Topic: My zoo

[sunsoaker]

I wanted to share (part of) my zoo with you. This is a photo of all my "girls". Lexi has crossed the rainbow bridge almost 2 years ago. She liked to think she was a lap dog and would lay across my daughter's lap with her head on her shoulder while my daughter pet her.  She was the sweetest Rottie ever! Never hurt a thing. Yet, she was so very much my daughter's dog. And if anyone got too close to her, she would make you think she would hurt you. Was kinda funny to us because we knew, but I know it wasn't funny to whoever she was snarling at. She would even stand between me and my daughter if she thought I was too close to her, but she never snarled at me (good thing). At the time we got her I was a single parent, just me and my teenage daughter at home. Having Lexi around made us feel very secure!!! You see, she wasn't just a Rottie, she was 120 lbs of lean muscle. That's 20 lbs. more than the average male Rottie and 40 lbs more than the average female. She was huge - and not an ounce of fat on her. We lost her to cancer almost 2 years ago. This pic was shortly before that, she weight 135 lbs in this pic. Had put on some wieght in her old age. She was 12 yrs old.

I also have 4 cats. One of them was given to us by my Dad a few years before he passed. That would be Pita. The other three my hubby adopted off our front porch shortly after we were married. A mommy kitty and her kitten (Kit and Boodles), and one that managed to get Kit to let her in her family. Took her about a week of trying before Kit finally let her in. I still have all the cats.

The pic:



The black and white cat on the left is Boodles; the brownish calico/siamese mix looking one is her mother Kit (Boodles is twice the size of her mama ); the white one on the left is Pita (pain in the a**); and the other white one is snowflake (the one that convinced mama kitty to take her in). And I don't think I have to point out Lexi? . I should have posted a pic of her face on too, but didn't think about it. Sorry.. maybe later.


(Yeah I figured it out)

[Dianna]

Uhhhh, Barb, your cats look like mice now. I can barely see them!

Practice makes perfect! 

[sunsoaker]

lol... I see that.  Guess I sized them too small... lol Will have to do something about that... give me a few.

[sunsoaker]

Well the pic is 640 x 480 on Google.  It gives me 4 size choices when creating the code though. The 2 highest being 400px and 800px.  I chose the 400px since the 800px will be too big. I'll have to find another host before the post on my boys...

[Jim]

It looks good now. The properties say it is 400 X 300. The board will display up to 640 X 480. Anything over that it just doesn't display anything or you get the red x.

There are a number of free picture host sites listed in the Guidelines and Help topic.

With Lexi around I can see why you didn't worry much. She was a big dog and I bet she had a big growl too. It appears that she must have got along fine with the cats, too.

[sunsoaker]

No problem with the cats.  She'd walk by them, they'd swat her across the head and she'd just cock her head and look at them as if to ask "what'd ya do that for?"... just comical!  And when they thought we weren't looking, we actually find them curled up together sleeping. Nope - no problems. 

[Dianna]

All right! I knew you could do it!   

Awwww, I bet Angel would like a kitty that she could sleep with. It might would even get her out of our bed! 

I wanna see Georgie and the new kid in town....

[Patty S]

Sorry you had to say goodbye to Lexi, Barb... it's always a sad day, when an animal has become so "human".

We used to have a Shepherd/Husky mix & like Lexi, she also thought she was a teacup something! The poor thing acted sooo sad when we wouldn't (couldn't) let her up in our laps! She loved anything that was alive... tried to play with our baby chickens & was very distressed when they'd stop moving & not play with her anymore. (She just didn't understand that chickens can't survive being punctured by canine teeth!) We had to replace all the chicken wire with the type of fencing that has the openings real close together at the bottom, cuz the chicks would dart in & out through regular chicken wire, & that's when "Bone" would catch them & "play" with them! After that, we had to haul in huge boulders that were too big for her to move & line them up along the fence, cuz she started digging tunnels for the chicks to escape through!

We also had a cat at that time, who was a real whore ... (ummm "Floozy") She would have a litter & be back out entertaining the neighborhood Toms before the kitten's eyes were even open! Bone would hear the babies crying & get herself wedged into the corner of the porch so they could snuggle up & stay warm... & she'd even try to nurse them! They didn't get anything from her, of course, but they were all perfectly content until Mommy showed up & switched places with the Dog! (Finally caught the cat when she wasn't pregnant & had her fixed. After that, she retired & spent all her time on the back of the couch, watching the Toms search for a party pal!)

