We Got Paris Back

So the live trap worked. We caught him on Tuesday night. He was a little distant at first, but now he has warmed back up. Thanks to all of you for your support.

Sparky's Limp

I wonder if it is just the season for bad things to happen to animals. I say this because during the past month I have had several of my friends have their animals get sick; some of them have even died.

So as you can imagine this week when I saw my dog Sparky limping, I thought the worst; he needs surgery. I am lucky however, after taking him into the veterinarian I was told that he just dislocated his knee and that with a little anti-inflammatory medication and lots of TLC he would be fine.

What a relief!

During times like these I truly realize how much I love my animals and how sick I feel when they are sick or wounded.

Have you had any animal emergency scares?

Raw Hide Bones

We love giving our dogs raw hide bones. Not only do they help keep their teeth clean, but it also gives the dogs something to do. They are perfect for any movie night.

Teddy Roosevelt Chaucer

On Monday night I got a phone call from an "unknown" number and although I normally answer calls that I do not know, this was a different story. So I went about my business and did not notice until the next day that this unknown caller had left a voicemail.

Well, along came Teddy Roosevelt Chaucer, a one-month-old guinea pig, my belated birthday present from my sister (her guinea pigs just had babies and I had mentioned that I wanted one). Yasharah, my sister named him Teddy Roosevelt and Adam added his last name of Chaucer.

We picked him up last night and ran to the store before it closed to get all his supplies. We love him and could not be happier to yet again add another addition to our family.

All I have to say is, thank goodness Adam puts up with me and my random surprises!

Ah Paris!

On Saturday Hannah and I went to a yard sale in our neighborhood. But this was no ordinary yard sale. All of the proceeds from this sale went to help a little girl named Mollie to travel to Boston for much needed medical treatment. While supporting this great cause was near the top of our list of reasons for being there, we did have certain ulterior motives. One of our neighbors, Bonnie by name, had plans to sale her 9 week old kittens and donate the money raised to support Mollie. Of course, Hannah and I are easy targets when it comes to kittens, but add a little charity donation for a really good cause and you can forget about it. How could we say no?

We went to the yard sale late in the afternoon, honestly expecting all four kittens to be swept away to wonderful and loving homes by then. To our delighted surprise, none of the kittens had found homes yet! As with most things, Hannah and I were on the exact same wavelength and knew instantly which one we wanted. We made our donation and took home our cute little man, a grey and white fur ball with medium length hair and heart melting, blue-green eyes.

One of the most exciting parts of getting a pet is the responsibility and joy of naming your new friend. Hannah had Sparky before I knew her, so she would have to tell us about picking that name. Eden was named for the garden (get it… Adam and Eden!), Lily was named before we even got her, we simply lucked out that she was white like an Easter lily, and Aedan got his name from the character of a story I was writing at the time, it means fire! Each one of our pets has had a unique but fitting name. When it came to naming our newest family member, Hannah had but one request. She wanted a boy’s name with some femininity. Since we were in the process of scrapbooking our photos from a recent trip to Europe, the first name that popped into my head was Paris! I blurted it out and we both knew it was perfect. I should take this moment to establish the fact that Paris is named after the City of Light and the character in the Iliad, NOT Paris Hilton.

Apart from dazzling tourists, marrying Helen of Troy and slaying the mighty Achilles, Paris spends his days hiding in the closet on top of a suitcase with my shirts and trousers draped around him for maximum protection. His adorable character has already endeared him to us and we can see that he is becoming increasingly attached to his new parents as well. We are hopeful that his sibling relationships will develop at a normal pace. Lily already thinks she’s his mommy, but he keeps hissing at her when she gets too close. Of course, that doesn’t stop her from trying to give him a bath.

On Thursday

On Thursday, May 7th, 2009 Hannah and I lost a precious member of our family. It was determined that Eden had contracted Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a fatal viral disease which unfortunately has no known cure. Her sudden death, while heartbreaking, has taught us to appreciate the time we have with our other pets. Eden was unanimously considered a beautiful and affectionate cat by all those who knew her.

I adopted Eden on March 3rd, 2007 when she was just two years old. I have always loved cats, but until Eden I’d never had one to call my own. I remember when I met Eden I thought she was incredibly beautiful. I saw her for the first time through the adoption center window at the PETCO in Sugarhouse (Salt Lake City, UT). Her vivid eyes left a lasting impression. I gave myself some time to think about the responsibility of caring for another life, a practice I highly recommend, and after a characteristically sleepless night, the only question left unanswered was “How fast can I get back to the PETCO?” Hannah and I took Eden home and were almost immediately treated to equal displays of her happy affection and stubborn independence.

We are so grateful for the pictures and memories we have of Eden. Though the time we had with her was sadly cut short, we are happy to remember her as a loving and loyal daughter. Her presence in our lives will not soon be forgotten.

It's a Very Sad Day

Adam is currently working on this blog post.

Scary Day

We had to take our beautiful cat, Eden to the animal hospital this morning. She is having some sort of bacterial infection and it is making her deathly ill. We love her and are hoping she will be able to come home from the hospital tonight. We are hoping for the best. We love you Eden!!!

Our Pets

me (Hannah) and Adam

Sparky

Eden

Lily

Aeden

When starting a new blog, I find it customary to introduce all the key players of the blog. So here I go, me (Hannah), the mom of all the pets, Adam, the dad of all the pets, and the animals themselves listed in order of age, Sparky (4 1/2 year-old maltese mix), Eden (four-year-old blue domestic long-hair), Lily (1 1/2 year-old maltese mix), Aeden (eight-month-old kitten), and the three fish (a corry, koi, and a rainbow shark).