My Furry Family - Past, Present & Future

Harry, Martin, Pikachu, Bleys, Mari, Willow, & Ned - Cavies

Bleys, Willow, and Mari are my current babies (Check out each of their individual pages). They have done a lot to change my life. They pick me up when I'm feeling down, make me smile on a bad day and are great to snuggle.

My little girl, Pika died 9/15/00. My handsom boy, Martin died 11/16/02. Pika's husband, Harry, died 2/5/03. Ned died 6/15/03, too soon and too young. Please take a look at all my precious little babies who have gone over the rainbow bridge.

Spending the past few years with them has made me realize that I couldn't ever kill an animal - they have too much personality. I don't feel I should eat an animal I am not willing to raise and kill in a humane way. I stopped eating meat in April 1999 and am much more conscious about how animals are treated.

Check out the
2003 Guinea Pig Calendar
at Amazon.com

Bob - Rescue Pigs

Bob is my first complete rescue. I took him in, fostered and socialized him, and found him a new home. I'm not sure if I will do this much, as it has been a lot of work, physical energy, money, and emotional energy. But then again, the reward is pretty big. Bob and his new family seem to be made for each other.

Itazura & Dremples - Dogs

When Keevor died, my Mom swore that they would not get any more pets. When I moved off to college and they had their own house, they started to reconsider that position.

In 1996 my parents decided that it was time to get a dog. They considered both a pound dog and a dog from a rescue. They did research and found a Dachshund rescue society. Unfortunately, there was a long waitinglist. My parents signed up, but figured they wouldn't be able to get a Dachshund.

Soooo. My parents went to the pound to see what was available. When they got there, this adorable little ball of white/tan fluff greeted them. Since she looked like a bred Lhasa Apso and was so young, my parents figured someone would claim her or that she had already been adopted out. As it turned out, they brought her home and named her Itazura. (Itazura means imp or mischeif maker in Japanese).

Ironically, just as things were working out for them to get Itazura, they got a call from the dachshund rescue saying that they had a former breeder that was being surrendered. Although they had only intended to get one dog, they went ahead and got the Dachshund also.

Dremples is a long haired miniature Dachsund. (Dremples means speed bump in Dutch). She grew up with cats and thinks she is one. Being as small as she is, she walks on the backs of furniture with no problem. Unfortunately, Itazura has decided that she can walk on the backs of furniture also...

If you are interested in adopting a Dachshund, check out the Dachshund Rescue Web Page. If you are interesed in adopting a Lhasa Apso or other type of dog, check out Bark Bytes

Mr. McKeevor - Dog/Big Brother RIP

I am an only child, but grew-up with the best brother a girl could have. My parents adopted a mutt from the pound 2 years before I was born. Keevor died in 1990 and left a huge hole in our hearts.

Howie - Gerbil RIP

Howie was MY first official pet. He loved to eat sunflower seeds. He would take them from your hands and then shell them right in front of you. My Mom had him trained to come when he was called. Unfortunately, he got a tumor/cyst in his cheek and had to be put down.

Harriett Louise - Cavy RIP

After Howie died, we decided to adopt a guinea pig. Harriett was more my Mom's pig than mine. Harriett would ride around the house on Mom's shoulder and get very excited when they went into the kitchen (and near the fridge). We had to give Harriett away when we moved to Japan in 1986. We gave her to one of my girlfriends, Wendy, who had other piggies and would take good care of her.

One, Hobbes and Chibi - Turtles RIP

Through out my life I have tried owning turtles. When I was young (3 or 4??) my Dad found a snapping turtle. He brought it home for me. I named him One because he was my first turtle.

While in college, my roommate, Kris, and I decided that we needed a pet and that a turtle would be perfect for us. We took off by metro and taxi to a petstore that carried turtles. We bought all the accessories and a cute sea turtle, named Hobbes. Since we weren't allowed to have animals in the dorm, we had to sneak around to get him in. Unfortunately, he died overnight. I think he might have been sick when we bought him, but the petstore said that he was healthy and that they wouldn't give us a refund.

Since I have a soft heart for animals, I ended up buying a small turtle from a department store while on study abroad in Japan. Chibi was so tiny and looked like he needed a good home. My roommates and I gave him lots of love and attention, but unfortunately, he was dead by morning. Even though I only had both Hobbes and Chibi for one day, they affected me and I cried very hard for them. I feel like I did something wrong. I don't think I will get another turtle unless I know EVERYTHING there is to know about them.

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