Thankful Nov. Day 12: Thankful for Furry Friends

credit: J.Denevan (me)/ my mom taking a nap with her three fur babies- mac, mei-kwan and milo

My mom has three little rugrats and no I’m not referring to me and my siblings. I mean she has three dogs. They are most definitely her fur babies and they most certainly have her wrapped around their paws, as you can tell by the above photo.

It all started with Mac, the chihuahua. That lil’ guy is feisty to say the least. He’s been quite the character. Yes, he’s a bit of an ankle bitter but he can also be very sweet and loving… when he wants to be. Then there’s Mei-kwan. The name was a suggestion by my Grandpa Bill because he’s a Chinese pug. So we gave him a Chinese name. It means “handsome.” We also happen to be a hispanic family so over time the name has taken a bit of a Spanish tone and is Mei-Kwancito – for little Mei-Kwan. We’re very multi-cultural. Finally, there’s little Milo.

Mom already had two dogs. I wasn’t too crazy about her getting a third. At the time she just kept seeing him in the pet shop and he was malnurished and clearly not being well taken care of, which is horrible to see from a pet shop and yet sadly not all that unheard of. Milo’s sister was even stolen from that pet shop. When mom finally decided to take him on, she said it was sad because he cried for his little Daschund friend and vice versa. Then he came home and saw Mei-Kwan and all was better. Mom definitely rescued that little guy as he had kennel cough, ear mites and other health issues because the shop wasn’t taking care of him. He was so skinny his rib was sticking out and he looked ill. Poor little guy.

While all three could say that they were the ones who were “rescued,” they most certainly ended up rescuing my mom. Milo, as it would turn out, was a God send for Mei-Kwan. Mac, you see, is a very independent little guy and likes his space. Mei-Kwan likes to be up close and personal but Mac wasn’t having it. He’s also very moody, which Kwan just isn’t so it was hard for him. In fact, our theory is that Mei-Kwan began to have seizures because he was so stressed out by Mac. Then Milo came along and Milo, probably have a little bit of an oral fixation because he was taken from him mom too soon, loved on Mei-Kwan all the time. Milo wanted to be nearby, was licking him all the time and just generally cuddly. It took a little time but eventually, Mei-Kwan stopped having seizures. See what a little love can do for you?

During all this, my mom has bonded to all three dogs a lot. She’s even joined pug forums that’s helped develop some very good friendships for herself. That happened at  time when she really needed it. She build a wonderful bond to her dogs, developed friendships from the forums and her overall well-being seemed to improve. There’s been a lot of love in her house because of her furry friends. To be fair, there’s been a fair amount of frustration also because of the need to mark territory by the dogs. Dang dogs. The dogs really are very spoiled and yet, again, they’ve been a blessing for my mom. She’s overall been so much happier since she’s had them.

credit: J.Denevan (me)/ Milo getting “cuddly” by sleeping on my mom’s head. What a goober.

Pets are amazing. I always hear about the incredible bonds between cats and people, dogs and people, between each other even. I don’t know a person out there that hasn’t seen one of those incredibly adorable photos of cats and dogs together or various kittens or puppies just being themselves. It’s so freaking cute it just about makes you vomit from being overcute. Those are just the humdrum stories too.

What about all those times you hear about working dogs and what they’re able to do for their handlers? Military or law enforcement dogs always have their place and how many lives they save. Blind seeing-eye dogs are really amazing. They’re not just a worker, they’re literally a pair of eyes for someone.

Pets always seem to know when their human needs a hug if you will. They know when they need to come around and be a comfort. They also know how to get someone to laugh. They can be ornery and chew up your shoes or make a mess in other ways but it’s usually because they just want attention and don’t know how else to get it. Those instances are very infuriating but try and remember it’s coming from love.

Who doesn’t love it when a dog comes bounding up, tail wagging? Or when a cat comes around and starts meowing or purring. All furry buddies do the silliest things that bring smiles to our faces. Cats are hilarious when it comes to that little red laser dot they just have to find and destroy! Then there’s cat nip. Oh boy. My mom’s dogs are so funny. They start whining and barking like nuts when they can tell she’s coming home. It’s incredibly loud and a bit annoying and yet it’s sweet. They’re excited to see her again.

Our lives would be so empty, I think, without these furry creatures. To be fair, I think the same can be said for most pets including various reptiles, birds, small rodents like gerbils and hamsters and others. It mostly depends on the pet owner and what type of animal he or she feels comfortable with. I don’t hear of those bonding tales as much, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Regardless of the animal, they help enrich our lives and make things better. I’m thankful for that! I’m thankful for my mom’s dogs who can be there for her when I can’t be. I’m thankful that they help make her smile and keep her happy. I’m thankful that they even help each other. Animals are a blessing. This is why animal cruelty is something I don’t tolerate and I hate hearing about, particularly knowing that these critters are dependent on us to take care of them. Here’s to hoping that crap ends sooner than later.

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