menagerie

i sure do love my dogs. and it would kill me if anything happened to any of them. may sound strange to some, but they love me and they keep me company, no matter what. if one of them gets sick, it makes me sick. they're loyal and they think i'm wonderful, even when the rest of the world sees me differently. the sight of me makes them happy, and i've never gotten that from a single human i know. kisses are always free, even if they come with scratches and dirtied clothes, including the uniform i just put on to go to work, which i guess means that they aren't exactly free, but you get the picture. they howl and cry when i leave and i can hear them for a whole block, with the windows up and the radio on, and they announce to the world when i pull in the driveway, no matter which car i'm driving. we just had pups on new years day, and jesse is gonna be 12. she's always been the greatest dog and even though chi's can live to be 20, she's all white now and showing her age. she's full of arthritis, she's had these odd seizure type things, a neurologic disorder that can't be treated, starting last summer. but she's my best girl. she's my one and only and she knows it. she sleeps with me every night, under the blanket, usually right by my heart. she can't get on or off the bed by herself. she's never more than a couple of feet from me. she's probably 3 or 3 1/2 pounds now. but she can still act like a pup when she wants to. aggie is gonna be 9. he's jesse's pup, the only one that lived, with the help of a ventilator and a whole team of doctors and nurses. he's not all there mentally because of the lack of oxygen, but he's sharp as a tack. goofy, but smart. he's my bud. we're a team, him and me. he's the father of the new pups, and it was a big surprise, but i'm glad. he seems to be aging faster than his mom and it's nice that i have his kids now. he's going white in the face too and he only has a couple of teeth left. he can't eat regular dog food anymore, but he get's special feedings anyhow. and he won't eat if i don't hold the bowl for him. he's been that way all his life. i can't imagine not having agadore with me. we've been through so much together. he's an oddball, like me. not everyone gets aggie. or likes him. and he certainly doesn't like everyone either. he's bitten me more times than i could ever count. but he's still my bud. sometimes it hurts him to be handled, and he's not playing with a full deck to begin with, so when he bites i put him down, quickly. he always says he's sorry later. always. he's a one-of-a-kind dog and i'm so happy he's mine. judy, aka jujubee, is another odd creation. chihuahua/beagle mix, she came to us via a good samaritan who rescued her from an abusive home when she was about 6 months old. incredibly smart, but oddly put together. she has a classic beagle's face, the fawn coloring of a chihuahua, a large beagle body, but her head is very tiny. it doesn't fit. at all. not even close. it belongs on someone else. it's about 1/2 the size it should be for her body. but she's a sweet dog. very very very naughty, but she's so intelligent about the ways she's naughty that you have to give her credit for her creativness. and you can't stay mad at a face like hers. she never licks. ever. she never has. but she gives great hugs. she's another one that's generally found at my feet, or on them. she loves to dig under the fence and go sightseeing. and she's the best mom and grandma i've ever seen. she also climbs like a squirrel. and loves a bath. and she has 9 nipples. and an underbite. but she's pretty to me. then there's carmen. another reject. her owners were fools and didn't realize the value of the dog. to them she was just a garden variety dog. she's the beauty. carmen is a true mexican princess. jess, aggie, roger and carmen are purebred chihuahuas, but carmen is the most beautiful dog i've ever seen. show quality, perfect in every way. regal in her stance and bearing, as well as her character. she thinks she's real royalty. sweet as pie one minute, bitch from hell the next. everything and everyone belongs to carmen. it's her house. we merely show up here from time to time to serve her. and only her. she's a true prima donna in every sense of the word. if it's below 65 she can't be without her sweater, even indoors. she won't set foot in the rain. ever. fortunately it doesn't snow in texas. and if you set your plate on the table and turn your back for a second she'll be up there and have it cleaned off in seconds. being the accomplished little actress that she is though, she'll convincingly take on the appearance of a terrified doe, and how can you be angry at a doe? yeah right. so much for regal bearing. roger-doger is a very cool little dog. and i mean he's cool. he's the stud. he's the cock-of-the-walk. if dogs could wear ray ban shades, he'd have a dozen pair. he's the leather jacket type. he's a chihuahua, maybe 7 pounds now. when we found him he was running with a bunch of farm dogs in the country. cold, wet, filthy, shivering and starving. they were going to shoot him. not the farm dogs, the people who owned him. so he came home with us. nothing but ribs and worms. he and i became fast friends. he thinks i'm all his now. and he doesn't like to share. he's not big but he's pretty tough. and the most loving dog you'd ever want to meet. every time he sees me he acts as if someone is going to tear him away and he'll never see me again. he literally clings to me. i mean he wraps his little arms (ok, legs) around me and won't let go. he has to be pryed loose. he has the most haunted look in his eyes sometimes. you just know he's seen alot that he shouldn't have seen. it's like he's looking right into me. i think roger knows what lonliness really means. then came the first set of pups. judy's and roger's. a surprise, naturally. originally there were 4, but little jilly died suddenly at 3 weeks. jack, the runt, also got sick with whatever jilly had and almost died, but we force fed him and pumped him full of antibiotics and he lived. he's a holy terror now. completely adorable, but the naughtiest dog ever born. ever. anywhere. looks just like roger, except he's missing a toe on his rear paw. just born that way. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmwhich just makes him that much more lovable. but he's so damn naughty. we call him jack-attack.
