My Numbers and Color

What's my number?

This gets brought up now and again, usually it's someone at work 

or someone who doesn't REALLY know me, and I always feel my back go up on the topic.

Like a cat, my hair feels like it's standing up and I'm backing away.

Because people can be mean and hateful... for no reason.

It's about my numbers.

How many pets I have?

When asked on how many dogs I have, I generally say 4.

1. Blue

2. Nora

3. Jimmy

and 4. My herd of tiny dogs, (who run as a small pack so therefore count as 1)

with a handful of cats.

That's actually why I don't always post about every single one of them,

or if I do, I just randomly squeeze them in.

Kinda hoping they go unnoticed and uncounted

and then sometimes something HUGE happens and I just have to blog about it.

Like the clothesline post falling on Rosie

or when Griff had that tumor and so many old age issues.

but I don't write about ALL of them because either I fear judgement 

or because they are just so good that there is nothing exciting to say.

Sure, anyone with a lot of time on their hands could go through past posts 

or even zip over to my Flickr account

but why?

Why does it matter to people?

Working at a vet clinic and running the boarding kennel I see a lot of dogs who are the only dog in the family and to be honest, they are not always cared for or as happy as my own.

The other day I was talking to one of my kennel girls and she was telling me how a dog came in that reeked of cat pee.

Not dog pee but CAT pee.

She said it quickly filled the air with the odor so she bathed the dog and all of the bedding the owners had brought.

We felt so bad for that little guy.

Now here's the really odd part. The owner is someone who has questioned my "numbers" to me.

I've laughed it off and said Four as I always do but inside I was seething.

I asked my kennel girl if my dogs ever smell bad, I told her to be very truthful and I wouldn't be mad.

She just laughed and said "NO! I mean, your dogs don't even smell like DOGS!"

I felt relieved.

I do wash their bedding, daily.

Yes, it might sound extreme but really, I do it every night.

and I bathe everyone on a regular basis.

Especially Blue. I mean I sort have to because he's WHITE.

and he tends to have skin problems otherwise.

And the ones that need a "haircut"? I am fortunate enough to be able to supply my groomer with chocolate and alcohol in exchange for grooming.

I've also painted her several "signs" for her fruit/vegetable stand that she has at her farm.

Now, to the issue of color.

Yes, my house is mostly WHITE.

(My Blue)

I am trying to force myself to paint some rooms in other colors

source

source

but I like WHITE.

source

People shake their heads over pets and white but it's actually so practical.

You can bleach white.

source

You can scrub white.

source

I don't want camouflage or patterns to hide stains or dirt.

So, yeah. I'm constantly defending my choice of color.

Or lack of it. 

I've been told it's cold.

source

But it's not when covered in critters and Art and toys.

So there! I'm done with this rant

and on that note, here's my Vera.

Vera Wag.

I've had her for years and years and she's a perfect dog.

She too had a horrible story. One about being found running with another dog,

with her coat so matted that they didn't even know at first that she was a poodle.

There's of course more to her story but I'll leave it at this.

Sigh.

My perfect Vera.

Housebroken, loving and who has never caused a problem from day one.

and for those who might be counting, add her to your list.