Hi all, popping in when I can

Ah bless him - ready to start doubling in size any minute now!
So very sorry about your cat. They are so prone to kidney cancer as they get older. She reminds me of our old and much loved tabby who lived to be 20, but his successor only made it to 7 - same problem for both of them . I guess you'll get used to having no cat around after a while but they leave such a hole in your life. Very sensible to take you mind off it with a puppy!

sorry to hear about the puss, but at least a good life with you. Ringo looks adorable and will soon be fully grown. hopefully he will settle down and then you can all enjoy the garden again.

Aw, I love that last photo Jen! Congrats on your new family member. So sorry about puss. No more suffering though. Xx

Thank you Stera, he has already put on 3 1/2 kg in the one week we have had him lol. Even the vet said they think he will end up big but they don't stop growing till they are about 2. Thanks also about Star. Funny enough her kidneys were fine but she had a large tumour on her heart. It's in the little things that we miss her and she was so good with the dogs but we know it is too dangerous with our road to get another cat.

Thank you Seaburngirl. Star was a rescue and had a hard 1st 18 months of her life but was totally spoiled by us.

Lol, Ringo is very full of it. We don't like creating them so he is keeping me on my toes. I had bought a ton of seeds but am having to rethink where I start them off. Normally use conservatory but think he will knock them all down lol.

Thank you Karen. You are right about Star.

I love that last photo. We have only had him just over a week and he is doing so well with his "sit" with lots of food involved lol.

So sorry to hear you lost your cat. We love them so much and losing them is very hard.

Thank you Drc726. The vet said that the type of cancer she had would probably be treatable in a younger cat but to really think hard before putting her at 15 through that. It was hard but we decided not to put her through that at her age. It helped me after taking all my cat things to a small cat rescue centre as when we got her, she had been a rescue at 18 months from a very abusive home where the little boy there had killed 2 of her kittens and broken her tail. The rescue centre in Kent had named her Star as she managed to save the other 2 kittens and we kept the name. She has left a hole in our lives. Getting Ringo or should I say another dog was always on the cards even before we lost her. We felt that we wanted Ben to have a part in training him as he is so gentle.

Ringo is so cute he is lovely and wise for you to think forward. So sad to hear about your cat but it's best rather than suffer as you say.

A neighbours cat who was always in my garden I called it Bench cat as it always was sleeping on my bench it's name was Milly I found it was sleeping in a lined hanging basket under my bench through winter which in winter I don't go out in the garden it's back legs had gone so could nt get back home over the fences it was only when I went out on a warmer night to bin rubbish I seen it come from under the bench it was dragging its back legs I fed and gave it a drink kept it in my kitchen over night and I went round to tell the girl the next day she fetched it and had it put down a few days later as it was 17 years old it's back was crumbling the vet said.

Thank you Thrupennybit. Years ago I had 2 English Springer spaniels. They were sort of rescue as a mother at my daughter's school didn't want them anymore. I took them on at aged 6 and 4. When we lost the first one aged 17, the other stopped eating and became very Ill. Vet suggested we get her a companion and that is when we got Ben. She started eating again. Knew Shadow would be the same. Ben bless him started passing blood a few weeks back. He has already had, aged 2, cancer in one of his toes and had it removed aged 2 that we feared it was back. When we got the all clear, just an infection, and him being nearly 10, we thought this the best time to think ahead for Shadows sake.

That is so sad about your neighbour's cat. We never let Star stay out at night, always made sure she was home. When we 1st got her, she would bite and scratch us all the time due to her previous home but soon became a really loving soppy thing. She would be a very hard act to follow. She had been so good with the dogs, curled up sleeping with them most nights.

My friend who I lived next door to had two German Shepherds when the eldest one died the other turn to his natural nature according to the vet the older one kept the younger one in check and he started to bite people so she had him put down strange how it affects one when the other has gone. Glad your Ben started to eat again suppose it like pining for the other.

One of my sons dogs started bleeding from the back passage it was the dog food Iams causing it. Don't buy dog food from China nor Australia nor treats.

Cats are nocturnal I had loads of them when I lving on a farm I hid the to stop the farmer killing them but I can understand you not letting Star out at night especially being by a busy road. I tried letting it sleep in my house but it messed in my kitchen years ago and myself being in a wheel chair could nt clean it up hence why I have no pets as I ve alway had pets prior to me living here also priormy operation.
It's wonderful she slept in with your dogs bet that kept her warm. Yes she would be a hard cat to follow.

Thurpennybit, Glad you sons dog was ok after changing food. I feed them James wellbeloved. I get it from a internet company called Fetch. It delivers and a lot cheaper then pet shops for the same food, about £20 cheaper per bag.. Also it is next day, orders over £30 free and ocado delivers it so can choose hour long slots. They do all different dog and cat food. Get most of my dog toys from them as well. Never buy anything for dogs from China but thanks for the warning.

When we got Star from the Cat protection we had to agree to not let her out at night due to foxes. Can understand you finding it hard to cope with a cat being in a wheelchair.

I use to get my German Shepherd and Spinger Paniel food years ago from the coal man it was dried came in a bag like a big bag of Yours sounds potatoes looked like cornflakes and a mix of other stuff like little pellets I ve never seen it since you mix water with it they loved it.

I have never heard of your dog food but it must be decent as your dogs have been OK so far. Yes these pet shops make a killing in price out of us. There are foods out there that are killing dogs and Chinese and Australia ones are one they found dead cats and other animals in some in Australia and a young shop assistant told her boss not to buy any dog food or treats from China. They are also alerting people to wash their dogs legs and bellies if taken out for a walk especially in woodlands as they are dying getting Alabama Rot just incase you were nt aware.

