Happy Tails, Stories from Solutions Team Members and Their Pets
Solutions is staffed with big-time pet lovers, so we’re glad our furry, feathery and scaly friends are being honored during National Pet Month! In honor of pets everywhere, we’ve gathered some memorable stories from our team about the animal friends who continue to enrich our lives.
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| Butch |
“Everyone in my family enjoys my father’s cooking – including my boxer, Butch. When Dad is at the stove, Butch is right there at his knee, and nothing – but nothing – is going to move him from that spot! We’ve made a game of trying to distract him – calling him, whistling, waving toys – but he keeps his eyes firmly fixed on the chef. Maybe if Dad didn’t keep slipping him bits of chicken (Butch’s favorite), he wouldn’t be quite so spoiled!”
— Jim
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| Inky |
“One evening I decided to have a nice, relaxing soak in the bathtub. My cat Inky was busy tearing around the house, chasing imaginary mice. I had left the bathroom door ajar so the steam could escape, and next thing I knew I heard a sound like a galloping horse coming in my direction. Before I could register what was happening, Inky had streaked into the bathroom and leaped into the tub. How would you react if you were immersed in a tubful of hot water and a good book, and a cat suddenly dropped in on you from nowhere like a cannonball? I let out a shriek that brought my husband on the run, certain I was being killed. Inky realized her mistake instantly and was out of the tub so fast it’s a wonder she got wet – but wet she was, and now she was running through the house tracking water everywhere! The bathroom floor was soaked, and in my surprise I had dropped my book into the water. It seems funny now, but at the time I thought I’d die of shock. Chalk it up as one of the many adventures of owning a cat, I guess!”
— Jenn
“I’d let my dog, Toby, into the yard while I was getting ready for work one morning. I was in the middle of making my lunch when he started barking, which alarmed me – Toby never barks. I flipped on the porch light to see what the problem was – and was horrified to see a skunk on the patio! Toby was about four feet away from it, barking fiercely. The skunk was armed and ready to shoot, but hadn’t yet (maybe it could tell Toby’s a total coward). I cracked open the door and tried to get Toby to come in, ready to slam it shut again the second that skunk decided to let loose. Well, when it did Toby decided it would be in his best interests to quiet down and run inside. Too late…already my house, dog and clothes all smell. The pungent odor of skunk even woke my daughter, who started running around slamming the doors to rooms that weren’t yet invaded by it. I bathed the dog, changed my clothes and emptied most of a can of Lysol all over the house (my husband slept through all this, I might add). The smell lingered. While driving to work (about forty minutes late by then) I realized it was stuck in my nose. What a way to start the day – and it was only 7 a.m.!”
— Becky
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| Boone |
“We’d never had a pet until our son’s cat came to stay with us for awhile. Neither my wife nor I were big animal people, so we were surprised to find out how much fun Abel was to have around. After Abel moved out, we decided we
needed a cat of our own, and found Boone at the local animal shelter. The little black kitten was six months or so younger than Abel, and he was (and still remains) sort of an ‘amateur cat’ compared to Abel, who later moved back in with us. Abel is a skilled stalker of birds in the yard (stalker only – we’re glad to report that he’s never actually caught anything!); Boone just bounds over and scatters them, much to Abel’s disgust. When they’re outside running around and the sun starts to go down, Abel finds Boone and brings him in. I’d encourage anyone to get a cat now!”
— Steve
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| Danny |
“Danny, my golden retriever, is like a Visa card – he’s everywhere I want to be! My husband won’t allow him on the couch, but Danny knows I will, and the moment my husband gets up for something, Danny is on the couch with his head in my lap. When my husband gets back, he’ll say, ‘Now, you know you’re not supposed to be up here,’ and Danny will slink off with that wounded look dogs get when they want sympathy. Funnier still, though, is when I have to attach a cord or something to the CPU under my computer desk…Danny just has to get in on the action, but there really isn’t room for me, the flashlight, and a great big golden retriever! It’s a tight squeeze, but somehow he always manages it.”
— Mufrida
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| Elmer |
“When we were growing up, my brother had a guinea pig named Elmer. Elmer was a perfect refrigerator alarm – ours was a one-story house, and my brother’s room was just off the kitchen. Anytime someone opened the refrigerator door, Elmer (whose cage was in my brother’s room) would start a high-pitched squealing until someone brought him lettuce or some other goodie!”
— Linda
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| Dante |
“My husband and I adopted our cat from a local shelter. His name was listed as ‘Satin,’ and we didn’t question it, thinking it was meant to describe his shiny black fur. It wasn’t until after we had signed all the adoption papers that the adoption coordinator confessed the previous owners had named the cat ‘Satan’ – the shelter had changed the spelling, fearing the ominous-sounding name would frighten away prospective families! We renamed the cat Dante (my husband and I have a twisted sense of humor sometimes). I’m happy to say that, in the nine years he’s been with us, Dante has never lived up to his original name. Well – almost never!”
— Trish
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| Zulu |
“People laugh sometimes when I tell them about the many quirks and personality traits of my two Russian tortoises, but they really are funny and outgoing little pets who love people and love to be held. They get along fine, but Spaseaba makes it clear he’s the alpha male, taking his place at the food bowl first and even pushing Zulu off our laps if he feels he’s not getting enough attention. Zulu was sick when we first adopted him, and while we were nursing him back to health we left a small, stuffed turtle in his cage with him to keep him company. Zulu was fond of this little toy – but he also wanted to be the alpha male over something, so he started tipping the stuffed turtle onto its back and leaving it that way for awhile (this is how male turtles show dominance). After he left the stuffed turtle on its back long to enough to make his point, Zulu flipped it right side up again – apparently satisfied that, even if he’s not the alpha male, at least he’s not lowest in the pecking order!”
— Susan
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| Sierra |
“I often enter my very talented Australian shepherd, Sierra, in agility trial competitions. One summer I entered her in an agility ‘fun run’ in Newport, Oregon – all the proceeds went to benefit a local elementary school. It was announced that participants could come in beach attire if they liked – that included the dogs! I decked Sierra out in Hawaiian garb. She was a very good sport about it! Of course, I dressed up, too, to keep her company.”
— Ginny
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| Irma |
“Some dogs go crazy over their ball or Frisbee® – our huge, furry Irma loves dirt clods! When we work in the garden, Irma hangs out nearby, starting intently at us, giving an occasional plaintive whine. If we do throw a dirt clod her way, she leaps after it to catch it. She then spits it out and waits for us to throw another one. She’d do this for hours on end if we let her! Getting Irma more conventional doggie toys is useless – she just buries them. She much prefers playing with the old, plastic pop bottles she sometimes finds on our walks, picking them up and carrying them home with her. Her unusual tastes make us scratch our heads, but when it comes to love and companionship, no dog is her equal – our family and friends adore her, too.”
— Jess
Discover new ways to treat your pet at Solutions.
I have a cat named Dream
She hates it whenever I scream
I called her a guy
She started to cry
And now she has low self-esteem
Howdy!
I’ve been looking over the site and it is GREAT! One thing that is often missing with pets is a “Vet Book” (where you can list ailments and treatments/meds for your beastie — and possibly cost) or a “Vaccination List” (They have these for kids… why not for our furry kids?) I would love to see these created and downloadable on your site.