My Expanded Fur Family

I'm sitting here at the computer just outside my bedroom door, readying myself to go run errands. I peak over in the bedroom and what do I see? My expanded little fur family taking it easy and staying close by as usual. The Bug and the Alley Cat are stretched out on the bed as always, the Now-Officially-Adopted-Formerly-Stinky- Big-Headed-Foster Dog curled up on the sheepskin rug at the foot of the bed just below them.

The Grey is the outsider even though she came to live here before both of the dogs, the only one missing from this little canine/cat pack. I'm sure she's downstairs curled up by the back door in the sun or in some other cozy cat spot somewhere.

There was a time, back in May, when Bear, the foster, was about to be adopted by another family. And I couldn't wait for him to go. When it all fell through, I was annoyed but just a little bit relieved all at the same time. After almost six months as our foster, he is now officially ours and I'm happy he's here.

Sometimes I think I must have lost my mind just a little. Two cats and two dogs with a baby on the way. What was I thinking? I'm sort of a crazy cat/pet lady I guess.

But even in these tough financial times, I'm glad we could make room for one more even if he was smelly, sick and wounded when we got him. A cast-off that someone else didn't want anymore who was going to be put to sleep at an Indiana shelter because of his heartworm and hip dysplasia. Not quite five, the Bear is now heartworm free, has shed his entire smelly coat and grown a glorious new one the color of caramel and limps a lot less due to twice daily doses of asparin and glucosamine. He's learned to sit and stay, lay down and come when he's called. His stubby little Aussie Shepard tail wags like crazy when you say his name or even just look in his direction. Every morning when I open my eyes, there he sits at the side of the bed, patiently waiting for me to get up, always excited to start his day here in his new home.

I guess you could say all of our rescued creatures really lucked out. But, if truth be told, I feel lucky every day that they found me.