Here, Kitty Kitty!
Dear Maggie,
Do you have any pets?
Sincerely,
Animal Lover in Long Beach
Dear Animal Lover,
Yes, my husband and I have five pets, which is quite something since we live in a forty-foot tiny home on wheels! My general default pet allotment is two cats, one dog, which we maintained until COVID. Two of our children were still living at home, teenagers when the pandemic hit, and convinced us that two more kittens would make everything okay. We reminded them that they’d be leaving for college in a few short years and likely unable to take their new kitties with them, but that argument did not deter them, and soon our fur family had grown to five. Those five are still with us touring the country.
All four cats are really little loves. Living in close quarters with them, we really get to see their personalities. Our gentle grandma cat, Milo, is a fourteen-year-old Ragdoll. She has a touch of kitty dementia, but her pheromone collar helps a lot, and she is a sweet, cuddly ball of marshmallow fluff. Next in line is Yennefer, the Munchkin cat. She’s chatty and sassy, but she’ll let you hold her like a baby, and she sleeps on my pillow every night. The two COVID kitties are Cirilla (yes, we were on a Witcher binge) and Beatrix. We affectionately call Ciri a baby snow leopard because that’s what she looks like. Sometimes, we also call her trash cat because she eats everything and sticks her paws into any glass of liquid. She loves aggressive petting but not being held. Finally, Beatrix, our shy baby. She is probably the sweetest of them all, but she is also rather skittish and easily spooked. If we are sitting quietly, though, she loves to curl up next to us and receive head and bottom scratches.
Our tiny dog is a perfect fit for our tiny house. Daisy is a six pound maltipoo who is the definition of a lap dog. She’s snuggly, well-mannered, smart, and adorable. After we lost our black lab, Gabby, a few years ago to cancer, we were heartbroken. I even uttered the words, “I’m never getting another dog because I won’t love the next one as much.” Of course, time healed our hearts somewhat, and the urge to have a canine companion grew stronger. I knew we needed a dog that could easily travel as our kids had chosen to go to school and live across the country, so instead of a rescue, which we generally prefer, I began researching small breeds. For a big birthday of mine, my reluctant husband finally agreed I could have whichever puppy I wanted. He’s a good guy like that! Daisy is now turning three this spring and is a fantastic little traveler!
So, yes, Animal Lover, we are kindred spirits! Thanks for the fun question. If you have a question for me, send it to maggie@msmaggieclare.com, and I’ll answer it here on the blog.
