In a blink of an eye, how quickly things change

 There is a cubby hole shelf in the cat's room that is about six feet up.  The cats have total access to it and love it up there.  Well, about a week ago I was in the other room and heard Leia fall from the top.  She hit three times on the way down.  I didn't see it happen, but I heard it.  I ran in to find her on the floor and a bit disoriented, but no broken bones.  She ate with no problems, drank water and used the box.  She seemed to be okay.  It wasn't until later in the day that I discovered that her pupils were overly dilated.   And then when the light hit her eyes, I could see they were clouded over.  It was after hours, but I gave the vet a call.  She told me to give Leia baby aspirin for 48 hours and if her eyes weren't better to bring her in.  

Leia's eyes didn't improve and we took her in to the clinic, where it was determined that she has lost vision in both eyes.  Her eye pressure is low, there was some blood and inflammation as well.  She probably suffered a concussion from the fall and the vision loss may or may not be permanent.  It may be up to a month or longer if her vision does come back or she may be blind for the rest of her life.  

Other than having to put drops in her eyes for the inflammation, she is doing okay.  She gets around lightly bumping into things but seems to managing.  My biggest concern was Leia being able to make it to her litter box,  and that fear was subsided with success. 

I am sad that Leia lost her sight, but know that fall could have been so much worse.  Like a broken back or neck.  God was watching over her and for that I am forever grateful.  

        

A few things about Chevy

 There are some things we have learned about our big boy over the past year.  Here are a few:

Chevy is not a fan of the heat.  He may lay in the sun for about 5-10 minutes before getting out of and digging a hole in the shade to lay down.  Even when it is only 40°-50°F, he still lays in the shade.  

Chevy loves, loves, loves the snow.  He isn't bothered by the frigid cold or bitter winds.  He is more immune to the cold than some of our Husky mixes were.  

Chevy loves to roll on his back.  All. the. time.  He just has a blast entertaining himself and always makes me laugh when he does it.  

Chevy is not a foodie.  It seems he didn't inherent the Lab's insatiable appetite that they are known for.  He hesitate before he eats anything, including water.  

Chevy is not a fan of toys of any kind.  He may chase a ball a few times, or chew on a stick, but will not play with any toys or stuffies.  

Chevy is scared of thunder and loud bangs.  Turning up the TV/radio during thunderstorms and fireworks seems to be enough for him to tolerate the noise.  Because of his fear of thunder, he is not a fan of the the rain.  Light rain during walks is okay, but heavy rain means staying inside.  

Chevy doesn't bark.  I mean hardly ever.  Once in a while he barks at a person or dog, maybe a deer, but really 99% of the time he pays little attention to anyone.  He also ignores critters, like chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, or birds.  I've seen chipmunks come right up to his nose and Chevy didn't flinch.  It's kind of nice not worrying about Chevy chasing and catching animals, but I kind of miss the game that the 24 Paws made of it.  

It has been quite an interesting experience learning about Chevy.  I'm sure there is so much more to learn about this awesome dog.  So glad he's in our life to find out more.  ♥ 

Chevy becoming Chevy

Chevy has become his own dog.  He has become an independent thinker.  Chevy has developed his own thoughts and ideas on what he wants.  Because of this, his stubbornness has been coming out as he wants to make his own choices concerning his needs and wants.

An example is we went to a new store so that Mark could do some shopping.  This store wasn't dog friendly, so Chevy and I were going to walk to the edge of the parking lot where the grass was so he could do some sniffing.  

Well, he sat and stayed in the car then I got him out and that was the last time Chevy listened to me.  Once he was out of the car it was all about what he wanted.  lol  He was pulling every which way to get to that green grass and he didn't care how he got there.  And I was in such a state of shock at his behavior that I didn't know what to do.  Everything I did to try to get some control went unheeded.  It is hilarious now, but at the time I was so frustrated and couldn't understand what was happening nor what to do about it.  It didn't occur to me until a day or two later that I should have turned him around in the opposite direction of the grass until he earned going there.  Not to mention that he remembered that I was there, too.  There's no doubt this boy is head strong.  It brings on a new challenge with us and I love that.  And that's okay, because I wouldn't want him any other way.    

Chevy is not the same dog we brought home a year ago.  He doesn't follow me around as much anymore and likes to have his own time and space to himself.  I kind of miss that dog that thought I was the greatest thing in the world.  lol  But, that's okay, because that means he's growing and changing and isn't that abandoned dog anymore.  He has found his place with us and he is comfortable and safe.  

And that's the best feeling in the world for a dog owner.  

Chevy's Gotcha Day!

 Today is Chevy's 1st Gotcha Day!

Our very first pic of Chevy

That face

Those eyes

One year ago we made the decision to adopt this yellowish-reddish Labrador Retriever named Chevy.  It was a scary adventure for all of us, but Chevy's easy nature and gentle soul made it easy.  

And we couldn't be happier! 

Boxer's 20th Birthday!

Three months old, and already ruler of the land.

