pets

The Latest from the Peanut Gallery

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I haven’t done a Peanut update in quite some time, so here you go. Peanut is just as chill and laid back as ever. She still greets me first thing most mornings and is nearly always ready for a belly rub. She can be quite chatty about it if I don’t get to her as soon as she would like.

She is a cat, and that means she likes her naps. I’ve joked before about how cats sleep an average of 23 hours and 45 minutes a day. I think she’s not far off. She takes multiple lengthy naps throughout the day and possibly during the night. She might dash madly about the house for a few minutes in what us cat people call a zoomie. But then she goes right into another nap.

But there’s something special about having a little furry friend to come home to. Our animals definitely make life better. For the record, I like both dogs and cats, but honestly, I think I like other people’s dogs so that way I can pet them and then have someone else take them for walks and feed them and let them out at 2 am and pick up after them. Cats are easy.

I had a neighbor once who said that if he had a next life, he’d like to come back as a cat. I get that. No one asks you to do any silly tricks. You’re not expected to be obedient. You can eat and sleep as much as you want. And the chubbier you are, the cuter you are. Plus, the small size allows you to find multiple spots to hide out and/or nap.

But Peanut really is special. She’s been a sweet, loyal friend for over 8 years. She definitely can be a calming presence when life gets a bit stressful. Basically, everyone should either have a dog or a cat. The end.

Grieving a Furry Friend

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“I will never laugh at anyone for grieving over a loved beast. I think God wants us to love Him more, not to love creatures (even animals) less. We love everything in one way too much (i.e., at the expense of our love for Him), but in another way we love everything too little.

No person, animal, flower, or even pebble has ever been loved too much—i.e., more than every one of God’s works deserves” (C. S. Lewis, The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III).

Over the years, we’ve lost a number of pets. It never gets easy. Even when they get to be old and full of years, you think that final goodbye will be easier, but it never is. It’s like they take a piece of us with them when they go.

I remember when Lucy passed, I grieved more over her than over some people I had lost. I don’t think it was because I loved her more than I loved them but because she was always nearby, an immediate presence. I would never make fun of anyone who grieves over losing a dog or a cat (or any other kind of beloved critter).

There are many different ways to cope with the loss. One that I’ve found is to go to a shelter and find an animal who needs to be loved. I’ve heard grief expressed as love with nowhere to go. If you rescue an animal, you have an outlet for that love. It’s not that you love your previous pet any less, but you can continue that love with a new pet.

I like to think our pets will be in heaven. The Bible says that all of creation longs for the day when it will be restored. Maybe that includes all those critters we’ve loved and lost. I like to think so. I like to think that Murphy, Reggie, Gracie, Sammie, Paddy, Oliver, Dixie, Lucy, Linus, and Molly will all be there when I finally get there (plus a few more that I’ve forgotten).

All animals are God’s creations, and to love them well is to honor God well. I only wished that they could live a little longer, but I am grateful for each and every one of them.

More of a Dog-Sitter’s Life

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Currently, I’m staying over and dog sitting three very friendly pups. They’re all so amenable and are no trouble at all. I like dogs. More specifically, I like other people’s dogs.

I think that’s because I get to play with the dogs and pet them and give them snacks and then go home to my very low-maintenance cat who I don’t have to let out at 2 am to go potty. All I have to do is make sure her food and water bowls are full and life is good. Oh, and emptying out her litter box every so often is essential.

But I’m thankful for both dogs and cats. I’m glad that in this world there are both. I just wish that they all lived longer because when they go, they take a little part of us with them, don’t they? The world is a little less joyful and sunshine-y when they depart.

I guess one other reason I like other people’s dogs is because puppies are sweet and cute but also crazy. They have energy for days, don’t know personal space, and tend to do specifically all the things you tell them not to do like chewing on things and people and other animals. Or tearing up stuff. Or generally being a nuisance. But they’re still cute. That helps a lot.

Older dogs are more my style. They’ve reached that stage in life where they have nothing left to prove and can just chill. Plus there’s a gentleness and a sweetness to an old dog that only comes with time and age. When you see a dog with grey on his muzzle and all throughout his body, you know he’s going to be a good boi. It’s inevitable.

But I’m thankful for dogs and for getting to take care of them occasionally. Even if they don’t live long enough and some of them don’t get treated right. I can be eternally grateful for dogs that belong to other people and then go home to my cat who will be grateful in her own right to see me again.

Dog Sitting on the 4th of July

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It seems to be a tradition for me lately that I’m dog sitting on Independence Day. Not that I mind. I’d rather be hanging out with two sweet old pups than waiting on fireworks with the masses in the sweaty hot summer air.

