Update On The Pets

Seamus' back legs are still weak, but he's improved a bit since I last posted about him. His favorite spot to nap is the yoga mat by my computer chair:

 And sometimes, when the dogs are outdoors, I give treats to the four cats. It's helped a lot, along with chasing the laser pointer, in taming Sammy:

 All five dogs posed for a photo on their beloved ramp:

 Ruby got her toenails clipped:

And so did fat Meghan:

 Fergus and Seamus watched me through the fence as I mowed the lawn. You can see the tall grass along the fence line which I began cutting for the horses, a treat I had to discontinue:

 Caspar and Clover. This pose convinced me that Caspar has not been missing any meals:

 Early in the morning, before dawn, in the kitchen corner: Clover, Fergus, Bugsy, Caspar and Sammy:

Daphne, Daisy and Seamus on the yoga mat by my computer desk:

 Little Jack:

 Just home from a hike, Fergus and Seamus were still wearing their bandanas:

 Clover, Daphne and Jack had big smiles after their hike:

A House Full Of Critters

As always, the most popular gathering spot is the kitchen corner, with its floor pillows and pet beds. This critter collection consisted of Clover, Bugsy and Daphne:

 Bugsy is shy and retiring, but very sweet:

 Sammy loves the soft life he's found here, complete with catnip filled glove-puppets to play with:

 Fergus had a guilty look on his face. Did he know something I didn't know?:

Another kitchen corner collection: Daphne, Fergus, Clover and Jack:

 The weather finally warmed up enough for me to open the front door and let air come in through the screen door. Sammy was fascinated:

 Jack, Clover, Caspar and Daphne:

 I also opened a kitchen window one warm day, drawing Sammy and Caspar to investigate. They are the reason I keep a baby gate in front of the screen. The black and white band hanging on the baby gate is Jack's belly-band, used to contain his pee. This house has concessions to the animals wherever I look:

All five dogs at the back gate, as anxious to come in as they were to go out:

 Ruby the Guinea Pig got her toenails clipped:

 And so did her fat sister, Meghan:

 I still have two Siamese Fighting Fish, and they are doing quite well. They seem to like it here:

Pets At Home

The dogs get to spend more time outdoors in their fenced yard now that the weather has improved. They love to hang out on their ramp:

 Sammy is sweet but easily frightened. Getting monthly flea drops is a major trauma for him, after which he hides all day. When he naps, though, he is the very picture of peace:

 Jack was resting next to Caspar's toy duck puppet (which I dusted with catnip):

 Daisy looks elegant wherever she naps:

 Caspar, Clover and Fergus in the kitchen corner:

 Back on their ramp again, the dogs were watching my every move:

 They also use the ramp to stage their pleas to come back inside:

 Once inside, they go to sleep in the kitchen corner:

 There was great excitement in the dogs' yard on the day I let the chickens out to play:

 Jack, Fergus, Clover, Caspar and Daphne:

 Meghan, the fat guinea pig:

 Ruby, the skinny guinea pig:

Dogs, Cats And Guinea Pigs

Spring has sprung, but the dogs' lives still consist mostly of sleeping in the kitchen corner:

My Amish neighbor stopped by and tied his horse to the dogs' fence. This horse is not much interested in dogs and doesn't care if they bark or not. The dogs barked for a minute, then gave it up and went about their business. Yes, it snowed that morning, but the snow melted quickly:

Jack lounged comfortably on a fleecy dog bed:

A rare opportunity - finding all four cats together and holding still. Seamus was keeping company with Daisy, Bugsy, Sammy and Caspar:

And Caspar was keeping company with the dogs:

Clover, Seamus and Daphne were comfy and warm in the kitchen corner:

And just when we thought we'd seen the last of the snow, we got yet another surprise snowstorm. At least the snow doesn't last long this time of year:

Daphne, Jack, Seamus, Fergus and Clover:

I found the kittens in the kitchen playing with some kind of white strips. It turned out that they'd broken slats from the brand new window blinds. Ah, the joys of kittens!

And speaking of kittens, Caspar and Sammy each took a kitchen window to guard:

A typical bedtime, with the little dogs on the bed and Seamus on his big floor pillow:

Also in the bedroom are Meghan and Ruby, the guinea pigs of the house:

Dogs And Cats And Guinea Pigs

All four cats love the big cat tree at the top of the stairs. It is just outside my bedroom door and they usually wait there for me to emerge. I try to always pet them as I go by:

Little Caspar is plenty playful and loves his belly rubbed:

Seamus, Fergus and Bugsy often hang out together on the yoga mat closest to my computer chair:

And sometimes Daphne joins them:

Both Fergus and Seamus had grown so much hair that their faces were barely discernible. After Fergus bumped into my leg a couple times, I gave his face a haircut:

Seamus got one too, exposing his intelligent, loving face:

I was on my way to bed, accompanied by the dogs, when I snapped his photo. Seamus and Bugsy were still on the stairs at the time:

Each morning I have to sweep the floors and tumble the fleecy dog beds in the dryer. Caspar has learned that he can get a heated, vibrating massage by lying on the dryer while it's running:

Eek! There are ghosts in my kitchen! This blue dog bed was moving mysteriously across the floor:

But of course it was only Caspar, acting silly:

Bugsy, Sammy and Caspar at the community cat food dispenser (up where the dogs can't reach it):

Ruby and Meghan, along with the house plants and fish, are the reason the cats can't come into my bedroom. Both guinea pigs are healthy and happy. Meghan has lost weight and her excess thirst, so I think her diabetes was nipped in the bud: