Nick, "Nicky", "Nick the Quick", "Nick-Nack" Nick is almost six years old. He was our first "joint" animal. We adopted him from the Lee's Summit Animal Shelter in Lee's Summit, MO. He is an austalian shepherd X and has an insatiable appetite for fetch and frisbee. Not a big fan of water or heat, very friendly with both people and dogs. Trademark Characteristic: his blue eyes.
Jezebel, "Jez", "Mama", "Jazzy Fizzle"
Jezebel is five years old and has proved to be our most expensive animal. She came to us along with four other animals when a client in Kansas City was going into drug treatment and her children into foster care. All other animals were adopted out, but Jezebel remained. We bottle fed her and nursed her back to health. After all that, we couldn't part with her. Legend has it that Jim Benton even bottle fed her on a couple of occasions, though he would never admit to it. She gets allergy shots every ten days, escaped for one month and came back at less than 1/3 her weight, and thinks she rules the roost. When she escaped, we scoured the neighborhood tirelessly, but ultimately knew that if anyone else took her in...they would soon let her go again. She really is a Jezebel.
Earl, "Early Bird", "Earl John"
Earl is four years old and a shepherd X. He was adopted from the Humane Society of Fort Worth following the loss of our dog, Joey. We were in mourning and so was Nick, and I decided that the best thing I could do to honor Joey was to save another dog from the unspeakable. Earl was the chosen one. He came with his name and clearly recognized it when he was called, so we kept it. It fits. Earl is often touted as the "favorite" by our guests. This is because he is the smallest of our canine crew. He barks the least, but demands the most attention. You win some, you lose some.
Mohican, "Mo", "Mo Mo", "Motor", "Motorboat", "Motorhican", "
Motor City Kitty", "The Anvil of Love"
Mohican is three years old and was adopted from the Arlington Animal Shelter. We thought Jezebel needed a playmate and that another cat might help her develop her social skills. He is a real snoozer, a typical lounge cat. He eagerly seeks affection and attention, but spooks easily. When startled, he is known to leap off the floor with all fours. Mohican was given his name as he was to be the Last of the Mohicans. So much for that plan.
Echo, "Echo Bunny", "Echy"
Next came Echo. She is a little over two years old and was rescued by me as a feral kitten. Operation Echo was actually quite complicated and labor intensive. She was living under a portable building at the elementary school I was working at in Oak Cliff. She was completely wild when I trapped her and I tamed her myself. This is no small feat, I'll have you know. She got her name for the way she would echo me when I meowed at her. We intended to adopt her out, but Lisa got attached and I ended up giving her to Lisa for her birthday by agreeing to stop taking her to adoption fairs. She is still a bit skittish and wary of strangers.
Valentine, "Val", "Valley Girl", "Mama", "Pretty Girl", "Big Girl"
Valentine was an accident, much like an unplanned pregnancy. She turned three on Valentine's Day and was given her name because we adopted her on Valentine's Day. She was adopted from the Arlington Animal Shelter. When Jezebel went missing, I combed the area shelters feverishly. When I went to the Arlington shelter, there sat Val pretty as could be. I was drawn to her, probably because of her size and lack of hyperactivity in her cage. I started walking her, brushing her, and talking to her when I would comb the cat cages looking for Jezebel. One day, a member of the shelter staff asked if I was planning on adopting her. I answered with a definitive "NO". She then added, "I was just wondering because we are going to be putting her to sleep." I meant yes, I said. I called Lisa, she came to meet her. We got them to put her on hold so we could think about it. On Saturday morning (Valentine's Day), it snowed and I knew I wanted to see her running through the snow in my backyard. We brought her home that day. She never looked more beautiful than she did that day playing in the snow in the backyard. That night, I laid on the floor with her and within seconds of my stroking her head, she was snoring. She was home. She is an escape artist and a barker, but she is ours.
10 comments:
i love our family. they are the coolest beings to be sharing a space with. As much trouble as they are, I wouldn't trade a single one of them. And believe me, they are a lot of trouble.
I think I have probably been to your house as much as any of the Benton clan and I think I have still never seen Echo. I remember Nick as a puppy with ice blue eyes and taking him "out" to the courtyard near the apartment where there was broken glass, imagining that he was going to get some in his paw. I also remember walking him around the block and talking about how to train/discipline animals while walking.
Why you make your beasts sound like... family. Makes me want to write an intro to our little ones. Steve, Stevey Wevey, Tooter Rooter, T.R., Estif. Our first. etc. Kittens and puppies are sneaky tricks of nature. The former grow up to be cats, and the latter, dogs. Feeding and enjoying them are irrestible responses, but they do not stop the inevitable progress of change and growth from lovable to demanding trouble and imagined reciprocity. Alas! I did feed the kitten. I enjoyed it. I played with the kitten. But now it is a cat, and I have fed it, too. But I do not love it; only its caregivers.
DA
Did you edit out one of my comments? I say again, "Kant’s claim is similar to Kibel’s claim, not my claim. I get this from Eagleton’s Ideology of the Aesthetic." Oops. Sometimes one can be surprised by one's own clipboard, eh?
I mean "i love our family. they are the coolest beings to be sharing a space with. As much trouble as they are, I wouldn't trade a single one of them. And believe me, they are a lot of trouble." Tee hee
DA
I have been to your house at least half a dozen times and don't remember seeing any of your dogs.
Love this family portrait, though. I love the idea of pets so much more than actual pets.
Echo sounds like my kind of cat.
Speaking of cats (and their traditional anti-rodent security guard function), how are the other, unnamed members of your family doing? The proverbial mad women in the attic? (Or was it under the deck?)
I have had two wonderful dogs in my entire life. They were bright, cared and caring. Other than that it's a zero on good experiences. But, for you what ever wets your whistle, for me I refuse to give up my freedom for a good dog, because when you fall in love with them, you are doomed. Cats are sort of like snakes. But bless you and your wonderful hearts girls. The world is better off as well as the animals you adopt and love. Geno the loco Gringo
love them all...though i must say during my one visit to your home (so very long over due for return visits) i became quite smitten with earl....because aside from akid, he took the cake for being the biggest musher. i was also touched by the story of valentine and her ability to escape (most likely driven away by fire ants!) finney kisses to you all!
I love "The Dog Whisperer" on the National Geographic Channel. I think Cesar Milan is very sexy, especially when he is walking up to the door, when he is talking, when he is skateboarding with his pack. What more could you ask? I love what he says at the first of every show... "I train people, I rehabilitate dogs. I AM the Dog Whisperer." If you're unfamiliar, it's certainly worth a Tevo try.
I don't particularly like dogs in my home, although my mom always had a dog (so I did, too, growing up), and they were unfailingly the sweetest dogs in the world and the best trained. The last one, however, was pretty spoiled, although more by my daddy than my mom.
Alas, I fear that under Loco's influence I have grown too fussy.
And I agree that the idea of a dog is better than the actuality of one. I share his point of view about cats completely - they kill birds.
birds kill worms.
as for the madwomen at our house . . . we've heard none of their scrabbling from above or underneath the deck. i suspect when the attic temp drops below 200 we'll have the visitors back, as we haven't fixed our "vacancy" sign.
i like to think that if our cats had access to the old women, they'd make a quick meal of them.
and just in care you're worried rnr, we're talking about rats here.
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