Category: Zoë

first animal day of 2025

whbeebe
Zoë claiming a new box

I’m making some changes for 2025 with regards to reporting about my menagerie of animals. I’ve always had a mix of cats and dogs, and before the cats, it was two (and rarely, three) dogs in this household. So instead of writing about caturdays, I’m now just calling it an animal day, and writing about every little creature that has a story to tell for that particular day. In this case, it’s Zoë and Annie.

Zoë decided to claim yet another cardboard box as her own. I’m always dropping empty boxes on the floor for the cats to explore and play in, and almost always it’s Zoë who leaps in (yes, leaps) and starts to make a racket playing in “her” box. That, of course, is a siren call to all the other cats within earshot, and they come over to watch Zoë or, in the case of Danï, drive her out for their own amusement. Never a dull moment with cardboard boxes in this household.

“Hey…”

Annie and I chauffeured mom to an orthopedic clinic on Friday. We waited in the car (they don’t allow Doodles in the premises). After a time I began to sense someone looking at me. I turned around to look and sure enough Annie was giving me that side-eyed look. After a few moments of silent communication, dumb dad finally figured out she needed to go outside of the car and do her business. So we both got out and walked around a bit, during which she sniffed and tinkled in a few spots to leave her calling card. After a time we moseyed on back to the car to climb back in and continued to wait. Eventually mom exited the facility and we all drove home to lunch. Annie loves going on car rides with her people, even if she sits and waits in the car when we stop at places. She knows she’ll eventually get to check out the surroundings.

ruby

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Ruby being photobombed by Zoë

While the drama of the presidential election was occurring, an even bigger drama was taking place that Tuesday at my vet’s with Ruby. Ruby has developed something of an intermittent dry cough, a chuffing kind of cough. The vet examined her and came by with sobering news. First, he had a hard time listening to her heartbeat; it was muffled as if there was fluid in the thoracic region of the heart. He took an X-ray and saw the area was indeed filled with something. One of our thoughts turned to cancer. My wife was with us at the time and the three of us discussed what it might be and possible treatment plans. In the end they gave Ruby a shot of steroids and some pills I’m supposed to start giving her this coming Sunday. Ruby has improved and sleeps a lot easier.

Ruby is now 16 years and three months. Labrador retrievers are supposed to live an average of ten and twelve years. Ruby has beat those statistics by a good amount. She’s been remarkably healthy the entire time. Even now she goes on her walks (slowly) and waits for her treats, and comes over for rubs and scratches. She likes to sit next to me and look up while I’m working on something around the house.

Ruby’s having greater and greater difficulty standing. I can help her up so she can go outside and go to the bathroom. Once outside on the concrete or the yard proper she has no difficulty going down to rest or getting back up. But in the house on the tile floors she no longer has the strength in her hips and back legs to simply stand. As a consequence I’ve ordered a set of dog boots for each paw to give her added foot traction, for as long as she needs them.

I know that Ruby will leave soon. I am prepared. I’ve lived through Lab end states since 1994, when our first Lab, Rhett, left us. After Rhett I bid farewell to Katie, Babe, and Max. Very soon I’ll bid farewell to lovely Ruby.

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sweet 16