i got up for a second and judy decided to type. the mmmm's are from her. not quite sure how she got them inserted into something i'd already typed, but then again, she had also activated the spell check. told you she was smart.
next comes steve. he's the sensitive one. knuckles under to all the other dogs. but if you call his name or even look at him through the window he's all ears and wagging tail. looks just like a tiny rottweiller. just not as bold. he's happiest when he's being held like a baby. then there's marvel ann. she was born in the same litter cuz i saw her come out, but we still aren't sure where she came from. her mother is chihuahua/beagle, her father is a chihuahua. she's a dachsund. literally, she looks like a fawn colored, industrial strength dachsund. we started calling her "hummer" at a few weeks old cuz she was so stocky and made the boys look like nothing. she's grown into this odd combination of arnold schwarzenegger and wiener dog. like a long, thick, short-legged, steroid-pumped dachsund. with a beagle face. she's funny looking but she's the sweetest, happiest dog around. she has to have a dozen hugs a day. she requires it. also frequently found at, or on my feet. always friendly and glad to see anyone who comes around, except mack's brother. she has 9 nipples too. she's just a big baby. literally. unfortunately for her, just a baby when she went into heat and, thinking that aggie was too old and too small to do any damage, we kept her in with him and away from the other, un-fixed males. guess what? she had pups at 8 months of age. she didn't have a clue what was going on and had a couple of them in my lap, terrified. but happily, she figured it out. born on new years day, 3 of them died at birth, but we have walk-away-joe and sally left. judy insists their her pups. the pups are up and running now. everywhere. they learned steps this week. only one step, since we have no real steps but a sunken living room, but it counts. they may have a mixed up heritage, ie chihuahua, chihuahua/beagle, chihuahua, but they look like regular chihuahuas. so far. except sally's tail curls down. ??? and joe has 6 toes on each of his back feet. he got the one's jack is missing. at least we kept them in the family. then we have jasmine the yellow lab. she spins her tail in a circle when she wags and she smiles at you, showing her teeth and wrinkling her nose up. she has to be the laziest dog alive. she moves in slow motion. like a big truck. and she tends to nap in the middle of the walkways in the house, completely blocking any path. she'll stand there and block your way as well, until you pet her to her satisfaction. only then will she let you pass. her pup, who's about 2 now, is bucky. rottie/lab mix but looks like a rottie, except with a lab's body. biggest of our crew, he's as tall as me when he stands. big, happy, friendly, not overly smart, but he can shake hands and he smiles too. and he's always grinning. he has the happiest eyes and a real innocence about his look. chunk is the quiet one. never one to draw attention to himself. he's a chow mix. beautiful, thick coat. stocky, sturdy, strong. fierce when he needs to be, but prefers to lounge on the patio watching the day go by. he hates to come inside and generally won't. he's a watcher of life. sees all, and somehow i think he may know all as well. last, but not least is shadow. jet black pit bull mix. not the biggest, but most certainly the toughest. alpha dog. leader of the pack. it's his yard, no arguement. keeps everyone else in line. a bit overbearing. prick is a good word for him usually, but he too has his lovable side. solid muscle, thick neck, strong white teeth, he's not one to mess with and we count on that. he's the guardian. the other dogs are good watch dogs, even the little ones, but shadow scares people. and he's fully capable of backing up any threats he makes, against man or beast. he's always on guard, pacing the yard and the patio like a posted sentry. ever watchful, even if it's only for the errant squirrel running across the power lines. nothing comes in this yard, except lizards. he doesn't mind them.
there. i've told you all about my dogs. that silly little email just made me think of the dogs that live here with us, how much trouble they are, how difficult it can be sometimes with the commotion, the constant activity, the barking, the fighting, the chewing, pissing, shitting, hair everywhere, someone just puked in the hallway, who ate my good pen, garbage bag torn open sort of things that go on when you have a dog, not to mention 14 of them. ah. and the vet. and the vet bill. and the myriad other things that take place in our little zoo. licenses. shots. city permits. fleas. you get the picture. and we wouldn't give up a single one of them. not for anything. they're part of our lives and our world and we bought this house so they'd have a place to play. they watch over us, provide us with love, companionship, warmth, kisses, hugs, snuggles, cold noses, comedy relief, complete understanding in an otherwise un-understanding world, acceptance, joy, and if nothing else, excercise. i can negotiate the length of the house now with one eye open, half asleep, one slipper on, 2 dogs attached to my other foot, one jumping up and nipping at my behind, one lumbering along knocking me clear of her path, the new pups scrambling along directly under my good foot, and i won't spill a drop of coffee. but give me a clear path and see what kind of mess i make all by myself.
