hope you will read one of these books and review it for Mama on Amazon! If you don't, though, we understand... not everyone has an e-reader, and it can be kind of time-consuming to try to read it on a computer. 


That's it for today! But tomorrow or the next day, I think Lily is going to tell you about another one of her adventures!


Love, Trixie

Pawsitive Thoughts For Sammy-Joe

Hi everyone! It's me, Sammy-Joe, taking over the blog for a moment here. 


How are you? I am okay. Except my poops are really mushy. That doesn't bother me, but it bothers Mama and Gramma and Grampa for some reason! They also didn't like it when I puked all over the place. Plus, they noticed that I was losing a lot of weight. 


This is the part that doesn't make sense! All my life, they kept calling me a fat kitty, and even the vet said I needed to cut down on the treats! And now that I've dropped a few pounds, they say I am too skinny. 


So guess what Mama did? She took me to the V-E-T! 


The vet was really mean because he took some of my blood away. Now, how is that supposed to help me? 


Mama says the vet told her I have great blood and nothing is wrong with it. That was the good news. Then the vet told her she needed to switch my food, to a prescription brand that is gentle on my stomach. That is the bad news! I have been eating Meow Mix since I was a kitten! Mama bought it for me because she liked the cats in the commercials who sang, "Meow, meow, meow, meow!" Maybe she thought I would sing like that? Either way, I like my Meow Mix!


Mama started out by mixing a little of the new food in with my Meow Mix. That was okay. Then she started sneakily adding more and more of the new food. When it turned into almost all new food and barely any Meow Mix, I decided to boycott my food!


Then, this morning, I puked all over the place. Grampa saw it and he says I "projectile vomited!" 
Mama started saying I had to eat! She was getting really worried about me! Then she did something that was kind of nice. She took one of these cube thingies. It looks like a little tiny cube, but when you put it in hot water, it turns into chicken soup! Mama made some of that soup stuff. And then she poured some in my food! It smelled great and tasted great! So I started chowing down my food. 
The question is, AM I SICK? I don't know! I've been kind of tired lately. I have been losing lots of weight. Mama says my poops are looking better. (Why is she even looking at my poop?) But she doesn't like that I keep puking. 


So, I thought, just in case, I better ask all my friends out there for some pawsitive thoughts. I need to stay healthy so I can help take care of Mama!

Thanks, friends! Meanwhile, I hope you like the picture of me at the top of this post! Mama added on to my house. Now I have this little tunnel thing here. Grampa says he's going to throw it away, and he calls it a box. I say, if he does that, I will bite him! 

Dog Sitting

Hi everyone! This is tiny little Lily! Way back when we were still on our bloggy break, do you know our Mama left us? She left us for some other dogs! Can you believe that? 
I was so mad. Mama said she was just trying to help those other doggies, because their parents went on vacation. She came back to visit us every day for a little while, but she said she had to sleep at the house with the other doggies. They even slept in the bed with her. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT???
Mama showed us some pictures of the other doggies. Their names were Reggie and Dannyboy. They were both rescued dogs like Trixie was. Reggie came from the same animal rescue place that saved Trixie. And Dannyboy was a stray from Texas! (Dannyboy is only a puppy, even though he's waaaaaaaay bigger than me. !
Reggie and Dannyboy like to play Bitey Face, just like me and Trixie do!

Dannyboy is looking for the Kong toy.  

These two dogs love to play with the Kong! They fight over it all the time!

Dannyboy says, "I've got the Kong! Nana-nana-boo-boo!"

He has such long legs, doesn't he?

Dannyboy is posing for a portrait. 

Dannyboy almost swallows the Kong, as reggie watches.

Do you know that Reggie is part poodle, just like me? He's also part Bichon, not like me. 

 Reggie needs a rest. 

Sitting pretty! 

Now Reggie has the Kong!

"Hello? Hello? Is there anyone out there?" 

On the third day Mama said it was okay for me to come to the other house and have a sleepover. I was a little nervous because I know sometimes other dogs don't like a strange dog showing up. But Reggie and Dannyboy were so nice to me!

"Um, Dannyboy? Do you eat little dogs?"

"Should I tell him that's not even a real bone?" 

I don't know what we were looking at here. 

I wish we had an actual rawhide!

I'm a little jealous of my mama playing with the other dogs!

"Bleeeeeeeh!" 

"Is it almost time for bed?"

 "What's so exciting about that Kong? It doesn't even squeak!"

 "I feel like someone is following me!"

 "I wish I had my squeaky ball!"

"Thanks for inviting me over, friends!"

We were all supposed to sleep in the guest bedroom at the house. Dannyboy was supposed to sleep on the floor, and Reggie and I were supposed to sleep on the bed with Mama. But Dannyboy was so upset because he wasn't allowed on the bed (His parents say he sheds too much) and he kept crying. And I couldn't sleep, so I kept jumping on and off the bed. So finally, Mama brought the bedspread out into the living room, and we all lay down together! Actually Reggie and Dannyboy wrestled half the night, until they got too tired. Mama says, when she woke up in the morning, she saw three dog noses staring at her!

Sleepovers are fun, but I am glad Mama is home now with Trixie, Sammy-Joe, and me, where she belongs. 

s

Sammy-Joe Goes Out

Hi friends! This is Sammy-Joe! Here in Chicago, the weather is nice and warm. My doggie sisters love to go outside and play every day. They get taken outside several times a day because they need to pee and poo out there. Since I pee and poo in my litter box, and since cats can escape a yard more easily than dogs, I have to stay in most of the time. 


But when Mama bought a new harness for Lily, she thought it might actually fit on me, too! Lily and I are about the same size. Mama and Gramma put the harness on me. At first, I didn't want anything to do with it. I was like, "What is this contraption? Get me out of here!" I thought it would be just like all those times they stuffed me in a box and took me to the vet! Plus, the whole thing smelled like Lily. And you know me and Lily don't get along so well, right? Why would I want to put on something that makes me stink like my yucky sister?


Then Mama carried me outside to the yard. She put me down. And I got to walk around and explore the yard, just like my sisters! The doggies were very nice and gave me space. Mama took some pictures of me relaxing outside. Want to see them?

Here I am playing in the garden. What is on the other side of this fence?

Yum yum, tasty plants!

 I am watching bugs crawl around on the ground. 

You can barely see me here, but I am trying to crawl under the grill! 

 It is fun to get all full of dirt, isn't it? 

Here is Lily giving me my space. I kinda wish she'd give me more space than that... but at least she isn't barking at me!  

Mama says she'll take me outside for a while every day, if I'll let her put the harness on me! I think this is going to be a great summer!