I live in a house with five dogs and two cats.

It’s a big enough house for all of us except I really need to get a bigger bathroom. This seems to be the communal meeting place anytime I need to use it with everyone vying for attention, even the cats. They all recognize the signal for the end of the session when I reach for the paper and start to unroll it. Off they go, one by one until I finally get the place to myself. Aha you say, why not start the paper process early? I tried that and when they realized I was still sitting, they all came trooping back in. I could close the door but the truth is, I like my animals and they are a great comfort to me (even in the bathroom). Now if I could only get them clean up after themselves…

Here in the US and back in England where I originated, we treat our pets very well. We love them and worry about them and grieve for them when they are gone and then we turn round and get another pet to replace the one we lost and so the cycle continues.

Don’t talk to me about medical bills. I swear that my veterinarian is making a killing off of me. I have one dog, a female Scottie pictured above, who has had more parts of her removed than is left or that is what it seems. She is normal enough on the outside but has lots of spaces where her Thyroid and Gall Bladder used to be. To top it all, she was playing with a tearaway Dachshund name of Richie and tore her ACL. Can you imagine, she can’t kick a ball or run very fast and she manages to get one of the injuries that a high powered athlete gets. A few years ago, she was diagnosed with Addison Disease  and the treatment for it is an expensive shot every three weeks.

Why do we keep spending large amounts of money on a pet. In my case, not with standing the fact that I really like her, I am also responsible for her care and well being. It would be simpler and a lot cheaper to have her put to sleep but that is not the answer at least in my book. Just as long as I can afford it and there is a reasonable hope of success, I, and many others around the world will keep doing what is right for our pets.

I forgot to mention that there are four female dogs, Mini, two Dachshunds and a large hairy mutt dog that is a cross between a Chow and a Setter. She weighs in about 60 pounds and you would think she would rule the roost but no, that is not the case. The aforementioned tearaway, Richie, is the only male and is definitely the boss of this group. In his defense, he never comes over as such until one of the females steps out of line and then he puts her in her place very quickly. Kinda reminds me of the long distant good old days when females were relegated to the kitchen and had babies. My, how things have changed.

Did I just write that? Must have been thinking out loud. No wonder I live alone.

Don’t get me wrong. I like women just as much as the next guy but at my age they are for looking and not for touching. There is nothing more beautiful and pleasing as the female form except when there is too much of it then it tends to deteriorate into a fat show, the curse of this modern society.

That reminds me, gotta go, time to eat…