Hello from Florida

[Mboatwr]

I am primarily a cat person. I have had at least one cat every day of my life except for about 1 year. But I will feed any animal....except for snakes and gators. I have been known for feeding stray hunting dogs and wilds pigs that have wondered up.

I have had a dog off and on. My very first dog a shepherd had to be left behind in Puerto Rico when we moved to the states when I was 5 because she was just too old. Then my toy poodle some how got left with Grandma. I didn't have another dog until I got married in 1995. Midnight joined our family the Christmas of 1996. Then Tobe joined in as my Mom's dog in October 1997. Tobe adopted Mom - someone had thrown Tobe out. Tobe was only about 6 months and couldn't even stand up to eat. To this day Tobe lays down to eat.

Tobe and Midnight were spoiled rotten! Mom was retired so she let the dogs in and out all day long. They would pair up and steal her lunch if she wasn't careful. Tobe would jump up and knock it on the ground and Midnight would eat it. But they knew better to do that at my house. At my house it was the cats that misbehaved. You couldn't leave any meat out on the counter because Hopper would jump up and steal it when you were not watching. It is amazing how smart animals are. They are just like children they know who they can get away with what with.

Our Midnight was laid to rest November 2009 right after turning 14. He is missed greatly! He was my protector.

Tobe has always been in our family as Mom lived next door and when Mom passed in 2007 Tobe became permanent along with Rollie Pollie Mom's cat.

It was interesting for a while because I had what I called my cats (those neutered/spayed) and then feral cats that just came and bred (as high as 30) - plus the two dogs. I finally got the feral population under control - down to two males that are too smart to be caught. But now my household is getting smaller. In 2009 I lost Patchy and Chocolate (cats) and Midnight (dog) and in 2008 Hopper (cat).

So that leaves me with cats - Dusty-11 (this month), Rollie Pollie-10(June), Panda-7(this month) and Baby-3(October); dog - Tobe who will be 13 in April. Everyone is pretty much an indoor/outdoor pet but they have to be inside at night and for bad weather.

I really like watching Victoria's shows. I like learning about the different items she uses to train with like the clicker and various collars/harnesses. And, I love to see that there are people who treat their pets more outrageous than I - like the family that spent all that money cooking fresh lamb and such for their dogs and then the family ate frozen dinners.

I have been fortunate with Midnight and Tobe they both learned very quickly. What I took for granted as just the way to treat a pet, I have learned from Victoria's shows were the correct way to train/treat a pet - the body blocking and the positive treat enforcement.

Don't know if I will ever get another dog to replace Midnight, if one ever could. Sometimes I would like to because Tobe is not a barker. But then again, with times as tough as they are I have all that I can afford to care for. Maybe if and when times get better, I will but then there are so many other factors - a younger dog with an older dog and older cats just might not match up. I shall see as time goes.