Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been a cat person. I love the softness of them, the calmness, their purrs, their kneads, their attitude. Kittens are among the most entertaining baby animals I can think of (aside from, say, baby monkeys), and if there were a way to keep them little, I’d probably invest in it! My last cat had us for 15 years before she died of natural causes.
With Thom’s allergies, though, it’s the first time in my life I haven’t had a cat, and I do miss it. Instead, we have two dogs: Sadie, whom I rescued in 2005, and Doug, Thom’s rescue in 2013.
They say a rescued dog knows it’s rescued and is grateful. I don’t know about that. What I do know is that timid, sweet Sadie rescued me. And it is I who am eternally grateful. She got me through a very difficult time in my life and shared my days at the shop where she received tons of love and belly rubs from my knitters. She doesn’t leave my side when I’m home. If I’m gone for several days, she won’t eat; she stays in her crate, desolate until I return. It’s been 10 years since we met. She has slowed down a bit. I see the beginnings of cataracts in her eyes when she looks at me. She spends most of her day sleeping while I’m at work. But when I walk in the door at night, she comes to greet me, tail wagging, sniffing all around to see where I’ve been all day. She stays nearby, follows me from room to room, nudges me for a stroke while I’m knitting and is currently laying at my feet. She is simply the sweetest animal. What you see in this photo is who she is. It is this face looking out from the newspaper that compelled me to go to the shelter that day where I fell in love and was rescued.
LiviKnit 