Snuggles has magical powers. If he focuses on the door long enough with unbroken concentration, it opens.  Of course, I have to get up, cross the room and open it. Nonetheless, it opens.

Today's snow made me think of another snowy day years ago. At that time, I was the sole dog walker for my company. I was walking a dog in the snow. I stepped off the curb into the street. The next thing I knew, I was lying on my back starring at the sky. It took me a moment to realize what happened. As I laid there in the snow, I remember thinking "I just want to lie here." I let my head fall to the side. I realized I was lying in the street. I was only a few feet away from the dog's home. He was more focused on going home than on me. So, he continued to trot in the direction of home. It was when I saw him that I knew I had to get up. :-) Thankfully, I sustained no injuries other than a bruised ego.

Snuggles has been in love with microfiber dish mats ever since I brought the first one home. That one was for dishes. So, for Christmas Snuggles got his very own dish mat! He has finally accepted it. At first, he kept finding his way to the one that is used for dishes. I am still working on getting him off the couter...!!

It is always fun to spend time with my furry friends during the holidays. I spent this Thanksgiving with several of them. They are accustomed to sleeping with me when they visit. This time was no exception. However, I did not get much sleep. I had one next to my head, one on my chest and two on either side of my legs. I couldn't turn over nor could I move my legs as they were being used for pillows. I thought about this. I did not want to disturb the pups by moving into a more comfortable position. Yet, it was not they who had any commitments the next day. Is there something wrong with this? :-)

Not all dogs eat your homework. Some eat your paycheck!!!

Treats That Are No Treat: Are you unknowigly being Naughty when you think you are being Nice?

As we enter the holiday season, we often find that treats for humans abound. These treats first make their appearance at Halloween and stay with us through the New Year. While we may enjoy treats such as chocolate covered strawberries, champagne, grapes, nuts and a host of other items that are plentiful at this time of year, our pets should not.  Many foods that we think are harmless can be toxic to our dogs and cats.

Here is a list of just a few of the foods that are toxic to both dogs and cats and should be avoided: chocolate, alcohol, garlic, onions, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts as well as other nuts, turkey skin and bread dough. These foods can cause a variety of problems ranging from a bloated belly to diarrhea and in some cases, death. So, let us keep our pets safe this holiday season and throughout the coming New Year by keeping these foods out of their reach.

Snuggles

Snuggles goes through companionship phases that last years. As a kitten, once he was introduced to Midnight, he wanted nothing to do with humans after that. If I wasn't feeding him, he wasn't interested. Midnight had the patience of Job with Snuggles. Snuggles was a kitten so he "tortured" poor, sweet Midnight. He would swat her tail, smack her on the face and even eat her food. Midnight only responded once in all the years they were together. It was so sad when Midnight died. Snuggles looked for her for about 3 days. I felt awful. On the 3rd day or so, Snuggles walked over, looked at me and jumped in my lap. He realized she wasn't coming back. After that, he went through his Crystal phase. He eventually took a break and went through a solitary phase. He would come around to check things out and see what was going on. Then, he would return to his "cave." Presently, he has entered another human phase. He seems to love human companionship. Today, I am the human. :-) He has been following me around all day. Have a safe Halloween and a wonderful weekend.