It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: to shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Psalms 92:1-2 (KJV)
Seven years ago we met a shepherd, Norwegian Elkhound mix dog named Gabby. This is the dog I discovered through Pet Finder and emailed Barb after Gerard said he thought he'd like this one. She was 5 years old. Here is the link where we found her: www.petfinder.com. It turns out Gabby only had that name about a week so we can rename her. We just dropped the "G" and named her Abby.
Abby looks happy to be with Karen
In preparation for Gabby's visit, I moved the cat food up to a table and a desk. Spunky Doodle and Manny aren't thrilled about this, but I noticed food was eaten during the day while we were at work. In the evening when I saw them looking where it used to be, I moved it down for them temporarily. I also applied Frontline to them to protect them from the fleas, ticks and whatever else it protects from that may come in on the dog. Spunky was pretty easy, but Manny took awhile because he kept moving away from me and rolling over on his back. I finally got it applied while he was eating.
Abby feels very comfortable with Gerard.
Gerard was so excited he waited outside for the dog to arrive and almost immediately took it for a walk to the corner and back. We are all smiles as you can see, except for Spunky and Manny. Spunky Doodle was pretty brave and stood her ground when I brought the dog into the dining room on the leash and then went to hide behind the gold chair and later under the bed. Manny; however, didn't waste any time going into hiding but after awhile, both cats came out and acted normal, just not around the dog yet.
The cats discuss the new member a few days later in this video:
Abby has had lots of experiences since she's been with us. We took for for training at PetSmart shortly after we got her (as soon as I could convince Gerard it was a good idea). She easily passed and became a Canine Good Citizen. During her training, she was attacked by two Rottweilers while on her evening walk and was in critical condition. With lots of prayer, God's mercy, our love and Abby's determination, she pulled through, making a full recovery and brought cheer to lots of people during her four years of nursing home visiting.
Abby is a great dog and we are so happy to have her! Even the cats have accepted her well and she never bothers them except if she barks loud, then they run.
I had a great start to my vacation today. The weather is sunny and 80 degrees, pretty blue sky with a nice breeze. After breakfast at Golden Coral (paid for with a gift card), we visited the Cleveland Zoo determined to get some pictures of the tigers in their new exhibit. The exhibit is 1 acre which is about 10 times bigger than what they had before and with so much more! They are slowly being introduced to it but at least we got to see both the male and female tigers in it. The female was walking around quite a bit when she was let out of the inside enclosure.
275 lb. female tiger saying hello to the visitors
She settled down in a shady spot under a big log. They also have what they call climbing posts that look like telephone poles without the wires. The volunteer told us that the tigers will eventually climb these poles to get some meat that will be placed on top for them as they get more comfortable in the exhibit.
There is also a long ramp they can walk up that crosses over where the people stand to watch through the glass. There are a couple pools of water, one on each side and lots of grass with some logs to crawl on and small bushes. It is so much nicer than what they had before and I'm sure the tigers will be happy to be able to stay outside at night as well.
Male 375 lb. tiger
We look forward to checking on them often to see them discover all the new things they can do. I would love to see them climb those poles! Down the road, the zoo is planning to get some tiger cubs, but not from these two who are in their teens. That will be something to see, but for now, we'll enjoy watching these two big cats!
After the zoo, we rested for a bit and then played some tennis and now I'm ready to do some reading on the porch while Gerard and Abby go for their walk. Loving being off work today!