I’m thankful for each opportunity that I get to take care of these two. There used to be three, but one crossed the rainbow bridge a few years ago. But I don’t want to take for granted that I’ll always be able to go back to Bellevue and take care of these critters.

Tonight, I hopefully can be a calming presence in the midst of all the fireworks going off up and down the street. I don’t think the pups mind much. So far, they’ve napped through all the good parts. Or at least the really loud parts.

I actually did get to see some very decent fireworks a couple of weeks ago at my church’s VBS Finale Night. Maybe they’re not up to downtown Nashville standards, but I’ll take slightly less spectacular fireworks over waiting the rest of my natural born life to get out of downtown Nashville at 1 am afterward.

Ultimately, today isn’t really about food or fireworks. It’s about freedom. It’s about men and women who shed their blood and laid down their lives so that we could have independence and the liberty to live and dress and speak and think as we want. Ideally, freedom means that we can be our best selves the way God created us to be.

Of course, we celebrate the ultimate sacrifice on Easter Sunday, remembering the cross and the empty tomb. But it’s helpful to remember Jesus laying down His life for those He loved on this day as well. All true freedom traces itself back to that Friday afternoon and that Sunday morning eventually.

I can be thankful for that sitting in a room with two very sleepy dogs away from the madding crowds waiting to see the pyrotechnics begin. I call that a win.

Happy National Pet Day to Peanut!

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Today is National Pet Day. At least it is for the next 61 minutes. By the time most of you read these words, it will have been yesterday. But still for those of us fortunate to have fur babies, every day is national pet day. At least our pets think so.

My cat Peanut (although I might as well call myself her human) is all about national pet day. She is also all about comfort. My joke is that she is 1/3 monkey, 1/3 tiny panther, and 1/3 sloth. She is that lazy.

But she is very proactive in her laziness. She will let nothing stand in the way of a prime comfy spot. Pillows? Knock ’em over. Knick knacks? Push ’em aside. Do whatever it takes to create the best napping spot possible because sleeping is priority one. That is Peanut’s life motto, I think.

You can get away with all sorts of stuff when you’re extra small and fluffy. I’m sure dog owners can attest that those puppy eyes can cover over a multitude of sins. The same goes for felines as well (though they tend to care a bit less about their transgressions than dogs).

Peanut has a good life. She gets daily belly and back massages and has her own personal servant who will maintain her food and water bowl and even scoop her poop. In return, she allows me to give her those belly rubs. She even graces me with her divine presence.

Actually, she is a very loving cat. To most people, she is shy and hides, but to a select few, she is very friendly and affectionate. She’s even quite chatty when the mood strikes.

So Happy National Pet Day to Peanut and to all those pets for whom we work all day to be able to maintain their comfortable lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.

Happy 18th Birthday, Lucy

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Today, I carried a pang of sadness in my heart. You see, my old cat Lucy would have turned 18 today.

It even seems a little silly to me to carry on grieving for a common ordinary cat who passed away back in June. But Lucy was no common ordinary cat. At least not to me.

She was one of the few constants in my life in a time that saw geographical and career upheaval in which I relocated to Nashville from Memphis.

She was a quiet presence in my life through those good and bad days. She always ended up in my lap, curled up and either asleep or very near asleep. She usually wound up sleeping on the pillow next to mine, comforting me with her quaint little snore.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day, June 21, when she crossed the rainbow bridge.

I honestly don’t know if our pets will wind up in heaven, but I like to believe that she’ll be there on the other side of the rainbow bridge, waiting for me when it’s my turn to cross over.

In the meantime, I find that the sadness continues to give way to happy memories. I feel blessed for every day of the 17 years she was with me, even those painful last six days.

When she got sick that last time, I kept hoping that she could somehow manage to pull through one more time, but this time, it was not to be.

I know in my heart she tried her very best to stay, but in the end her furry little body finally failed her and she was just too weak to go on.

I have a rambunctious new kitten named Peanut, who is a tortie and full of curiosity and life. She could never take the place of Lucy, but she’s a channel through which my love for Lucy can flow.

So happy 18th birthday in heaven, my little Lucy. I’ll always love you can carry you in my heart forever.

 

Three Months Later

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Three months ago today, I went into the Williamson County Animal Shelter hoping to pick out a kitten after my Lucy had crossed the rainbow bridge 9 days earlier.

It was a bit overwhelming at first, as there are so many kittens and cats in need of good furr-ever homes. I actually took a few kittens out and played with them to see how friendly and playful they were.

