My children tease me all of the time about my pets being spoiled. I beg to differ...My pets are pampered.
I have always had pets in my life. I grew up with a family of ranchers so there has always been a variety of animals in my life. Now I want you to note I said I grew up with a family of ranchers NOT on a ranch. I spent a lot of time at my grandparent's home and they had a few milk cows, horses, chickens and the occasional rabbit. And of course there were always barn kitties.
I have a cousin who owns a huge cattle operation in North Dakota. When I visit there I am astounded at the size of the operation. And yet while the cattle in general are not pets...there are always a few favorites. Her favorite milk cow died of old age and was greatly mourned. She has a variety of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, peafowl, dogs and barn kitties. Another uncle was also a cattle rancher and I remember so many times getting to visit and getting to join in on the bottle feeding of orphaned calves, helping with branding and feeding. He always had a dog or two following him around at different times. He loved his horses and was an amazing horseman and his horses died of old age and always enjoyed a pampered retirement. He often said they earned it.
And of course I cannot forget my other uncle who also raised cattle on his own ranch and worked on ranches as a foreman at different times. Joining in on cattle drives, feeding cattle from the sleigh in the winter, feeding chickens and gathering eggs were something I always looked forward to. I am guessing because I didn't have to do it everyday. He was a rescuer of animals. One time when he was a teenager, after a massive rainstorm and ensuing flash flood one of the pastures had flooded. He was feeding cattle and found a nest of gophers. One of the babies was still alive. He picked it up and put it in his pocket. He raised the little guy by hand and "Jimmy Chisler" was his companion for quite sometime. As a young man he found a coyote den in one of the hay fields. The momma coyote had been hit by a car and in the den was a little pup, he rescued her: she was half coyote and half Irish Setter. He named her Sissy and she lived to be about 18 years old. She was such a fantastic dog. And like all of the others they had barn kitties.
And then in my own home, I grew up with a Siamese cat named Todd. Mom named him, he was there before me. I was 15 when he died. He was my best friend. Other cats filled the void over the years. We also had one of the funnest dogs ever. His name was Chinook, though we called him Doods. He thought he was one of us kids and being half Great Pyrenees and Husky. He played football with us and we even taught him how to tackle.
As a wedding gift my husband gave me a Siamese kitten he named him Ralphie. He was a great cat. Following Ralphie was Fancy, Peachy, Calvin and now Lazarus (I call him Winker). We have also had several dogs; a wolf yellow lab mix, Ginger. She was an amazing dog and we lost her to epilepsy. Following her was blue heeler mix named Turbo. My husband often times questioned my sanity for adopting a dog name Turbo. He said he should have been a clue. He was a great dog with a sweet spirit. He lived to a good old age. We were dog-free for several years. That was not fun. We needed the life in our home. So we adopted a little rescued Cattle Dog, Red Heeler this time. We aren't quick learners. Gracie is my sweetie and she has been a joy to own.
Oh yeah and we have a cockatiel. He became part of the family when my brother passed away.
So to say I am animal lover is possibly an understatement. And to say they are spoiled...pfff, that is just crazy talk. They are Pampered Pets.
When I saw this stamp set in the Stampin' Up! catalog I added it to my wish list almost immediately. I love this set. It reminds me of a favorite Disney movie or two.
I like that it has a sentiment for a pet sympathy as well. It is important for me to be mindful of friends when they lose a furry friend.
