In Celebration of National Pet Day

Sharing is caring!

Did you know that yesterday was National Pet Day? I just missed getting my post in on time by an hour or so. I didn’t even celebrate this special holiday with my pets. I’m in Chicago, at the Appo photo organizing convention…which I’ll be sharing more on later this week. While I’m guessing my pets didn’t notice that I missed this milestone event with them, I decided to write a post on our 7 furry family members anyway to share a few memories.

Saint has been with us the longest. She is petite lab and an absolute love. When she first came to live with us, I came home one day and caught her on the kitchen counter top.  Literally ON the kitchen counter, licking bowls in the sink. I screamed so loudly, she has never done it again. I have never seen a dog, and especially one her size, jump up on a kitchen counter.

Clara (aka Clara Belle, or Belle) came to us when we decided Saint needed a friend.  Saint picked Clara out. We went to the shelter to walk dogs with Saint to find a friend for her.  Saint liked Clara so much, we didn’t end up walking anyone else. Clara came from somewhere down South. She’s an English Shepard mix, was probably abused in her former life as she is to this day skittish around men, and does not like storms (we always know when one is coming thanks to her…she is a big fraidy cat). When a teacher at school asked my youngest son what kind of dog she was, he told her Clara was a Southern belle. She also is a “whacker” when she wants attention…watch out for those paws. And she loves to swim…once she’s in a pond or lake, she’ll swim laps forever…she does not want to get out.

Murphy is the newbie and is the happiest dog I have ever met. He’s a German Shepard – Golden Retriever mix, although everyone seems to think he is a lab. I’ve met his parents, so I know he is not! He gets into everything he should not; chases his tail like a cat and seems to have no clue it’s attached to him; hates to ride in the car and once had an epic accident on a boys trip to  our ski condo, causing the complete loss of a computer backpack and a disgusting screen saver that my youngest son used for a year (why is it that boys think this is funny?); squeezes through our pool fence rails which doesn’t seem possible, and his best friend is Luna, the cat.

Luna (aka Lu or Lu-Lu) is the queen bee cat.  She is beautiful, has the loudest motor I have ever heard on a cat, and is super sneaky.  You can never hear her coming, which is bad for birds and mice. She’s let 2 birds go in the house, which creates absolute chaos.  She snuggles with Murphy, grooms his face and ears, and even plays with his tail on occasion.  She can pretty much do anything she wants to him, and he’s happy.

Calypso (aka Caly or Caly-girl) is our smallest kitty.  She likes to sit under the faucet and get drenched while licking the water off her fur. She will cuddle occasionally…I’m hoping as she gets older she’ll be more cuddly…I really wanted a cuddly cat!  Caly likes to wake me up in the morning, which I don’t always appreciate.

Oreo is Caly’s litter mate and is quite helpful to me during the workday (NOT) by walking across my computer and whacking me to get my attention. Oreo’s claim to fame is that she once jumped in our swimming pool, I am sure by accident.  She calmly swam to the steps and hopped out. Oreo HATES to be picked up. Sometimes I sing the Ice Cold Milk, Oreo cookie song to her. Secretly, I think she enjoys it.

Gunner (aka Big Boy) tricked us at the shelter.  He was cuddly at the shelter…and as soon as we brought him home…not so much! His name at the shelter was UHaul, because they found him in one. He is the only animal that we’ve ever adopted whose name we have changed…I just couldn’t imagine calling him UHaul.  He does kind of look like one though. We named him after my daughter’s soccer team last year.

You probably now think I am one of those crazy animal ladies now. I’m really not. I just think we have plenty of love to go around. But I’m not allowed to visit the shelter at this point either.