Today is the most glorious of days.
It’s Love Your Pet Day!
Like I need any excuse.
About 90% of my Instagram posts are of Lily being a cutie pie and so are about the same proportion of any conversations I have with other people.
NB: should we meet in person, probably best not to ask me about dogs…at all…I have a hard time shutting up about them.
But then Lily has become a bit more than just a pet over the years. She’s my reason for getting up in the morning, my reason for leaving the house a lot of the time. She might not be an actual emotional support dog but she acts in that capacity, helping me with my anxiety about interacting with people and forcing me to act in a calm, assertive manner so that she feels protected—even when I don’t particularly feel confident at all. I tell people she’s not like other dogs, and they poo-poo the idea as my biased hyperbole…until they meet her and find that she is, in fact, a really good dog. They tell me how sweet she is and the way she looks at me is amazing, and I’m like, “I know! I told you she was awesome!”
So, it’s probably unsurprising that I opted to introduce a dog to the Alphas’ Homestead series. At first, I was considering having Ephraim nurse a coyote back to health and then keep it as a pet, but coyotes are pretty solitary and don’t make good pets at all, so I figured a dog would work a little better. Plus, I think it’s going to be interesting to see how a dog fits into the pack structure. The only downside is knowing that the timeline of the series exceeds the lifespan of a Blue Coon Hound by quite a bit and I’m not looking forward to writing that.
But I guess, that’s why Love Your Pet Day is important. We don’t get much time with our fluffy babies in the grand scheme of things. So, maybe take a little extra time to day to give some extra belly-rubs, or mega scratches, or…whatever cats like (No really, I have no idea. Do they like belly rubs or just biting? Can you tell I’m a dog person? : ), kiss that fish, pat that horse, fluffle that chinchilla. No one’s last thought is going to be, I wish I’d spent less time loving my pet. It’ll be time well spent.
Feel free to post a pic of your pet in the comments! And tell me what your pet thinks is love. Just in case I ever end up in the company of a cat : )
– unedited –
All three Alphas walked out into the sun to greet the travelers home from church and the visitors they were bringing with them. Seth wandered over from the barn to stand with them, the wriggling pup in his arms. Thaddeus immediately reached out for the dog, leaning precariously forward in Caleb’s arms, and Jacob smiled as Seth frowned but stepped a little closer, holding out the pup and mumbling, “Pet him gentle, Tadpole.”
Thaddeus screwed up his nose at the name and said softly, “I can do it, Seff.” He smoothed the puppy’s head and ears carefully, while the small thing struggled to get closer. “Hey, Rebel,” Thaddeus whispered as he leaned forward to kiss the puppy’s head, squealing when he got a mouthful of wet nose instead. Seth laughed and stepped away as Thaddeus swiped at his mouth with his sleeve.
“You called the dog Rebel?” Caleb sounded surprised.
Seth shook his head and looked a little worried. “No, sir. Ephraim did. It’s his dog. He just lets me help out.”
Caleb gave a non-committal grunt, and juggled Thaddeus in his arms to get him into a more upright position, and turned back to face the yard. But not before he gave the pup a quick rub under the chin, which seemed to make the small thing inordinately happy, sending its little tail into a wagging frenzy.
Sadly I don’t have a pic of my cat Charlie that is new. But he loves to lie in my lap and be stroked, all day! Also immediately takes up a seat anyone vacates. He likes the residual warmth!