Cat Scanned

Well this is my new life being psychoanalyzed by a cat. My hu-dad  and hu-mom  felt sorry for this  pretentious impostor who was living on the streets and invited him home to live with us. First it wasn't so bad  because he stayed outside in the garage. They even put in a cute little pet door for him, which of course I can't fit through, so all I could do was bark at him and watch him scurry like the little rodent that he is. It may interest you to know that it is a scientific fact that cats evolved from a cross species of rats and cockroaches.  I learned this from our mailman Cliff, who really knows just about everything.

Back to my lament. So for weeks my  hu-dad and hu-mom fed this unwanted  con artist, who just turned his matted little butt to them.  I looked though the window and watched them fall to their knees and grovel, treats in hand, trying to get some simple acknowledgement from this pestilent beggar. For days nothing, no response, but one fateful day my hu-dad fed the vermin out of his hand and then "it" rubbed up against him spreading it's fur dander poisons all over dad's arm, Yuk it was sickening.

The next thing I hear is dad telling mom, "we had a huge break though with the cat, I think we should name him so he can get used to us calling him." They sat down with a friend and finally all agreed on the name Shadow. I suggested adding a "Y" to the end of the name, but they claim that they couldn't understand me, yeah right! It wasn't quite two days later that they invited "Shadowy" into the house. That's when it happened, I flipped out. I charged at the intruder and barked as loud as I could only to be rebuffed by it's secret weapon, "morphing". He arched his back, made his hair stand on end and displayed Edward's Scissor-hand appendages as he hissed at me, "at me, the regal protector of the mansion and all that's holy."

To my amazement dad and mom hollered at me and did that disgusting "Dog whisperer" thing of poking me in my chest and spitting at me through pursed lips. Where did he come up with that? It's not scary or startling, I just can't stand the spit all over my face. So, I was given special CIA operative desensitization training, so that I could be more tolerant and welcoming of  "new family members" into our home. Now Shadowy has gone from "fluffy the slinking rodent-cat" that nobody in the neighborhood liked, including and especially me, to "my brother?" He doesn't even have to wear a collar or stay in the yard. He takes off all the time and brings back birds and gophers and other helpless things. That's my job!! Each time my hu-mom says, "oh look what he's brought back for you now honey." What? What? Are you kidding me? If I had opposable thumbs and could talk I'd dial animal services and report him. Hey no collar, no computer chip, no problem. Maybe I could just e-mail them with an anonymous complaint?

So what you see in this picture is DR. Shadowy, his status having astronomically skyrocketed in a few short months counseling me on how to discover my inner-self and live in the present in true peace and harmony, this at mom and dad's suggestion! Stay tuned.        

Servant's Heart

Servant's Heart: There is nothing more appealing in human kind or in the animal kingdom than meeting up with a real servant hearted friend. This is Zoe asking in her own special way, "what can I do for you pop?" Sometimes she is a bit transparent wanting a scratch or a treat, but underneath even this is her desire to just connect with us, to share life. Zoe is now seven plus years old. She has been my running partner for most of her life. We are blessed to live in the central coast of California, with lots of scenic trails and canyons to explore. Since I enjoy running so much, what a treat to be able to take Zoe with me. We gradually worked up to ten and twelve mile runs, with strategic rest breaks in creeks and streams. She really enjoys a dip in a stream or playful frollicking in the ocean surf. And I enjoy sharing this time with her.

Sometimes however I endeaver to train for upcoming races, 5-k, 10-k or half-marathon. To run well I need to train hard and Zoe has been more than willing to match me stride for stride, regardless of any discomfort that she may experience. I started to notice that she would limp after longer runs, so her veterinarian prescribed anti-inflammatories. We started to use these more frequently, yet with her servants heart, she has always anticipated our runs and has been eager to go. She actually monitors what I wear, anticipating running shorts and shoes, which elicits robust tail wags and songs of joy as she searches for her leash.  

I recently came to a sad but important realization, that Zoe will with her sevant's heart run as far and as fast as she can just to please me. Yet what really pleases me is to just be with her, to look in her eyes and see unconditional love. Her nudges, wiggles and waggles open my heart to love and life. So in response to Zoe's training I now take her on much shorter runs, still to her favorite places, but now the journey is more for my servant friend whose very presence radiates God's joy in my life.

Zoe is teaching me about servanthood. Her advanced course in servanthood has helped me look more closely at my relationships with my human friends and stired a desire within me to serve more and bark less. I'm so greatful for my friend professor Zoe. 

Thanks for listening,

Servant in training!

Chapter 13: Not MY Little Angel!

Our last 'Chapter' posting was about Good Shepherd Dog Obedience School and how wonderful Linda and her dog Reina are at teaching dog obedience.  Well, my hu-mom thought it would be a good idea to go back for a refresher course, so she completed the application and signed up -- we went and Linda asked my hu-mom about something she had written on the application.  Specifically, her response to the question, "Does the dog present any special training challenges, i.e., aggressiveness, passiveness, fears, health issues, etc.?" -- to which my hu-mom replied, "Zoe sometimes gets a little aggressive during walks."  She then explained that I had been attacked by another dog during a walk, and ever since then, I "sometimes" would growl and get aggressive. 