Today Boxer turns 20 years old.  Although we don't know his exact birthdate, our vets at the time gave us this date counting back from the time we got him.  He was 7 weeks old when we brought him home.  I had just lost my heart cat, Sparky, 22 days before, saw an ad in the paper for kittens and found out they had a black and white male.  I always loved black and white animals.  It seemed like fate.  That is until he pooped in my lap on the way home and I burst into tears.  It was so soon after losing Sparky and I don't know what I was thinking...

Mr. Innocent!

I thought all cats were like Sparky, cool, calm and collective.  Boxer was the exact opposite, a total wild child.  As he grew older, he became dominant, pushy, obnoxious and an all around jerk.  Pretty much what he still is today, although he has soften a bit and has become more loveable.

Boxer and Princess Leia in a rare snuggle

  

Boxer has survived my late cat, Claw.  Our first dog Alex, the 24 Paws of Love, ten puppies and now resides with Chevy and his Siamese girlfriend, Princess Leia.  He has been through a lot in his 20 years.  We have had Boxer almost as many years as we have been married.    

The attitude comes clear with this one.

Boxer was diagnosed with cancer one year and ten months ago.  He was given 3 months to live at the time of diagnosis.  That stubborn boy isn't going down without a fight.  

If you have read anything about my relationship with Boxer, you know it is built on a lot of love and aggravation.  I struggled for a long time that Boxer wasn't Sparky.  Boxer is one of the main reasons I would never get another animal so soon after the death of one. Lesson learned.

It has been a long 20 years with Boxer, with all the good, bad and ugly.  He is definitely a one of a kind cat who has broken the record of the oldest animal we've had so far.  

Happy 20th Birthday Boxer!

 

Wow! Another Game Changer! Same method, different place

 I've mentioned how friendly Chevy is and how his friendliness is pulling me towards people and dogs.  He has no control over is eagerness to meet people and other dogs.  I couldn't figure out what to do about or how to go about training him to calm down without killing his friendly spirit.  

Our walk training has advanced ten-fold.  We still train before walks to get in training frame of mind.  I don't even have to give him treats anymore for walking without pulling.  I save them for the more challenging obstacles, like people and dogs. We rarely run into either on our walks, so taking Chevy to a dog-friendly store is a big challenge.  

It dawned on me before leaving the house for our trip to town, why not train Chevy before going to the store and when we get there.  So we did some leash training before getting in the van, because this is a boatload of excitement for him.  We were almost to the store when Chevy started getting excited.  He knew where we were going.  

I started with barely opening the van door and told Chevy to sit.  Something I'd never done before.  Usually we try to block him before he jumps out then grab him.  He would not sit.  I tried to coax him with a treat.  I tried gently pushing his butt down.  Then I was ready to give in and give another command.  He seemed to take forever and I didn't think he was going to do it.  I was getting very self-conscious even though there was no one around and about that time Chevy sat!  Hallelujah!  Then I made him stay while I opened the door slowly and then let him out.  What an accomplishment for both of us!

I then walked him outside the store in training mode.  We walked up to the doors and turned around a few times, until I felt we were ready go in.  We didn't just walk straight into the store, we stopped at the cashiers stations, stood there while I gathered my confidence and try to find the section where Mark was at.

And it all worked!  Chevy was like a dream!  He calmly walked up to people, who were more than happy to pet him.  He didn't pull me around the store or drag me left and right.  We met all kinds of people.  One young lady asked to pet him and Chevy leaned on her legs, then turned to me as if to say that was all worth it for this girl.  It was the best feeling in the world to walk Chevy proudly around the store and have him greet people like a champ.  If you've followed our 24 Paws stories, then you can understand the awesome feeling I was having.  I was on top of the world.  And I was able to talk to the people Chevy met because of the confidence he gave me.  All our hard work was paying off and I am so proud of Chevy.  

If I had one suggestion...

If someone asked me what got me through losing the 24 Paws of Love, I would have never thought it would be a pillow.   

The summer after Zappa died, a friend of ours gave Mark the above pillow of Zappa and him.  You would not believe the relief this pillow brought us.  We could hold it, talk to it, squeeze it, kiss it and cry into it and it was if Zappa was right there.  It was something tangible to hold on to and it made it difference in our grieving process.  

The following Christmas I got pillows of all the 24 Paws.  It was hard to believe that a pillow of the dogs could make such a transformation as we muddle through the loss, but it did.  There was something almost real about it.  

I know for some a pillow might not be your first thought, it wasn't mine either, but that gift from our friends, changed the way we thought and grieved.  I still hold them every night as I tell them good night.   

Maybe it could work for you. too.

Just a boy and his dog

One of the joys of having Chevy is watching Mark and Chevy's relationship develop.  They are like two peas in a pod.  They sleep together, they sit on the couch together,  they take their morning walk every day and they have snacks together at night.  Chevy follows Mark everywhere waiting for the next adventure or treat.  The happiness between the two of them is heartwarming.  Mark took the death of Zappa and the 24 Paws pretty hard.  Zappa was his dog and the last to die.  And while Mark loves all dogs, I wasn't sure how he would feel getting another dog.  I still can't believe he said, "Let's go get him tomorrow," when I showed him the picture of Chevy.  It has been miracle after miracle with these two boys.  Chevy is the kind of dog boys dream of having.