Yes that I can understand in the country side with foxes we have them come into our lane also in our shopping areas one every night goes to the Richo Arena on the car park so yes your Star would of best been kept in.

Yes why I don't have pets it's not fair on them. I know others that live on their own in wheel chairs do. I could nt do any thing if another dog attacked it and could nt run after it if it got loose also if it caused an accident I could nt afford insurance of fear of being sued unlike years ago this did nt exist just government changing laws for their rich ipals nsurance Companys. .

So sorry to hear you lost Star. We lost our two cats from the same problem within 12mnth of each other and decided we couldn't face the heartbreak again. Ringo is gorgeous, he's going to bring you so much joy.

So sorry you had to let Star go, very brave and strong of you to do so. We are lucky enough to have had young kittens from rescue homes so we've always been able to keep them 'indoor cats'. They never miss what they never have and if you get really lucky and get two siblings they get plenty of exercise and company. We work from home which helps too. Never had dogs but those ones of yours look a real happy handful, bet there's never a dull moment!

Thanks for the warning Thruennybit. I had heard about it. Luckily there haven't been any cases of it where I live.

Thank you Waddy, I know what you mean about the heart break. Tim was like that with his old German shepherd. Swore he would never have another dog till he met me and I had the two English Springer spaniels. It was a case of love me, love my daughter, cat and 2 dogs lol. When I lost o e of the spaniels, the other stopped eating so we got Ben, then moved here away from all his friends so got Shadow. Then decided I would just become the mad dog lady and got Ringo lol.

How are you and hubby?

Thank you Sunnydais, hubby and I agreed that we would always put their best interests before us no matter how tempting it would be. My brother has always had house cats but with the dogs we decided it would be too hard to try and keep them indoors with opening the doors for the dogs. The boys do keep me on my toes lol. They come everywhere with us or my daughter comes over and sits with them. Have always had a dog, my dad was the same so grew up with German Shepherds and love how loyal they are and quick learners. Not sure how the garden will be till I have trained Ringo to stay off my plants lol.

That's good to know Jen.

I'm so sorry to hear about your little cat Jen, it is always so hard when a much loved pet has to go. Having lost my little dog early last December I know how sad you must be.
Your three dogs are beautiful, I don't know much about German Shepherds, having always had quite small dogs, Maltese, Cavalier king Charles, and then Charlie boy who was a Chinese Crested Powderpuff Cross - whatever that is. However a friend has only ever had Shepherds and wouldn't have any other breed. I think Charlie has to be the last dog because of my age. An older dog would be lovely but impossible to get insurance for one over 9 and pensions don't stretch to expensive vet bills so I think it will be walking a neighbour's dog from now on.
I hope your three will enjoy many wonderful times together.

Thank you Ginellie, I am so sorry to also hear about your little dog. They do leave such a hole. It is so hard when you have to decide on no more dogs, i know I'm dreading that. Also doesn't help when vet bill can be so expensive Stars treatment cost be just over £700 for that day. We don't have insurance but have always managed to find the money for anything that they have needed. We do claim part of it on our tax as we have our own company which is a type of business that allows guard dogs, part of the reason we have German Shepherds but mainly we just love the breed. Lovely idea about walking your neighbour's dogs and I'm sure they would love the help.

So sorry to hear about Star, but wasn't she fortunate to have found you, and the dogs?

We have a rescue cat aged fifteen this month. She was twelve when we adopted her from the CPL. We wanted an older cat as it would be foolish to have a kitten at our age and older cats are always looking for homes.

Sage was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism last year so she is on permanent medication. It costs £33 a month and she has regular blood tests to check medication is working. It is! She looks so much better.

We have home visits and so Sage is saved the stress of being loaded into a cat carrier. She will have to have this soon, however, as she needs dental treatment. Not looking forward to that!
Love the image of the three musketeers! The puppy is really cute.

Thank you Eirlys. Sage sounds lovely and you are lucky the vets come out to you. After Star, I changed vets as the one I used to go to only had what they call a satellite practice in our local town. That day with Star, we had to pick her up at the lunch time and drive her the 20 miles to there main practice to have a scan. We all found it very stressful. Good luck with the dental, it's a worrying time when anything like that is done.

We are both jogging along thank you Jen. Hubby is in the middle of his three monthly test checks. He's alway down until the results are known which is understandable. So far all is well. My hip replacement has refused to fully heal no one seems to know quite why but movement wise I'm good. I had to laugh at you becoming the 'mad dog lady ' I'm sure you're not really mad, just a caring person. Julia x

Waddy Can understand your hubby getting worried waiting for results, it is still early days. Fingers crossed that they come back fine. So sorry that your hip not healing well but great at lease you have good movement. Having 3 German Shepherds I must be mad lol. Forgot how hard puppyhood was. Lack of sleep having to get up with him. The biting and chewing is no fun lol. Spent 2 weeks sleeping downstairs in a recliner chair as he couldn't manage the stairs and we have the dog sleeping upstairs and he is already too big to carry.

Oh my goodness what a devoted owner you are. I'm not sure I could go through all the puppy training again. It's many years since we last had a dog, my son's constant companion at the time. She sadly died just before my son left home 16 years ago. Perhaps it was just as well as I'm sure she would have fretted for him.

Waddy. Lol. Am thinking, what am I doing going through it again and it is hard when you lose them but I think they do add so much to a childhood. My Ben is a little like that. We got him when Laura had just left uni. It took her about 4 months to find a job as it was 2008 and the crash. She had Ben with her all day and German Shepherds tend to chose one special person and she was his. He loves it now that he gets to see her every day now where she works with us.

Just been looking up grass seed as my back lawn has turned to mud with the 3 of them playing lol.

See, a devoted owner, like I said. Some others would either bann the dogs or pave it over, but not you. Xx

Waddy lol xx