It usually takes a while to figure out those hosting sites, & most of us have been there/done that. (As it turns out, you did fine... Great pic!) I'm looking forward to seeing a shot of Lexi's front view, as well close-ups of Boodles, Kit, Snowflake & Pita!

[sunsoaker]

Patty, your story reminded me of the dog I grew up with. Patches was a chiuaua / bull dog mix of some sort.  Funny looking dog whose neck and shoulders were bigger than his head. Couldn't keep a collar on him. All he had to do is dip his head and it would fall off.  Anyhow, we had gotten a terrier at the same time, my mom was hoping to breed them. The terrier decided she wanted to mate with another dog. She was a "floozy" too and we couldn't keep her home. Anyhow, she had a litter and wouldn't take care of them. Patches raised them - did everything but feed them.  For that, he would chase down the mother dog and stand over her while she fed the pups to make sure she didn't run off until they were satisfied.  He was a great dog.  He was full grown when my mom got him and she had him for 16 years. He led a very long life!  You know, pets are part of a family.  I see people with dogs they just leave out in their yard. I wonder why they even got them.  Makes no sense to me. Pets bring a lot of love and joy to a family if you let them.

I'll work on getting better pics of all of these guys this weekend. 

And yes Diana, I will get pics of Georgie and Buddy up too, as well as Georgie's "story". (and yes, they are both Papillons)

[sunsoaker]

OK, I think I got it!!!

Lexi... one with my daughter. Lexi was younger in that pic and not an ounce of fat on her, weighing in at 120lbs.  The second one she is much older, a bit heavier, and a bit grayer.  We sure do miss her.

[sunsoaker]

And for the kitties....

This is Mama and her kitten - obviously no longer a kitten. She is much bigger than mama.



Here's snowflake, she weasled her way into the family...



And here is PITA. She most definately lives up to her name! She is a beautiful cat, and this is my fav pic of her, though it doesn't really show off her beauty...




Now just imagine: me, my daughter, and all these animals - all female, and my husband married into this... lol.

The boys will get their own thread.

[Jim]

Oh yeah, I do believe you got it!

Wow, she is taller than Krystal? I can see why you guys miss her. She has such gentle eyes.

Those are some darling cats. I like cats that belong to other folks. My son has allergies, as well as my brother. I may have them just don't know it.

[Dianna]

Now you are showing pics that are doing "justice" to the menagerie!

Lexi looked like such a sweetheart! I know how much you must miss her...

All of them are very pretty kitties, though I am not a cat person myself. Long story short, my sister was frightened by one when she was in a body cast after a wreck when we were children. Haven't liked 'em personally since. But, they are fine as other people's furbabies...

Where is Georgie? And his new buddy???

 

me, my daughter, and all these animals - all female, and my husband married into this...

How did he survive all those hormones?

[sunsoaker]

Yes Jim, would you believe we only had a 4 ft fence?? She would stand on her hind legs and the fence would just come to her arm pits (is that where that's called on a dog??).  Only once did she even attempt to jump it. Krystal took another dog for a walk and she got jealous. She soared over then fence AND garbage can. Took off down the street after Krystal. There was no way she was going to take another dog for a walk without her. And Krystall had taken her for a walk first... lol.

Note that I am also not a cat person. My daughter had 3 cats when she lived here. When she moved out on her own, she could only have 2 of them in her apt. so Pita was left with mom.  Pat adopted the other three off our front porch. The agreement was that he could have them only if we got them fixed, and they stayed outdoor cats. They were fixed, and recouperated indoors. They've been in/out cats ever since -- you see, I'm also allergic, and NO animals are allowed in my bedroom.  The rest of the time, I just deal with it.. lol.

Dianna, look for the "My boys" thread for Georgie and Buddy.

[Dianna]

It is probably a good thing that I wasn't a cat person. My daughter has very severe asthma. She could get around a cat and immediately after, her nose would run and her eyes would water and then she would start wheezing...

I think I would like PITA. That is a great name! It would be a great name for Angel right now with my foot all bummed up...

Krystal belonged to Lexi and she wasn't sharing, right? I love Rotts! I think people are the ones that make any animal mean....

[sunsoaker]

How did he survive all those hormones?

Ha ha... I'm not so sure he has......

[Bonnie]

Lexi was a beautiful baby. I'm sure you miss her very much.

I lost my puppy girl almost year ago. She was 16 years old. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her.

The kitties are adorable too. I love the picture of the one under the Christmas tree.

Bonnie