I had it in my mind that I wanted the cat to purr when I picked it up, but none of the cats I looked at did that. Maybe they were nervous or shy, but none of them seemed overly friendly.

I had a little male tuxedo kitten picked out and ready to take home. He was in the carrier and all that was left was for me to sign the papers and he’d be mine. Or I’d be his. I’m still not sure how exactly that works.

That was when I heard the most heart-wrenching piteous mew. I turned around to see a little black paw reaching to me from a cage behind me. I saw this little tortie kitten begging me to take her home.

I went over to the cage and she reached out and stroked my hand. She was purring. I knew then and there she had picked me to be my next cat. The tuxedo kitten went back to his cage with his mates and was probably adopted later to another good home.

I found out that my little tortie had been found stranded on I-65 when she was rescued. To this day, I don’t know if she was alone. I don’t know if she was actually on the interstate or in the median between the two sides.

All I know is that she rescued me. She gave the love I had for Lucy a new place to go.

The old saying is still true. God does work in mysterious ways, but I’m learning that those ways always turn out way better than my ways and my plans ever could.

Here’s to what I hope will be at least 17 years with Peanut, my little tortie.

 

An Update on Peanut

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It’s been almost 3 months since I was rescued by this little furball at the Williamson County Animal Shelter. I’ve told the story about how I had a completely different cat in the carrier, ready to take home, when Peanut stuck her little paw out of the cage and gave a little piteous mew that said, “Take me instead, please!”

I did, and the rest so far is history.

She typifies the loving and affectionate nature of just about any rescue. She shows her gratitude for being taken out of that solitary little cage every chance she gets. Add that to the fact that she is 100% kitten and what you end up with is sometimes completely hilarious and always a lot of fun.

She’s quite literally growing on me. She’s more than doubled in size since I first brought her home back in June. Maybe that explains why she will eat just about anything in sight (including dog biscuits).

She can never take the place of my beloved Lucy, whom I still miss dearly. She’s her own person with very unique traits and characteristics. She has helped my heart to heal by providing another outlet for the love to flow.

I do recommend that if you’ve lost a beloved pet, go to a shelter and find a cat or dog to rescue. You could pay a lot of money to a breeder for a specialized pet, but I personally think you’ll never regret saving the life of an animal that might otherwise be euthanized.

This whole Lucy to Peanut transition has taught me that while life never quite goes according to expectation, it somehow always turns out better. God really does work all things together for good to those who love Him. That’s not just a quaint saying that you can cross stitch and stick on your refrigerator (to borrow a Mike Glenn saying) but an every day reality.

Don’t ever take anyone in your life for granted at any time. Ever. Not people. Not pets. Always let them know how much they mean to you and always make time for them because you never know when they won’t be around any more.

God is good. Life is great. I am still blessed.

You’re Welcome

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In case you’re having a bad week (or even just a so-so week or a decent but overly long week), here’s a picture of an adorable smiling puppy. You’re welcome.

Here’s another cute puppy. Just because.

And last but not least, here’s my cat.

My Cat Is Older (and Probably Smarter) than Your Honor Student and Other Thoughts

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For those who are new to me and my blog posts, I have an elderly feline. Her name is Lucy and she’s 17. I realized while I was volunteering yet again for the Youth Evangelism Conference a couple of weekends ago that my cat is probably older than most of the students who were in attendance there. She may or may not also be smarter.

Think about it. She doesn’t have to get up at a ridiculously early hour to go off to work. She doesn’t run around like a headless chicken in order to feel productive. She does what she wants when she feels like it. At this point, that consists of mostly napping with the occasional snack and poop thrown in to keep things interesting.

I confess that I’m a bit jealous sometimes. I wish she could go to my job and I could stay home and do some napping. After all, she’s old enough to drive, right?

I refuse to engage in the debate about whether cats are better than dogs or visa versa. I like both. Right now, I have a cat and I love the fact that she’s super low-maintenance, as well as the world’s best lap cat. I also love dog sitting and hanging out with all manner of pups.

I think life’s better with pets. Unless you’re deathly allergic, I highly recommend one. They’re great companions and their love isn’t based on your looks or money or personality or anything other than you exist. Plus, it keeps you humble when you realize they love sniffing their own butts just as much as you.

So go get a pet if you don’t have one. Take care of it. Don’t abandon it when it gets old and less cute. If you’re going to have a dog perpetually chained up in the backyard 24/7, don’t get one. You’d be better off with a lawn ornament. But that’s definitely another topic for another blog post on another day.