Kiera, Graidy, Wink and Me

I’ve Created Two Monsters

Because both Wink and Finn need to take (multiple) pills twice a day every day, and opening their mouths (especially Finn’s) to get said pills down their throats is a nightmare, I’ve resorted to hiding the pills in whatever (safe) people food is left from our meals. I know. I know. Slippery slope. Yes, I now have two merciless beggars.

cat and dog sitting at table

I cannot lie; Wink was already world-class. He learned it from Kiera, my Aussie who I had to retrain and use some tough love on. Or was it her who retrained me…?

Anyway, it’s not as common for cats to beg as it is for dogs. It may […]

By |2021-04-12T09:46:25-04:00April 7th, 2021|.My Dogs and Me, Finnegan the Coon Cat|0 Comments
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The Better Question is What is Duct Tape NOT Good For

I’ve been hard at work trying to make it so Wink can continue our walks even in cold, snowy weather. It’s been a process, to say the least. But I’m determined.

The latest problem to solve has been how to keep Wink’s feet protected.

I started off with these waterproof, skidproof booties from Amazon.com EXPAWLORER Waterproof Dog Boots Reflective Non-Slip Pet Booties. They get 4 stars, and for a lot of people, they seem to do the trick.

Here’s what they look like on Wink. So far, so good. 

But here’s where the trouble starts.

bootie walk

Notice how his […]

By |2020-12-30T17:26:44-05:00December 30th, 2020|.My Dogs and Me, Dogs in General|0 Comments
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Dog Stroller Review: No-Zip Expedition Zipperless Entry Pet Stroller

Without Graidy as Wink’s point person, he has become even more attached to me, if that’s possible. Which means he doesn’t do well when I’m not in his immediate orbit.

So I stopped going for walks because Wink, at 12 1/2 years old, can’t walk as far as I like to go. Then I thought–that’s silly, there must be a solution. And sure enough…

I found this No-Zip Expedition Zipperless Entry Pet Stroller on Amazon

cavalier in dog stroller

REVIEW

The details:

  • NO-ZIP, push-button entry; quickly lock and unlock doors without fumbling with difficult zippers
  • Dual-entry, pet can be loaded from front or rear entry, does not have […]
By |2020-09-24T13:42:35-04:00September 24th, 2020|.My Dogs and Me, Dogs in General|6 Comments
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Perks for Wink

cavalier walking on leashGraidy has been gone for a month now. It’s been 20 years since we’ve been a one-dog-family. It’s taking some adjusting for both me and Wink.

I worried that Wink would go into a deep depression without his best bud. And he did for a little while. But he seems to have rebounded.

In part, because he gets to do something now that rarely happened when Graidy was alive. He gets to come on walks with me now.

No matter how much I tried, I wasn’t able to get Graidy to be okay leaving the property. Then I decided what’s the point? If he’s happiest home, why force him? But that meant […]

By |2020-06-13T16:32:53-04:00June 13th, 2020|.My Dogs and Me|0 Comments
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Graidy 2003-ish — May 13, 2020

The first day I met Graidy at Glen Highland Farm Rescue.

Whenever I think of Graidy, this is the pose I think of him in the most. Facing out, looking off into the distance. In fact, this is the first vision I had of him before I even met him. I wrote this story as fiction because it’s pretty fantastical about how he found me. But every word of it is true.

Border Collie laying in grass

This is my favorite photo of him. It captures how I feel about him. A shimmering light in my […]

By |2020-05-20T10:46:38-04:00May 20th, 2020|.My Dogs and Me, Life|0 Comments
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Life with Geriatric Animals

So. Life in the very slow lane. What does that look like?

Graidy is 18ish, Finn is 15 and Wink is 12. All are still going strong-ish.

But all now have heart problems. And Finn’s about to go get nuked with a radioactive shot to the tune of $3k to kill a benign tumor that’s making him hyperthyroid.

I know. It’s nuts. But I’m pathological. I can’t not do it, because Finn isn’t ready to go yet. These animals have been together all of their lives. They are their own family.

They move as one unit. Wherever I go, they all go.

So we have dog beds in every room because their old bones have a hard […]

By |2020-02-23T09:45:57-05:00February 29th, 2020|.My Dogs and Me, Life|0 Comments
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