I'm really glad
Darwin and Luella are obviously like my kids. You all know that much by now. I love them more than they know and would do pretty much anything for them. They are also spoiled rotten. Darwin and I go into Petsmart or Petco where he will head to toy section, pick out a toy he likes, and carry it around with him. Obviously I’m going to buy it for him…there’s two tons of drool on it, and he’s already ripped a part of it off. He’s a sneaky thing.
Luella has a cat “house” that is taller than me by almost a foot. Three platforms. Two ramps. Two sisal rope pillars to climb. AND an enclosed cat hut at the bottom. Don’t even get me started on the accessories. Joe built it for her about a year ago, and she absolutely loves it. Sometimes I think I’ve lost her, and she’s passed out on top of it, smooshed all the way down onto the top platform… like a tiny cat pancake.
Yes. My animals are spoiled, and I probably talk about them, post about them, and instagram them way too much, but I don’t give a darn because they’re rad and really great at keeping me company these days 🙂
Awesome pets deserve awesome things. They’re haul includes:
Simply Nourish Dry and Wet Food: This stuff is grand. Darwin inhales his like it’s going out of style. There was a point where we couldn’t get him to eat anything, and this brand of food was really appealing to him for whatever reason. There is no gluten crap in it to hold processed meat together. It’s high protein and vegetables. Darwin can eat Luealla’s food, and Luella can eat his food if they want. It has different levels of protein for each animal, but if someone accidentally inhales someone else’s food (ahem, DARWIN), it won’t give them any adverse side effects.
*Note: I do have Luella on a special allergen free diet per the vet, but I still mix some of this in there. She tolerates the mixture very well.
Cat Igloo and ToyShoppe Teasables: Two of the weirdest named items we’ve ever purchased for Luella, but the best investments. The Teasables hang off of her cat house platforms and dangle down so she can bat at them and play with them. She looks borderline psychotic when she goes after them. Her eyes get big. Black. She hunches down and attacks them. She has pulled them off before and drug them into her igloo where she fakes killing them. Isn’t that WEIRD?! She’s such a little huntress! The Cat Igloo she has is a different pattern, shape, and material, but is essential the same thing. She loves to go in there and snuggle at night. It’s her safe spot.
Plush Memory Foam Dog Bed: Holy crap, this bed is nicer than ours. It’s an orthopedic memory foam bed that is designed for pups who have/may have hip problems. Darwin is prone to hip dysplasia (that’s just his breed), so I want to alleviate any extra pressure for him. We run him a lot, and keep him as active as possible which helps immensely. This is just an added precaution. A very comfy precaution might I add. Plus after he had worms, I couldn’t even bare to keep his old bed. I threw that thing out so fast, I didn’t even have time to assess the full damage. Yuck
Cat Laser: You watch Youtube. Enough said. She can’t ever get that red dot, but she will try until your arm goes numb from moving the laser around.
Martha Stewart Dog Collar: Darwin got big. WAY big. He needed a tough leather collar that could withstand his massive neck. This was the only one that fit while still looking swanky.
The Cat Tickler: Two years ago for Christmas, my father in law gave Joe a cat tickler for one of his gifts as a gag. Turns out Luella actually loved the thing, and has been totally obsessed with them ever since. Unfortunately Darwin likes to eat them, so we have to put them up, and pull them out when he’s not around her. Anything that dangles or can be chased, Luella is all about.
Darwin on the other hand could live forever with just his JW Ball. He is OBSESSED with these. Obsessed is not even a grandiose enough of a word. He wants us to throw it all day, every day, forever, and ever, and ever. He just wants to retrieve all day. He takes it to bed with him and in the car with him. Sometimes he just wants to look at it. Ya know, to make sure it hasn’t got anywhere. Most of the time he takes both of them (he has two) and shoves them in his mouth. It’s simply ridiculous.
While I work, Darwin is caged. He eats things and chews on things when he gets sad or nervous. We got him a huge Nylabone that seems to take the jitters out of him. Plus it keeps his teeth nice and pretty.
The Furminator: Fur won’t be back. This is possibly the greatest grooming tool we own. Both of our pets shed. It comes out in clumps while forming little “tumbleweeds” all over our floors. This thing is wonderful for both of them. I take them both outside and brush them once a week and watch in awe as their loose hair floats away. Be careful though, using this more than once a week can damage their skin and make it flake.
All of these things are wonderful to make our fuzzy ones lives more comfortable, but their favorite thing simply cannot be bought. They just love to be loved. That’s really all they want from us. Joe and I do a good job of giving them snuggles and praises. They share our bed and take up our hearts.
Another favorite thing of all ours? Adoption! Luella was a teeny tiny kitten abandoned with her liter mates and mom. She was so feisty and fiery You could tell right away she was a fighter. She must have had to fight to nurse because she was this teeny ball of energy who was much smaller than the rest of her liter. She still to this day has bounds of energy and small features. I love her smooshed in face and dainty paws…she is an awesome in every way.
Want to learn more about adoption? Head over to SPCA International to learn more about fostering, emergency placements, adoption, and ending animal abuse. Together we can create warm and loving homes for thousands of battered and homeless animals.