And then there were three...
Having multiple pets is challenging; having fewer multiple pets presents new challenges!
About 12 years ago, I found myself living with three dogs for the first time. I also had three cats, but I always had many, many cats all at once, so having multiple cats was not new to me. But three dogs, all of them over 65 pounds, was a brand-new experience.
Dogs are pack animals. They need companionship. They usually don’t do well solo. Some do, but most don’t. The good part about having three dogs is, you can take them places one-at-a-time and know that the other two pooches have each other for company while you’re gone. For instance, I used to take my senior dog, Hobie, away on long weekends and leave twin brothers, Cooper and Charlie Brown, at home with a sitter. Those weekends with Hobie were memories I still savor nearly ten years after he’s been gone. I think of those times often, and I’m so grateful I was able to spend quality time with that ol’ dog.
After Hobie was gone, I stumbled upon Petey — my first small dog. One time, I took Charlie to South Carolina for a whole month, and left Cooper and Petey with a sitter in Massachusetts while I set up my (then) second home in SC. Having Charlie with me was mainly for companionship and protection. Again, I savor that month we had — just the two of us — as one of the most special times in our lives together. Especially since Charlie is now 12 years old, and we just lost his twin Cooper, three months ago.
It’s hard to believe that 90 days has already gone by since Cooper left. As I wrote in my memorial post about him, he was larger than life. He was the glue that held the household together. Everyone loved him.
For the last four or five years, my husband and I would take trips with Petey and we’d leave Cooper and Charlie with a sitter, or at the pet resort. Petey went all over the east coast with us during the Covid years and afterwards. We went to Maryland twice, Florida several times, and all around North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Easy to travel with, Petey can tuck into a doggie papoose or doggie backpack and he’s pretty well-behaved when he’s away from the other pets.
Cats are a little different. I had three cats when I came to SC. I moved into my husband’s house with three cats and three dogs. The poor guy got an instant fur family! Cali died in 2021, and Newman died last year. Now, we are down to one cat, Tux. The last time I had just one cat was in 2007, when Maggie was the last survivor of a large group of cats that I took care of at a farm. She was the offspring of one of the barn cats, and I kept her for almost 20 years after leaving the farm. When Maggie died, I did not have any cats for two years — for the first time ever, in my whole life!
I adopted Tux, Cali and Newman in 2009. Now, only Tux is here. Now he’s the sole cat. He actually reminds me of Maggie a lot. Maybe he’s another reincarnation! He absolutely adores my husband. I think the feeling is mutual lol. But Tux and the two remaining dogs only tolerate each other. Occasionally, they’ll surprise me and I’ll say, “I caught you liking each other!” as they touch noses or brush up against each other. But most of the time the three remaining pets are at arm’s length away from each other. That makes me sad because I have so many previous animals who liked to cuddle together, sleep on top of each other and so forth.
The thing I was thinking about today is that now, with just two dogs, if I want to do something with just one dog (or if I have to — such as a vet appointment) I need to make arrangements for somebody to be home with the other dog. This is true for Petey especially. He has terrible separation anxiety. He was very attached to Cooper and is very attached to me. He barely tolerates Charlie. I’ve never seen them cuddle.
Charlie can be left alone, but he gets clingy afterwards. That began after his brother died. Tomorrow, I have to take Charlie to the groomer. I’ll be gone for 20 minutes at the most. This means I either have to bring Petey with me, or ask my hubby to stay home and hang out with Petey!! These are the challenges in a two-dog pack with a cat who doesn’t like anybody! First world problems.
These are just observations after three months of the larger-than-life Cooper being gone.
Having multiple pets is great, and I wouldn’t change the experience for anything. Having fewer multiple pets presents different challenges I haven’t thought about in years.
There is always the nagging feeling in the background, too: “Who’s next?” Tux is 15. Many of my cats have lived well into their 20s. Charlie is 12. TWO of his siblings died this year (I kept in touch with most of the other folks who adopted from the same litter). TWO! Out of the eight puppies and their mama dog, only three or four are still alive. So, half of them are already gone. But he’s very healthy, so who knows? I’ve had dogs, large ones, who lived to be 16, 17 and 18. Petey is about 9 or 10, I’m not sure of his exact age. He already had a life-threatening medical emergency (and thankfully I had money put aside for just such a thing, otherwise he wouldn’t be here anymore). He survived the surgery, hospitalization, and three months of physical therapy — just like a person! He has made a full recovery. He is amazing.
All of my pets are amazing. I think I’ll just savor every moment I have left with them, rather than worrying about these unique challenges as I watch my pack get smaller and smaller.
On my office wall is a plaque I found in a local store. I bought this years ago, before I retired. It reads: “I just want to be a stay at home DOG MOM”
Now, I am! Wishes really do come true.
Thanks for reading!
That was an enjoyable read. You’re truly blessed to have had such beautiful
experiences with your babies over the years. Plus there’s more to come! 🐾🐾🐾