Now that we’re counting down weeks in the #MFRW 52-Week Blog Challenge, it seems the weeks are speeding by. Christmas decorations are in the stores. I bought some yesterday Oh, my! Again, here we are with another Friday post for the Blog Hop.
Week 43: Meet My Pets (Furry Family Members)
This week’s topic messed with my heart. I had to make the decision whether to skip this week or go for it. It’s 
too soon to write much about my fur baby girl, Kasha. I’ll briefly mention her, but after that, I’ll mention my three grand-kitties. Clancy, Zuko, and Sokka.
Kasha was an Australian shepherd mixed with chow. She weighed about sixty-five pounds in her good days. My son got her from a shelter. Her age was around ten months old. Jim knew they were a match from the moment he saw her. Me too. When he’d go visit her the few times before taking her home, they told him she’d jumped or climbed over one of their six-foot-high fences. She hated being cooped up in a room or kennel. We didn’t know her history, so we understood it had something to do with her past.
Every time I’d visit them my heart melted a little more, but then it broke when I’d have to return to my home across the state. Eventually, I moved in with her and my son. Kasha and I moved into an apartment a little over two years ago, but we were together almost 24/7 for the past seven years, and on and off for seven before that.
When she could still take walks, we had a nice area on the grounds here. The place where she’d been cremated, had made a ceramic plaque with her name and a paw print. The vet also sent us a sympathy card and included a poem that I won’t be able to look at again for many years to come. It’s called Rainbow Bridge. She was fourteen. Between the two of us, we gave this sweet dog a good life, and she sure gave us one, too. It was meant to be.
Well, now look at this. I managed to write more than I thought I could. The image right above is the same one on my book cover for Whispers of Forever. Click on the cover in the gallery in the sidebar to enlarge. I’m so happy that I wrote her into one of my books where she will live on in the story.
Meet My Grand-cat Clancy:
I guess he wanted to go outside.
Clancy is fourteen years old and my oldest son’s cat. They live in California. He and I both searched our old computers for the pictures above. I couldn’t find mine. He did! ❤ I love the picture of him in the cereal box. His ex-wife brought the cat home one night. They already had another very old cat named Boots. The wife left. Clancy remained. The only experience I’ve had with owning a cat took place briefly when I was a teenager. A black cat came to our house one Halloween, stayed a week, and disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.
Clancy is in camo in the above picture. 🙂 He has free rein of the neighborhood since he has a cat door to come and go as he pleases.
Clancy is a typical cat, and from my experience, he doesn’t take to strangers. He’s crazy about Chris, you know, in a cat way. I don’t know how Clancy is with my son’s girlfriend. When I visit, it takes forever for Clancy to get close to me. It’s my fault because I don’t visit often enough. He’s true to his owner, though, and often brings him lizards and birds. Isn’t that sweet of him? When my son goes away, Clancy enjoys bringing gifts to cat-sitters, too. I guess he’s in and out all night, so he curls up in blankets on my son’s bed and sleeps there on and off during the day. Meow.
On the prowl for lizards?
Okay, you can tickle my belly.
Meet My Grand-kitties Zuko and Sokka.
Huh, wait, where are they? Well, their mom and dad are still on their honeymoon, and haven’t sent me pictures yet. (By the way, son and DIL experienced TWO hurricanes while in Ireland. Now they’re in Washington, D.C.) Zuko and Sokka started out as my daughter-in-law’s kitties. She had Zuko first, but she got Sokka for Zuko so he’d have a buddy. Maybe it’s the other way around. They became attached to my son in no time. It was like they knew that if Mama loves him, then he can stay. They are males and they’re both black.
I can barely tell them apart. Zuko is a lot longer than Sokka. Zuko is kind of social with strangers, more than Sokka. In fact, Sokka hides and rarely comes out if anyone besides my son and DIL are in the house. I cat-sat for a week once… I didn’t see Sokka for the first few days.
They survived their move to Virginia, but I don’t think I’d want to be in the car with them for a long ride. I’ve been told the boys can be a noisy bunch when in their carriers.
I’m excited to see what kind of pets (furry family members) the participating authors have. Join me in visiting their sites.
Thanks for reading today. Have a terrific weekend.
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel 
19 thoughts on “#AmWriting “Meet My Furry Family Members” #MFRWauthor”
RobinMichaela
I’m so sorry for your loss. Pets are really family members and it’s just as hard to lose them as it is the people we love. Clancy’s cereal box picture is awesome – what is it with cats and boxes? Ours will go into any container possible…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
You’re so right about our fur babies being family members. The grieving is the same. I used to live in a rental room, and the lady I rented from had a black cat. I had boxes stacked ready to move. One night I left the room, and when I went back, her cat was in a box at the top of my stacked boxes. LOL. I don’t know how he knew.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Helen Henderson
I think this week’s topic is hitting everyone. I know it did me. Love the shot of Clancy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I noticed that in many of the other posts, Helen. Losing our little buddies is never easy.
LikeLike
RaineBalkera
Lovely post about some lovely animals. Thanks for sharing, Mary!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I appreciate that, Raine. Thanks!
LikeLike
Cathy Brockman
Kasha was a beauty. I’ve had cats want out in the past and lost them so I am afraid to let mine out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I’d be afraid to let a cat out too if I had one. Clancy is getting older now and he likes a nice warm bed. The other two don’t go out. One got out once, and my son had to go on antibiotics after wrangling him back inside. His arm looked like a vampire bite him. Ouch.
LikeLike
maureenbonatch
lol- too cute about Clancy’s determination to get out. My heart goes to you for your loss of Kasha. I lost my “Bummy”, our Lhasa Apso of 14 years, about 5 years ago and I still miss him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Thanks, Maureen. I’m sure my son would call Clancy determined. 🙂 I know how you feel about Bummy. I still miss a dog we had for 16 years, and he’s been gone for quite a while.
LikeLike
Teagan R. Geneviene
As Mary… I know your heart is still broken over Kasha… 😦
It’s fun to meet the grand kitties though.
Wishing you a peaceful happy weekend. Hugs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I miss her every day. The honeymooners arrived home a couple hours ago. They’re beat, but what a trip they had. Maybe I’ll get pictures of Zuko and Sokka this weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Teagan R. Geneviene
I know you are happy they are safely home. Have satisfying Saturday. Hugs
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ed Hoornaert
Kasha sounds adorable. I can see why you’d miss her And by the way, have you let that cat out yet?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Hey there, Ed. Kasha was adorable in many ways. ❤ Yup, the cat grew up and finally got out the door. LOL.
LikeLike
Meka James
Losing a pet is hard. We got the paw print from the vet after Princess. Very hard to read the card, but we appreciated the gesture.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I appreciated the gesture, too, Meka, and was pleasantly surprised at all they did for us. It’s truly not an easy thing. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
LikeLike
D. Wallace Peach
A heartwarming post, Mary. I’m so sorry for your loss of Kasha. That’s the worst part of falling in love with these wonderful companions. But I loved your line “we gave this sweet dog a good life, and she sure gave us one, too.” So it is for many of us, and for me that truth always brings comfort.
And the cat photos cracked me up – especially the climb up the door! Lovely post. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Thanks, Diana. It gives me comfort to know we gave her a great life. I can’t imagine why someone would just give her up, but it was a godsend for us. I’ve seen Clancy climb that screen. Too funny!
LikeLiked by 1 person