MeMe the cat

MeMe the cat

MeMe is also a very special animal. We saw her when we went to a breeder to see an Abyssinian kitten that she had for sale. She mostly bred Oriental Short Hair cats which I found quite ugly. The breeder's house was full of cats! As I sat on the floor trying to get the kitten's attention, this black cat comes and sits on my lap and looks at me straight in the eyes with such an intense stare that I felt it in my soul. She looked like she was trying to communicate. I'm not kidding! I'm not one of those people who believes that animals talk to us with words but I know for sure that MeMe was trying to get my attention.

So we ended up not taking the kitten home that day but we came back with MeMe who was a skinny all black 8 month old Oriental Short Hair. We paid very little for her as I think the woman thought she would never get rid of her as she was no longer a kitten and apparently was very shy and had never gotten near anyone before. She would always hide. Weird isn't it? 

MeMe ended up getting quite sick after we took her home and we almost lost her. She was so skinny and small; 5 lbs. I had to give her three different medications and she was so wild and difficult that I never finished the treatment. Thank God she did recover and is now a very healthy 7 lbs.!

She is definitely my cat. She sleeps by my side under the covers every night. That ritual started when she became in heat because she was too sick to be spayed at the time. She would howl so loudly that we worried that our neighbours would complain. We did live in an apartment! So I took her into bed with me and kept her close to my body which seemed to calm her down enough that she would fall asleep. She then continued to sleep with me ever since. She follows me around the apartment and lets me clip her nails with great trust and abandon, lying on her back in my arms. She does prefer Glen's lap for watching TV.

MeMe also understands a lot of the English language. She responds to her name and comes when called and she'll come out of a closet when asked to. It took a while for MeMe to get comfortable with Cheeka but they are now good friends and often play together. 

I now find MeMe very beautiful and can see why the Oriental breeds are loved by many. What do you think?

How Cheeka came to live with us

How Cheeka came to live with us.

We had been dog less for quite a while which is not normal for us. We both love dogs and enjoy their company very much. We had to find homes for our two large dogs when we were cutting down on expenses so we could make ends meet. We were in debt and were getting deeper in debt every month. After cutting all unnecessary expenses like manicures and pedicures, cable TV, and selling a few of our possessions, we realized that a lot of money was going towards feeding and vet care for our dogs. We were extremely lucky in finding both of them great homes where they are loved and well taken care of. After a while of living with only the absolute necessary, we were really missing having a dog to walk. Then we saw a Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix advertise for $50. We could afford it! And, being a small dog, we could squeeze that expense into our monthly budget. So off we go to see Cheeka.

We get there and the lady takes her out. She's cute but not drop dead gorgeous. She won't let us get near her. She's showing teeth and growling. She does seem to love the lady she's with though who assures us that she is a very sweet and special dog who needs time to adjust to new people. Being desperate, we take her home.

Once away from her former home, she changed and became very submissive with us. She would pee if we picked her up and would cuddle with us with ears back, looking very pitiful. Well that didn't last very long. She soon gained confidence and became very sure of herself to the point of being cocky. With some discipline and a lot socialization, she has become very loving and trusting. 

Cheeka is extremely intelligent and seems to understand the English language very well. She knows when we plan to take her along with us or when she has to stay behind. We can have off leash everywhere and she knows when I ask her to stay beside me as we meet other dogs or people. Her only fault is she is a garbage lover and always checks out around picnic tables or garbage cans to see if there is anything she could eat and that is one of the times she doesn't come back when called. The other time is when she has found some dead carcass to roll in. Yes, she loves to roll in the most awful smelling stuff she can find. Needless to say that she gets many baths. 

She is very special and we love her very, very much and are looking forward to take her along on our adventure!