My son is deaf. My youngest dog, my Velcro boy, my goofy sweet Alki, is stone cold deaf. It happened when I wasn’t looking. Somehow, the years between puppyhood and senior dog warped and folded in on themselves, and my little boy aged. It shocks me, really. Just yesterday he was an exuberant, mischievous puppy, […]
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
It’s Called Trespassing: Quit Ruining the World for Dogs
It was a summer evening and the dogs and I were out for last call. A man and woman at the end of the block were standing next to the waist-high wall that bordered my neighbor’s steep property. It’s unusual but not alarming to see strangers lingering in our busy beach neighborhood at night. However, […]
Why MY Dogs Aren’t Spoiled–MY Cat Ain’t, Either
Amazing the number of people who scowl and tell me I’m spoiling my animal family. It flummoxes me. These people, ‘the complainers,’ don’t just turn up their noses at me and my kids. They’re rude about disapproving of people (like me) who treat our animal family as something more than discardable toys, and in public […]
When Animal Communication Bites
Have you always wanted to talk with an animal? And hear it talk back? It’s easy. Just do it. But be polite, or you’ll find out, like I did, that animal communication can bite. Just like talking with any being out there, from a tree to a hurricane, animal communication is about respecting all life […]
When Good Toys Go Bad
Toys are a big part of the magical goofy fun side of family life. In our case, it’s a multi-species family life, which means we are a woman, two Cavaliers, and a goofy eight-pound cat. At our house toys (practically) rule. We have every kind of toy, from bouncy tennis balls and rubber chews to […]
We’re Cat’s Eye Writer’s First Guest Writer
I was Cat’s Eye Writer’s first guest poster! Judy Dunn is Cat’s Eye Writer. Back in June she ran a contest looking for her first guest poster. I decided to join in the fun and won, even though Judy writes about blogging (and she’s an expert, so check her out). It was a great experience […]
Lending a Hand … or a Leash
I’m clumsy. I survive by assuming everybody else is, too. Despite the obvious (and frequently embarrassing) hazards, it’s a pretty good way to live. Really. Don’t take me wrong. Injuries, hurt feelings, creepy people and events: not into them. But I am into building community, and for me that can sometimes mean being clumsy. Lending […]
Gone to the Dogs … in New York
If you’re going to New York and have to leave your own dogs (and cat) at home, there’s one sure way to get your dog fix: arrange to be there in February, when New York goes doggy for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. The 135th Westminster Dog Show […]
Winning National Writing Awards
We had a winning table at the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) writing awards banquet at the Affinia Hotel in New York City Feb. 13, 2011! This is the DWAA’s 76th year, a professional association of people writing about dogs in newspapers, magazines, newsletters, books, and in art and photography. We were gathered to […]
Daily Rituals with Our Animals: Saving the World One Family at a Time
We start and end the day at our house the same way: in a big pile on the bed while I tell my kids, one by one, with many hugs, how much I love them. And why. Every day. Every night. And I get lots of hugs and kisses in return. What astounds me is […]