Photos by Laurie Mustard / Winnipeg Free Press
Sunny and Santa are old pals, just as long as the big guy shares his milk and cookies.
Wonderful Winston keeps the cats in line, or at least he thinks he does.
’Twas the day before Christmas and all through my house, many creatures were stirring because I have three cats and a dog.
Does that rhyme?
No eh? No matter. What does matter is taking a day to express our gratitude and wish the merriest of Christmases to some precious family members who bring so much love into our lives and homes, a love which is so often just taken for granted.
I speak of course of the non-human members of our families. Imagine what life would be like, if one day they all just disappeared. I cannot imagine my home without my furmily members. What a lonely place it would be.
Those four oh-so-loving personalities make a huge and very positive difference in my life. And I know that’s equally true for so many of you.
It’s been an emotionally challenging past two years here, as over that time (four in the last year) I’ve lost my beautiful lady Shasta (border collie/German shepherd cross), my formerly feral tough old cat Buddy, my “Miracle of Love” cat (black by the way) Boo, my border collie Murphy in late summer, and then a dog you may remember me featuring here, a rescue I named Sully, shortly after. He died within days of his appearance in this column, previously undiscovered cancer that shocked everyone and nearly tore my heart out.
Cried many tears over each and every one of them. However, as homeless animals don’t have time for us humans to grieve, within a week of Sully’s passing I adopted another senior rescue from the Manitoba Great Pyrenees Rescue group, a very big white fur ball I named Winston, after the amazing hero Churchill. It just fits.
I kept grieving the loss of my other furmily members, but I did so while loving the heck out of my big wonderful Winston, who loves going for car rides with me, and is particularly good at lying on the gear shift (I drive a standard) while in the busiest of traffic. He wants his paws and head on my lap. We’re working on that. Well I am.
By the way, the Manitoba Great Pyrenees Rescue is a phenomenal, extremely kind and caring organization that saves and rehomes all kinds of animals, so if you’re looking for a way to do something in tribute to a past or present furmily member of yours, supporting MGPR with a donation is one of the best Christmas gifts you can give. Simply go to: mgprescue.com, and thanks!
So now I have four rescues, Winston, and three Tuxedo cats — Ringo, Jeandeau and Sunny — who rescue my spirits at least once a day, if not all day. Sunny came to me last February through a friend, who’d invited this little black nearly frozen cat in with her own cats when the outside temp feeling like -43 C with the windchill. I’d just lost my little black cat Boo from heart failure, and within three days, I think Boo brought me Sunny, who’s very happy and healthy now. And warm.
So tomorrow morning, when the wrapping is being ripped off, and the cats are playing with the ribbons and hiding under the paper, remember to give your precious furmily members a big grateful hug and kiss for the Christmas spirit they bring into our homes and lives all year long.
One of my favourite memories as a kid is when we brought our new cocker ppaniel puppy Skippy home from the barn he was born in, set him down on the slippery linoleum kitchen floor, and he galloped in place until he got some traction, then bolted across the room crashing new puppy calamity style into the basement door. “How do you stop on this stuff?!” Priceless.
Merry Christmas and thanks fabulous furmily members. We love you lots.
Comments and column ideas welcome!
lmustard1948@gmail.com
