Pets

Until last June, there has never been a time in my life when I didn’t have a pet. I’ve had cats, dogs, horses, fish, and when my stepson lived with us he had lizards, hamsters, and gerbils. Cats and gerbils are not the best combination, in my humble opinion. When we lived in the suburbs north of Seattle we always fed the stray cats that came around and we even found homes for a few of them. I have done volunteer work with a therapeutic equestrian center, where I worked as a stable hand. I give regularly to organizations that help animals in need, so it’s pretty obvious that I love animals.

I lived on a farm in the US Midwest when I was a teenager, and it was at this point in my life when I had a horse. One beautiful spring day, my friend and I decided to go on a ride. We saddled up the horses and took off down the quiet, tree-lined dirt road next to our farm. I was riding my Quarter horse, Banjo, and she was riding my sister’s POA (Pony of America), Trixie. We hadn’t gone far when something spooked Banjo, or more likely, he probably decided that he wanted to be back at his paddock, whatever the reason, he took off running at a full gallop 🏇. I was hanging on for dear life and trying to slow him down when we passed a field where dad was working; he called out to me, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. After rounding several sharp corners and running adjacent to a highway, we finally arrived back in front of his paddock, where he came to a screeching halt. Needless to say, I was shaking in the saddle. I was a beginner equestrian and Banjo knew it. Dad came running up shortly after, out of breath, telling me not to do that again. My response? “Tell him!” As I gave Banjo the evil eye.

I rode only occasionally after that point, and only on Trixie, who was much easier to handle. So when my daughter wanted to take up riding, I was quite nervous. However, she rode regularly and participated in shows for several years, and is now an accomplished equestrian.

Here are photos of some of the pets that have graced us with their love and devotion over the years. Many of these photos are from old snapshots, and are not the best quality.

Neville was one of the cats that showed up at our house. He popped up on the deck one day and decided that this was his home and we were his pets. We even brought him to France with us when we moved here two years ago. Sadly, he died of advanced kidney disease in June. You can read more about him in these posts:

Guest Blogger Neville

Two Continent Kitty

We have had many other cats that I don’t have photos of including Whiskers, Teku, Stanley, Dylan, but they were all dear and loyal companions.

For the first time in our 36 years of marriage theTravelsketcher and I do not have a pet. We have a year of travel ahead of us, starting next week with a six week trip through eastern France, Switzerland, Italy and Croatia, so we won’t get another one until we’re done traveling. But, I certainly miss having one. Pets are devoted companions and bring joy, love, and humor into our lives. We have a sign on our gallery wall that says: A home without a cat is just a house. It certainly feels that way for us, so when our neighbor’s cat Loulou visits, we always let her in and enjoy some kitty time.

If you’re interested in donating to a great organization that helps cats, check out the Feral Cat Project. This organization north of Seattle offers “compassionate solutions to feline homelessness”. They provide humane traps to catch the cats so they could be spayed or neutered, and receive vaccinations. They are then returned to their neighborhood to live out their lives. According to their website they have altered 150,866 cats since they opened in 1997! They have fund raisers with catchy titles; one was called the “Spaygetti and No Balls Dinner”. There are so many animals in need, so I’m always glad to hear about people and organizations that help them.

Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character, and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man. Albert Schopenhauer

I would love to hear about your pets, so please leave a comment if you’re so inclinded.

All the best,

Tricia