let's not forget the cats. originally there were the brothers, buzzy and sebby, short for sebastian. we found them in the parking lot of our old apartment when they were just a few weeks old. tiny, not ready to leave their mother yet, they moved in with us. complete opposites right from the start. buzzy is friendly, outgoing, mischeivious, cuddly and very playful. he likes everyone, even the dogs. he picked mack as his, but he loves me too. sebby chose me. he's a different kind of cat. buzzy is classic striped, black and gray/brown. sebby has a few black slashes on his face but his body has wonderful leopord spots. he's grown to be quite a bit larger than buzzy. they're about a year and a half now. sebby is the quiet one. he spends alot of time sleeping on my pillow during the day, or in the sun by the living room window. then all at once he'll appear at my side. he'll gently reach up with his paw and grab my hand with his exposed claws and pull my hand to his head for me to pet him. if i resisted, even a little, those needle-sharp claws would pierce my skin like a hot knife through butter, but he's so gentle. and he'll keep doing that until he's had enough. he talks to me constantly. he's a verbal cat. sometimes it's hard to shut him up. he chats. he doesn't sit and yowl or meow like other cats. i really think he thinks he's speaking to me. and i talk back, of course. the oddest thing about sebby is the bathroom. if i go into the bathroom he comes running. the bathroom is his spot for socializing. if i ever want to know where he is and he doesn't answer when i call him, all i have to do is turn on the shower. works every time. magically, he appears, starts talking and takes his usual spot sitting on the counter next to the sink. if i shave he stands on his hind feet and strokes my face with his paw, like he's trying to help me get that white stuff off. if i brush my teeth he gets as close to the sink as he can and gets his face right down in there with mine, inches away. he's fascinated with me. if i get in the shower he'll jump in at the end of the tub and knock all the shampoo bottles down, chattering away. he'll stay until the water hits him. he doesn't like to get wet. if he gets wet then he'll just poke his head inside the curtain and talk, talk, talk, talk. sometimes he'll just sit on the counter and wait for me, but the second i open the shower curtain he begins his chatter. i wish i knew what he was trying to say, cuz he sure says alot. and it's obviously important stuff. he gets himself all worked up and his tone escalates and on and on he goes. after i get out of the shower he reaches out and grabs my hand again. this is a regular routine. i'm not sure i would be able to take a shower without him now.
it's been alittle while since i originally wrote this. since then the pups have come into their own. they're 10 weeks now, and unstopable. sally is the most adorable little dog. she's a snuggler. light blonde, chi looks with black claws and the most expressive black eyes. she's a lover. she's another that likes to sleep on my feet. it's getting crowded there. joejoe is a goofball. he's got more of a beagle face, bigger than sally. lighter blonde, almost dirty white, mischief in his eyes, and into everything. he's fast as lightning. he tries so hard to be one of the big boys. he's learned how to speak his mind as well. and does so, frequently. another chatterbox. it's hard to believe a voice so loud could come from one so small. except for his back feet. with 6 toes on each, they're a bit bigger than the rest of him. he has creature from the black lagoon feet. he's always in motion. they're both very smart and all i have to do is give a call and they both come running like crazy, tails going so fast it's just a blur. we also have a new addition. a cat, named eddie. he was rescued from new orleans after hurricane katrina, sent up here to a shelter, and 2 hours before he was scheduled to be put to sleep he was adopted. by mack's boss. she's moving and can't keep him, so he's here with us now. this is no regular cat. this is super cat. he's 25 pounds of tom. and he's not fat, he's just huge. and beautiful. he has black swirls on a brown coat, like a marble cake. very friendly (with us, he's not crazy about the other cats yet), and another talker. his size is amazing. he almost looks like some exotic zoo cat. he'll take my hand in his mouth but he doesn't hurt me. however, he bit the hell out of mack this morning. i told him to let him be, but he wouldn't. bet he doesn't do it again. he's a gorgeous animal and he'll talk and talk and talk as long as i want. all i have to do is say his name. so, that's how it stands here animal-wise. there's still the dog we found and took to the shelter the other day. if the owner doesn't claim her by the 20th i get her. they know who the owner is but can't locate them. so, we'll see. we need a bigger house. joe just ate the wires to the surround sound. another day in paradise. you know, i wouldn't change a thing.

barely a month after i wrote this aggie was dead. his little chest torn open by shadow. it's been almost 3 months since that horrible day and the pain of losing him is still as fresh and raw as the day it happened. my poor little guy. i miss him so very much. sometimes it's almost too much. he was such an important and joyous part of my life and my world and nothing will ever be the same again. my little guy is buried under a concrete slab in our courtyard and he gets to nap in the sunshine forever now, surrounded by plants and flowers. there's a little metal chihuahua standing on his stone looking inquisitive, as aggie always did. sally no longer looks so much like a chihuahua but i can sure see aggie in her. her eyes, her manner, the way she cocks her head like he did. he's in there. and we discovered that eddie is no regular cat. he has a microchip and apparently his new orleans owner is dead. he's a hybrid. a bengal. quite valuable actually. i've never seen a more affectionate cat than eddie. apparently bengals have the tendency to behave more like dogs and he sure does. he's a lover. when a 25 pound cat is on your chest petting your face you know you're loved.