Gratitude #4 & #5

I was exhausted last night and didn't have the energy to type. But I will say that last night, I was most thankful for my bed, and my fluffy pillows, and the layers of blankets I like to sleep with.

And today, I'm thankful for my pets. They provide amazing companionship and don't ask for much in return.

Ayla is the pet I've had the longest. In 2007, the kids and I were staying with a friend while I was getting back on my feet financially. We were walking back to her apartment after getting some groceries and we passed this marsh. I said "Listen. Do you hear the frog croaking?" Jacob looked at me like I was nuts and said "Mom, that's not a frog. That's a cat!" Well, after arguing it for a minute or two, I called out "Here kitty kitty kitty!" And sure enough, the plumed tail started bouncing through the marsh in our direction.

She was half-grown, and so thin you could see her ribs and hip bones behind the matted long-haired fur coat. She'd bounded through a puddle to get to us, and was soaked. It was October in Wisconsin and very cold, and she was shivering. But in spite of all of that, she was purring, thrilled to have found people. I carried her home, my friend was sympathetic, and she became a member of our family.

Ayla

Gryphon showed up in the spring of 2008. I was sitting on the couch reading when I heard him meowing - though to be fair, it sounded more like screaming than meowing! His screams grew louder as the woman carrying him came up the steps to my door. She was a casual acquaintance of mine who knew I liked cats, and she thought I would adopt him. His mother's owner had threatened to kill her newest batch of kittens, and so she had taken the entire litter and was going to everyone she knew to see if anyone would adopt one.

Fast-forward five years and Gryphon is now a happy, mature cat who can still bellow with the best of them when he's in the mood (which fortunately isn't very often). He's currently fighting the battle against his tummy bulge.

Gryphon

Trouble came to us in June 2011. His mother lives down the road from us, and she had produced a litter of nine pups....but was only capable of feeding eight. As the runt, Trouble was often pushed out of the way by his siblings and wasn't able to feed as often as he needed. His mother's owner knew I fostered for a local shelter, and asked if I could help him. He was so tiny, and emaciated, and I made a deal with her that if I saved him, I'd get to keep him. He came home with me and pigged out on a can of wet cat food before collapsing into an exhausted sleep. He's been with us ever since, and is a boon companion who can always pull me out of a funk.

Trouble (as an eight week old pup)

 Bonus: Milo

Milo isn't really one of our pets...though he thinks he is. He was dumped here, quite literally, last September by one of our former neighbors, who found him and his sister abandoned in the home they were moving into. The neighbor's husband is allergic to cats, so they couldn't keep him. His sister managed to get out the door and run off, but they captured Milo and brought him here. We reluctantly agreed to care for him for two weeks while she looked for a permanent home for him. We never heard back from her.

Milo is still looking for his forever home. He loves catnip, enjoys playing with the dog, and is thrilled to chase the laser pointer as well as any pesky bugs that fly into the house when your children forget to close the door. He loves to cuddle with his human to sleep at night. If you would be interested in giving him a forever home, please contact me.

Milo, cuddling with Trouble