The Next Generation

You already read about our new kitten, Ned. Now we have a dog. I've always been more of a cat person, but my wife loves dogs. Since my pre-marriage cat died a couple of years ago and her pre-marriage dog died about a year ago, we decided that this summer it was the time for the Next Generation. Ned has only gotten better. He is a bundle of energy and gets into all of the mischief a healthy kitten should. We had guests over with lots of kids last night, and there were about five kids who were all fascinated by Ned and wanted to play with him and hold him. He was a good sport until they all started to chase him, or mob him really, and he wisely took shelter under a dresser where he was safe from the multitude of little prying hands.

But if I got the cat, then my wife should get her dog. She was obsessed with finding another King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, the breed of the dearly departed Winston. After contacting some breeders (one woman in Houston wanted over $2500 for a King Charles puppy), we were a bit hesitant. (In fact, when my wife e-mailed me the price, I simply responded with "f*ck her." Unfortunately, my wife had sent that e-mail on her work e-mail, so my response got tagged for vulgarity in her company's e-mail system and she got a warning from the higher ups on proper e-mail usage). Since Ned only cost us five dollars (well, we then spent several hundred dollars at the pet store and a couple hundred more at the vet, but the cat himself only cost me five bucks!), I thought it ridiculous to spend two and a half grand on a puppy.

ABOVE: Sam

My wife continued searching, and found an ad about a boxer mix who needed a home. Sam has a sad story. This lady found him on the side of the road, emaciated and wounded from a car hit. She took him to the vet, paid for his surgery and recovery, and nursed him back to health. But since her family already had two big dogs, she wanted to find him a home. We took him over the weekend to see how things would work out. Sam is fantastic and we are keeping him.

He is a beautiful boxer/shepherd mix. Incredibly gentle and sweet, especially with my kids. He is a bit timid around me, but is getting more comfortable. As I would like to think it is because I am a very intimidating and imposing figure who casts a shadow over both man and beast, it is probably more to do with some unpleasant experiences with a male owner. But like I said, he is slowly warming to me and becoming more comfortable. He is very happy whenever my wife walks in the door and enjoys the kids.

The cat and dog hit it off. Ned needed a playmate, and has reveled in pestering the dog to no end. He will hide in wait and ambush the dog as he walks by. He grabs the dog's tail. He steals the dog's food. He naps in the dog's kennel. Mind you, Ned is a three month old kitten while Sam is a well built medium sized dog (about two years old is the best guess) who is capable of crushing the cat within seconds. But he doesn't. He will give chase occasionally, but that is it. They seem to already have found a good place in their relationship. They strike a fantastic balance too. Ned is a bundle of energy, while Sam is a mellow dude. Sam will play and run, but he is pretty relaxed most of the time. He doesn't even have food aggression. We will fill his bowl with food, and Ned will dart in and steal some food and the dog just stares patiently at him with what I swear looks like a look of mild exasperation.

So, welcome to the family Sam.

ABOVE: I think Sam and Ned will be good buddies