As class began, only gentle-natured dogs were present, so Linda didnt think she would get the opportunity to see my response to an "aggressive" dog.  Fortunately, two showed up and I stared at them and showed them who was the boss.  Boy, was that the wrong thing to do!  Linda pointed out to my hu-mom that I wasn't necessarily ALL sugar and spice and that I had actually invited the aggressiveness by staring. 

I guess it was good that we went back for the refresher, because my hu-mom was able to see and identify that she needed to work so that I am not the aggressor.  So how do you break that?  Well, for the past several weeks we have been working on retraining and going over basic commands...and obedience!  One of the "tools" that my hu-mom was reminded of was the "look" or "watch" command.  For those of you unfamiliar with the "look/watch" command, it is introduced to your dog by letting the dog know that the human has a treat in ther hand -- the human then brings the treat to their forehead and says "watch" or "look" -- the dogs eyes follow the treat up and when the dog makes eye contact with the human, the human says, "Good dog" and gives the dog the treat.  You keep working to get a "watch" command immediately, which in essence helps your little angel remain a little angel and not stare down other dogs when walking. 

Now that we've worked on it for a few weeks, all my hu-mom has to say is, "Zoe, watch" and I stop what I'm doing, sit in front of her and gaze into her eyes.  ~Zoe

Tuesday's Telling: Animal Abuse Awareness Month

I know abuse happens, but because my hu-mans love me so much, I have difficulty comprehending how and why it exists.

My hu-man recently read an article in the newspaper about a young German shepherd that had been tied to a backyard tree and left him without food or water until he was so hungry that he ate dirt.

According to the Orange County Register,

German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County is offering a $1,000 reward for information about the owners of the dog they named "Courage."

Someone saw the emaciated animal and brought him to an emergency animal hospital last week in Garden Grove. Veterinarian Dr. Bill Grant says the 3-year-old dog weighed just 37 pounds - less than half his normal body weight. He now weighs 41 pounds.

Grant says Courage faces months of recovery, but is recovering well. More tests will determine if Courage's liver and kidneys will recover from the advanced malnutrition.

The good news is, a good samaritan's actions helped to save this dog's life. 

The paper recently reported, that as of Monday, Courage weighed 46 pounds.  In addition, there is a long list of people who are interested in giving Courage a home.

While the dog is doing better, it will be another couple of weeks before Grant can be certain his internal organs will recover and he will survive.

Courage still has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but thanks to people who care and his will to live, he is doing much better.

So what went wrong? 

It is very difficult to know what went wrong.  It turns out, Courage's owner Kimberly Nizato is a 26 year old veterinary technician in Irvine -- it is she who was arrested in this case of animal abuse.  She was released on bail and in the meantime, is suspended from her job, with pay, because she has a child.  I appreciate the compassion of her employer, to consider the welfare of Kimberly's child, but I hope and pray that Kimberly would share the same compassion with animals and individuals in her life.


This was a difficult story to share, but in light of Animal Abuse Awareness Month I thought it was important to share...
Please do what you can to help stop animal abuse.  ~Zoe



Read more: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/04/19/1109416/vet-says-dog-has-gained-about.html#ixzz0leZvtm78

Friday's Favorite Foto

Today's favorite photo was submitted by Judy.  The image is of "Mouse", a cat that allows herself to be cared for by Judy's son Niels and his partner Susie.

Thank you for your submission Judy!  ~Zoe

Tuesday's Telling: Are you heart aware?

My hu-mom just signed us up to walk in the Heart Association's Heart Walk.  She and my hu-man have had several friends lately who have been diagnosed with heart disease -- unfortunately in some cases, the diagnosis came too late.  As a result, she and my hu-man have both gone in and had their hearts (and health) checked at French Hospital, through their FREE "Heart Aware" program.  The program begins with an on-line questionnaire.  Once you have completed the questionnaire, you can immediately print out an assessment with suggestions for improving your heart health.  In addition, you have the option of signing up for a FREE 1/2-hour appointment with the nurse who coordinates the program.  She will give you a fasting cholesterol test, review your results, and discuss lifestyle changes/adjustments for improving/maintaining a healthy heart.  At the end of the evaluation, you have the option of taking a calcium CT scan  (cost was $99), to determine if there are any blockages or build up found in your arteries. 

Well, this is a "dog" blog, so I'm going to get to talking about dogs.  Did you know that dogs get heart disease too?  Yes, we have first hand experience with that one in our home.  Kip has heart disease.  We learned about it a couple of years ago -- about the same time he had a 10 lb. splenic tumor removed.  Kip used to walk 2-3 miles a day -- now he walks to the end of the block and back.  Sometimes that is even too much for him.  He takes multiple medications daily, which help keep his heart beating fairly strong and regular and reduce the fluid in his lungs and body.  We love Kip and are thankful for each and every day we have with him.

So, how do you know if your dog has heart disease?  DogTime posted an excellent article on heart disease in dogs.  To read it, click here.

There is much we can do to combat heart disease -- I know I and my hu-mom will be walking to support the cause.  If you would like to walk with us...or donate to the cause, please sign up on our Heart Walk Web Page --  As a thank you for your support, we will send you a FREE PawPrintArt card made with my paw print and my hu-mom's imagination (see above). 

Until next time, do all that you can to live HEART HEALTHY!  ~Zoe

Friday's Favorite Foto

Stephanie submitted the following photo, used to announce Purina's "Bark in the Park" in Australia.  The photo's title..."Half Time at the Dog Park"

Thank you, Stephanie, and Happy Friday to all!  ~Zoe