THE COLD AND OUR COLD'S/LIVING WITH A FOUR LEGGED SENIOR CITIZEN

The cold outside is starting to go away at least for a week.  The colds in our head are still causing us problems.  Michigan Cottage Cook has been silent as I haven't been able to even think about cooking or writing anything to do with food.  As I say every day, hopefully, tomorrow we will feel better. 

We are spending most of our time on the couch.

Katrinka finds the flash on the camera disturbing and is giving me a dirty look.

Izzy is trying to get warm after chasing some squirrels.  She says she is in for the day, let the squirrels and birds fight it out at the feeders.

LIVING WITH A FOUR LEGGED SENIOR CITIZEN 

Katrinka will be thirteen years old at the end of next month.  She has multiple problems with her hind legs including a disease much like human ALS.  On Thursday, she did not get up to bark her beautiful deep bark at the garbage men.  Then she would not even lift her head off her special orthopedic bed for her medicine which she usually gobbles down.  WE THOUGHT THE WORST.  We canceled everything for the day.  We put her on the couch between us and just sat.  We told her how much we loved her.  We talked about all the different funny things that had happened to her in her life with us.  As we massaged her and talked to her, she started to get more responsive.  She loves to ride, so we put into her car bed and took her for a ride.  We stopped at her favorite place, McDonald's, and purchased her a hamburger.  She enjoyed it.  We began to hope that the day would not turn out to be thee day.

Izzy know Katrinka needs extra love too.

A month ago I was worried in the evening about Trinky so I spent the night lying on the floor with her.  A little over a week ago, we went to the Grand Haven Library for a book signing and reading of  IT'S ALL RELATIVE TWO FAMILIES, THREE DOGS, 34 HOLIDAY, AND 50 BOXES OF WINE (A MEMOIR) by Wade Rouse.  He and his partner, Gary, have a dog a year older than Katrinka.  We talked about caring for our aging babies. I found that they, too, lie on the floor if they suspect something is really bad.  Like me, they pet her and tell they love her.  I can't help but wonder if the dogs think, "Will you please shut up so I can sleep?"

I am trying to sleep.  Quiet please.

The day after the reading, I took Katrinka to the vet for her laser treatment for pain in her hips.  This treatment is in addition to her pain pills.  Katrinka is a pure black German Shepherd.  She is a conversation starter as most people wonder what is her breeding background.  I started talking to a couple who wondered about her and also have an old dog.  I learned that they, too, have spent nights lying on the floor telling their dog they love her.  In the past, this couple had purchased a doggie wheel chair for one of their dogs.  You strap the wheels to the dog's hind quarters and they can tear around using just their front paws.  When I was in Great Falls, Montana, I use to see two dogs with doggie wheel chairs on my walks.

I don't think Katrinka would take well to a wheel chair.  She might go flying down 5 Mile Hill out of control.

Living with an aging pet teaches us two things, one of which is difficult for me to learn.  First you must learn to live in the moment and not worry about what is coming in the future.  My wonderful Mom taught me to worry while I was still sitting on her lap.  It is hard for me not to worry about the future.

Love 'um while you've got 'um.

The second thing that our aging pets teach us is to "love 'um while you've got 'um."  This message is easier for me.  It is important to let all our loved ones know that we love them while we've got'um."

HAPPY VALENTINES EVERYONE!!!  THANKS FOR CLICKING ON MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK!!!!!!