puppy love and aging pets

Last year I lost my best fur friend Calla at 14 and this year is touch and go it seems for both Chaquita kitty at 19 and Gracie baby at 14. We've been to the vet more times than I can count this year. We're at that point where we just try to keep them comfortable and take it day by day. It is rough but I look at at them and say we've had a great life together and they can stay as long as they feel up to it. I had to teach myself a little about aging pets with Calla, deciding when her quality of life was gone. She was very obvious but my two remaining are not so clear. I hope they will tell me or like that old Persian cat we had as a kid, they will walk out gracefully at the end. Right now, they are still greeting us and looking for their food each morning and night, sometimes all day for Chaquita, who we've started calling Skeletor. Hey, it is all funny if you just go with it.


 We brought in a new addition finally after the Charlie fiasco, this time going with a very healthy 3 or 4 month old puppy Tucker. He's the most normal psychologically balanced dog I think I have ever had. I'm afraid the old ones might be making him a little weird but overall he's the best fur guy since my childhood buddy Ace. I'm not the best pack leader or disciplinarian but he's smart and knows when I mean no. He listens to Superdude best of course. Now he's about 1 1/2 and is a solid 60 pounds of puppy love. He regularly takes a dip in the pond and loves playing catch and tug games. The funniest thing to me is how Chaquita makes him kneel down and surrender with a look but he chases any other cat. He even lets her eat his food every morning if she so desires, and she usually does.





The current thought is that we'd like to get a puppy to grow up with Tucker. I honestly can't decide if another one is right for us while we go down the last path with mine. Of course I want a puppy and would love to see them play and bond now when so young. I think we can keep them from disturbing Gracie and I don't worry about teaching a new routine of respect and kitty hierarchy. But my heart says wait and focus that love on these aging pets and take Tucker out to socialize more with friends and maybe a dog park. He has a long ways to go on doggy manners but he has a good start. So he is probably okay right now, he loves Gracie and Chaquita but they don't do much and he's a live wire in the energy department.



 So what do I do? I look at puppies available in the area shelters obsessively online, play with Tuck and try to cherish the days with my aging pets. Welcome to my crazy.

My favorite shelter is Haven of the Ozarks in Cassville MO, check them out!
https://www.facebook.com/HavenoftheOzarks