show us your life: pets

Check out all the other awesome pets over at Kelly's Korner.

I have always had a family pet in the home. I grew up with a cat and a dog. When that dog, Katie, died I set my little heart on becoming a vet. I was six years old and that cat was nearly 8...and lived until she was twenty! The last two years of her life she was in and out of kidney failure, a common death sentence for cats. I gave her sub q fluids in the neck twice a day and that kept her somewhat perky. I was 16 when she died and my desires to become a vet had faded away.

Since then, we have had one other family dog who died almost 6 years ago. After she died I went the longest I'd ever gone without a dog in our home. Nine months was all I could take.

After a summer away on the Jersey Shore and nearly a month after my birthday, the family headed to Boulder to pick up this little gem:

Butte was named after the hill near my parents house and honestly, we just loved it. She is a ball-o-fire. She looks like a Sheba Inu, acts like a shepherd, and loves like a lab.  She feels no pain, we are certain. Unlike Tulo, if she sustains an injury you'd never know it. The girl insists on throwing the ball and running around no matter what. She's afraid of lightning, fireworks, and the vacuum.

Butte loves long walks, running, raw-hides, treats and loads of love. But more than anything she LOVES Logan. She was not a fan when he was an infant but now that he can throw a stick or ball for her, she smothers him all day long. While he naps she sleeps outside his door. Once he's awake she starts dancing around in circles and lick-attacks him. He loves her too. Just this morning he crawled into her kennel and just kicked back in her bed.

Butte has always been *my* dog, but she will forever be loved by my family since the first two years of her life we lived with my parents.

Now, you all know lots about Tulo. He's a greyhound and enjoys jumping out of windows and causing lots of damage to wallets and windows. I kid. I found Tulo on craigslist. B had been asking me about getting another dog, well before we were even engaged! I knew we'd get married and he had a soft spot for greyhounds. We were intending to adopt a rescue, but I just so happened upon an ad for a greyhound PUPPY!! Unheard of, really. I made a call and off we went. B was so surprised and turns out there were TEN puppies to choose from. B chose Tulo and named him after Troy Tulowitski, the short-stop rookie for the Rockies who'd just won the National League Championship.

Tulo wears his heart on his sleeve. He has the most expressive eyes and ears. You know just how he's feeling by looking at him. He hates getting wet/taking baths and going outside when it's cold (like 50* and he's a wimp). He loves car rides and running in fields with Butte. Hopefully he will back doing that very soon! He too loves Logan and did so from the first time they met.

We are a pet family. Sometimes it's really hard having pets, like when we want to go somewhere for the weekend we need to find someone to watch them or board them. They are SUPER expensive! In Tulo's lifetime, we've paid just as much for him, maybe even more, than we did to have Logan. Wow. Add that to all the yearly visits, shots, upkeep and dog food. They are just two furry family members and we would not want it any other way.