'More Momsey Musings'

The second anniversary of “The Momsey Blog” is fast approaching. Since my first anniversary, on March 2013, a few more things have piqued my interest and affected me, deeply, many things about  the animals in my world. ...

It is virtually impossible to feed a large breed dog, canned puppy food. The daily cost is exorbitant, more than any budget can bear AND is a physically demanding and arduous task for the animal to accomplish. ... The act of swallowing and some chewing is now a project, not a simple meal for the poor animal puppy! ... For our Mr. Wiggles, based upon his size and age, a diet of 7 cans of a top brand of food would be required to meet his daily nutritional requirements, a ridiculous amount of food for any mere mortal to consume.. Who has the time or the strength for that? How much moisture has been added to mask potentially nutritionally deficient food, while adding to its bulky contents. Is a soft diet - day in, day out - really that healthy, long term for any animal?. Our eleven month old Mr. Wiggles is not that interested in food right now. We dance to his demands and make sure he is eating the best. People-food is also a part of his healthy diet. Chewing he loves. He may know something the rest of us don't. Crunch is a good thing, after all.


Our second little kitty cat called 'Georgie' died last month. ... He was only 5 years old, rescued when he was two. (He kept being returned to the rescue mission for all sorts of reasons.How does anyone return an animal, for better or for worse? How does one do that?) ... Anyway, he was adopted, finally, by our middle son, a former 'allergic to cats' child. Georgie's short life - sudden death - rocked our world! We were numbed by his departure. Georgie was a gem of a companion, making everyone his 'bud.' ... My 10 year old 'Tiggy', had reminded our son of the joy and wonder of kitty cats. ... (It was a Brutal,Barbaric Way to Die, 2012) ...We were not 'cat people', never thinking such an animal would come, listen or love. Boy, were we wrong!! So, here we are cat lovers. ... Georgie was adorable, cute, talkative, no question about that! He was our smart little guy who loved to perform, meow and converse, all day long, much to our delight. He was so friendly, so social and full of things to say. Strangers were his friends, too. He and Mall Cop were simply business acquaintances, not close associates. But that was good, too. They met almost daily in the circumstances of their lives, respecting the boundaries each had.

Georgie had a mean cuddle and simply would not let his 'mom and dad' sleep in peace. He loved to talk, especially, in the wee hours of the morning when Lucy, my editor, needed to sleep. She would laugh as he began to talk, talk and talk some more. ... (His death pulled the rug from underneath my world. I could only imagine what it did to his 'real' parents, all three.) ... Our precious little guy suffered a blood clot one evening, last month, became paralyzed, then died the next morning, surrounded by family.. It was a solemn moment we embraced with dignity. ... At death, he was surrounded by love. Video snippets of his life have been watched many times, since. (We will never forget.) The lessons here are simple: give an animal a home for one of life's greatest pleasures. You will wonder how you made it, thus far, without 'them'. Make every interaction, an event because they deserve that little. ... Animal ownership is cheaper than you think. Time flies, aches disappear, health improves and love multiplies when an innocent animal is in your life. You find out who you really are when you have a pet. What they need is much more important than you. ... Georgie, Tiggy, Mr. Wiggles, Mall cop, his sister and Miss S, (Z-bunny an abandoned rabbit, cared for till his death) and a host of other 'dognitaries' have graced our landscapes and illuminated our lives, tenfold. ...Time has helped us move towards the next step - another adoption: 2 year old inseparable sisters. They have become a part of the heartstrings of their new family. These two darlings are also former 'returnable' babies. (Who does that? We return because we can, is that what we do??) ...


A three bedroom with a view is not a requirement for any act of love and compassion, just what resides inside all of us: the capacity to love and show it daily. Tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. Animals tell us so!