Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh, My!

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As you can see in the wallpaper, Ashley is quite the poser.

Add a touch of tan to his nose and the light area around his eyes, and you've got true color, here.

He's 5 years old and part Maine Coon, so he's about the size of a Cocker Spaniel, and weighs almost 16 pounds, with an attitude to match. Move over, Garfield! He has a foot fetish, and this summer, he tried to assure that he would be moved to PA with the family by actively trying to pack himself in a moving box. Though he has a frontal declaw, he has still managed to bring down birds and small rodents, as well as terrorize the neighbor dogs--a Sheltie, a Cocker and a Boxer. He is one of the most well-mannered cats in private; he submits without complaint to my clumsy attempts at veterinary pretense. His ears are folded inside out, I poke at his teeth and stare down his throat, extend his hind claws, poke and prod his stomach...he doesn't complain. But if one were to ignore him...WATCH OUT!!

My little prima donna, this goofball is my "college cat". Eight-year-old AShley is a little set in his ways to leave home, so I rescued Curie from stray-hood this winter. She's about a year and a half, and Ashley's complete opposite. He's a grumpy curmudgeon, these days, and Curie's a flirty little floozy. She's a cuddle-slut and about as vocal as a Siamese! Named after Mme. Curie, she has little pantaloons that make her look more delicate and graceful than she is. I can't count how many times she's fallen off the couch or out of the windowsill...

Christened "Lakota Westley James",

(Lakota, because it means "friend", Westley after "the man in black" from "The Princess Bride", and James for no other reason than because it flowed out of my mouth one day while I was disciplining Cody...), this German Shepherd/Akita/Husky/Wolf hybrid was my pride and joy for all of 10 months. He was the smartest dog I ever met, all 85 pounds of him. I would come home from school, and he would put his paws on my shoulders and lick my face.

He was a gorgeous dog with a mischievious side to him. When he was first brought home, he was terrified of Ashley--after all, Ashley outweighed him by about ten poounds. Ashley decided right away to hate him, and every chance he got, he would whack him on the nose. As Cody grew, this activity would become more and more amusing. One day, however, Cody accidentally backed Ashley nto a corner. Ashley hissed and raised his paw to hit Cody's nose, but Cody sat back and thought for a second. He looked Ashley straight in the eye and raised his paw and whapped Ashley right in the face. Ashley never hit him again...at least, not from where Cody could reach. Instead, he would hang from counter tops and chair backs and do a kamikaze launch attack, hitting Cody's face and rebounding off his nose to roll underneath the couch. But as Cody got older, the wolf in him began to take over. He became overprotective of his "pack" and only those few of my friends he had been introduced to as a pup were "allowed" in the house. He disliked men intensely (smart dog...?)

and finally, when we took him to the vet's, he attacked her, and he had to be euthanized. I love wolves, but having them as pets is a very real risk. Despite his flaws, Cody was a Good Dog.

The cat bullet on this page is not mine, though I don't know whose it is. If you recognize its origin, let me know.

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