I have a tiger cat who lounges on the floor of my office or purrs in my lap when I write.  She has the most gorgeous markings:  black stripes on tawny fur, sand colored chin, pale emerald eyes.  As a kitten, she was taken from the wild, prematurely separated from her feral mother.  Her occasional skittishness tells me that she carries her early loss with her like a permanent scar. (more…)

He slid down the final three stairs, his four furry legs splayed beneath him.  He landed on the floor with a groan and a humph.  Poor Hickory!  My 12 year old golden retriever has lived a remarkably healthy, veterinarian-free life.  His only sickness now is his advancing age.  The last time he stood at the top of the stairs looking down the long wooden decline, he whimpered, shook and refused to give it a go.  Dan carried his 75 pound body down the stairs in what has since become known as “Hickory’s last stand.” (more…)