Booker
Booker is a constant cuddler. He and Max lived together virtually their whole lives (though Max is 6 months older) but they never, ever cuddle. Unless they both demand to be in my lap at the same time, but that’s touching by circumstance, not by choice.
Or if we’re working in the kitchen (so they all want to be outside with us) and it’s chilly (so they need to be in a cozy bed) and there’s only one left.
We adopted Booker+Max to be Hannah’s companions (14 months ago) and within a week Booker was laying on/against Hannah whenever he was cold, lonely or wanted her spot.
Booker can hardly tolerate being physcially solitary. He reminds us of our late, legendary dog Oliver, who always followed us to our yoga mats and often kept us in cuddle pose.
While Booker doesn’t cuddle with Max, he is loyal to Max (or perhaps just empathetic?). When Max cries out in distress (getting his harness on, e.g.), Booker might bark in distress. Or he might sleep. He’s not that loyal.
When Booker is sleeping in the kitchen, Gris often lounges near him. Especially since they’re both gray boys, it’s tempting to anthropomorphize them and imagine that Gris is the little brother following his big brother around and secretly imitating him.
But they don’t cuddle.
Booker came to us with a heart murmur, detached retina, cataracts, weak kidneys and nodules in his liver. He has to sleep in between us, under the covers. The first morning he just didn’t want to wake up, he was limp and quiet and we thought he was already dying! But he’s stil doing that over a year later, and is just really lazy in the morning.
His heart disease (mitral valve regurgitation) is progressing but he’s getting good vet care here and putting some weight back on. Check out some medication strategies.
Iggys (Italian greyhounds) are skinny, but he shouldn’t be that skinny.
The problem was his heart+resperatory infection, but he’ll always be thin since he isn’t that interested in food. He could live on sunshine and snuggles. His vision isn’t good enough to notice squirrels, say, on a walk, but he does follow the kittens when he’s feeling hearty.
But he wouldn’t eat a mouse - he prefers vegetables and chicken food.
Booker is completely blind in one eye (detached retina) and partially blind in the other (cataracts) so he has a strategy for the ever-important-effort of finding laps (or getting in the van, truck, etc). He tests the situation with front feet, then leaps.
2 Comments:
September 08, 2018
Wish I were there to be lapped by Booker!
September 08, 2018
Booker wishes the same!