The McCarty Family: I heart pets!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

I heart pets!

I've always loved pets, but haven't always had pets around to love and to be loved by. My first cat was a Ernie. My only memories of Ernie are in pictures, so anything I know about Ernie has come to me via stories from my mom or grandma. My Grandma...whom Ruth Ann is named after...loved cats. I've said before that Arch should really blame her for my love of cats because I know she instilled this in me from a very young age. She gave me my very first cat...the above mentioned, Ernie. He was a beautiful white longed haired kitten and I very nearly loved him to death...literally. I'm told that I would take himwith me into the bath tub and throw him downstairs...so because my Grandma loved cats, she rescued Ernie and I didn't have another pet until I was 5 years old when my Grandma gave me my second cat...Precious. Several other cats followed, all of whom I have loved deeply and at times get a little teary when I think of them.

We didn't have a lot of dogs growing up until I was in the 6th grade and we moved to "The Country". We then had a long line of beagles who seemed to run away or end up on the highway near our house. That breed has a hard time looking out for where they're going when they're following their noses so intently. Now I have Shelby...who is on an extended vacation at my parents house until Ruth Ann is walking so I don't spend all my time with her cleaning dog hair off of her legs and fishing it out of her mouth...gross, I know. Griff (or Griffy Dog as we like to call him) lives outside so he continues to reside at our home.

I love watching Ruth Ann interact with them and am so glad that she's going to alway have memories of loving her cats and dogs. Here she is playing with her pets this week...