Have you met our cat?

We just can't seem to get along without pets.  This is Oliver "Cower"dry.  The introduction to him at the animal shelter we adopted him from said, "He doesn't know that he likes humans yet."  HAHA!  He is the cutest, shyest, wackiest, and cuddliest kitty. 

And introducing Sophie....

Really.  Not kidding.

Here's the story, in Bob's words:

"Mom and I happened to be going to the Family Dollar around the corner just to get some batteries.  When we came out there was the cutest but scrawniest little kitten I have ever seen.  She ran up to me like she knew me and mewed loudly.  She hopped into my lap and rubbed into my hands purring loudly.  I noticed she had a scar from a recent spay, and her ear was clipped from having been captured and received shots from the city Animal Control.  This meant she was just caught and released to help control rodents, but she was so scrawny I didn't think she was getting anywhere with that except starving to death, so mom and I had a problem.  We had our hearts melt as we tried to decide what to do and she started running over to other people or cars trying to get their attention.  We realized her lifespan would be very short, and since her shots and surgery were already done, we felt we had no choice but to take her home.  Shaking our heads and rolling our eyes at ourselves and being in this situation again, I turned around and bought a litter box and some cat food and we brought her home.  Boy, were all the kids shocked and surprised.  None more than Evelyn who had to keep asking if she was dreaming.  Then we told her we were giving her the kitten since she was losing her sister to college and a mission, and I thought Evelyn was going to have a seizure she was so incredibly happy.  It was actually very sweet.  This kitten is probably about the same age as our puppies, so they will probably grow up best friends.  It is funny to watch them as they try to figure each other out.  Hilariously the puppies who are about 15lbs and very stocky are afraid of this little waif of a kitten that probably weighs 2lbs soaking wet.  She does have the hissing and arching of the back that they are not sure about, but it is her that should be more afraid.  They have already started playing together a little bit so I am sure it won't take long for them to trust each other.  And maybe she can be a great help to teach them about not biting, who knows?  Her name is Sophronia (after Joseph Smith's sister) and we call her Sophie.  She is so adorable and I forgot how much I loved cats!  Especially when they climb on you, purring loudly, and curl up in your lap.  So fun."

Introducing Parley and Thankful (Pratt) Bush

It was hard to choose from the over 85 dogs at the Humane Society... so we adopted two!  Parley is in the blue collar and he has white paws and a little white tip at the end of his tail.  It reminds us of a firecracker.  He is pretty spunky.  Thankful is all brown, a little bigger, and a little more wrinkly in the face.  She is more cautious.  Both are sweet snugglers and feisty, chewy, curious puppies!  We love them!

Lucy

This is really hard to type out.  Lucy has passed away.  

She ran out into the street after a dog this morning and was hit by a car.  She died instantly, so there was no suffering. She was not torn up at all, just gone. It all happened so quickly, so suddenly.  We brought her inside, and waited for the younger ones to come home from a playdate.  Dad was able to be on the phone with us.  Mark and Stephanie came over and we had a burial in our garden plot.  We each shared a memory or a moment about her and spent the rest of the afternoon comforting each other and sharing how much we love her.

 

Meet Lucy Mack...

So in September, a little dog followed Owen and I home when we were running.  She ran 3 miles back with us (!), and we kept her for about a week trying to find her owners or someone else who could take care of her.  Finally, a family in our ward adopted her from us.  Due to some health complications in that family, we have adopted her back!  This surprise canine companionship has been pretty fun.  There are those frustrating times, but overall, she is a fantastic dog: no shedding, no barking, and super playful and great with the kids.  We love her.

Without further ado, here's Lucy Mack:

May 2, 1997 - May 18, 2012

in memoria nostri cattus

Emma Bush, our beloved family cat, has passed away.  When we were in Utah, she disappeared.  We assumed the worst, but still looked for her little "meowy" face every morning and night at our door.

Today we got a phone call with the callers saying they had our cat, and that she had died under their pick-up truck.  Oh, this was the worst!  I got my hopes up when they said they had our cat, and then was as crushed as much as I thought she was under the truck.  When Bob picked her up for our family memorial/burial, she wasn't crushed or hit with a truck!  She had just wandered reallllllly far from home (6.6 miles) and then while resting, passed away.

Bob and I believe that she had some form of cat dementia, as her behavior had altered the past few months.  We guess that she couldn't find her way back home after one of her wanderings, and kept walking further and further away.  We buried her in our back yard, and the children each shared memories of her and planted flowers on top of her gravesite.

We will miss our sweet cat.

Meet our tortoise Tasha!

Tasha, roaming the backyard

We need a higher wall to the garden! She is a good climber.

This is her new enclosure. She almost escaped several times, so we had to modify it. Seriously, she almost climbed out of that thing.

Wow.

This is Tasha exploring. It's really funny to see her run around.

*purchased at a pet store in Las Cruces, this was the only reptile that Mom would allow in the home, since everything else is too fast!

Our furry family member

by Jonas

I pad down the stairs and slip onto the rug quietly. My fur shimmers in the light and my tail swishes. My nose catches wind of a scent that makes my tail stop swishing: fresh tuna and boiling water. I pay no attention to the boiling water and slink into the kitchen. I hesitate as a cacophony of sound crashes onto my ears. My ears flatten and I shrink back as loud footsteps pound across the floor. Someone talks loudly, and I take a step backwards again. Feet come toward me, and then, suddenly, a can of tuna is on the floor. Everything else pounding on my senses becomes blurry and faded. The taste of tuna on my small, pink tongue is heavenly. As soon as the can is licked clean, I retreat back upstairs to the quiet and slip under a bed for a nap.

Emma, our beloved and oft mistreated cat of 12.5 years

P.S. This is not an obituary! This was a writing assignment, and I thought, hey, I haven't ever blogged about Emma!