We are critter people. The TR family includes 3 cats, 1 dog, and 2 catfish. We have a very full house. But at the end of the day, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our pets are complete members of the family with celebrated birthdays, special treats and quirky behaviors.
Meet Jiji– an entirely black, seriously solid seven year old female cat. She has one white eyebrow that we call her “power” brow. Bluey has decided that her name is “Blackish.” Jiji wants to be a lap cat but can’t quite lower her standards enough to follow through with her desire. She has been known to swat at humans or other animals that dare walk in front of her.
Meet Kismet – a mostly white, calico seven year old female cat. One of her most often used nicknames is Kizzie. But Bluey consistently calls her “Whitish.” Kizzie is a love and never tires of strokes and kisses. She has a fondness for beer and a local breadstick called “pokey” sticks. Kizzie also loves to run into a previously closed room and hide in a hard to reach corner.
Meet Pickles – a mostly solid grey, one year old female cat with tiger like printing on her tummy. Pickles is a bit of a challenge. She is not the smartest cat in the world but she is a love. She is Plum’s cat even though the TR parents mostly take care of Pickles. Pickles enjoys hiding for long stretches of time while the entire family panics and searches for her whereabouts. Pickles and Molly are good friends.
Meet Molly – the star pet of the family. Molly is a mostly black mutt with red undertones to her coat. Molly is three years old. She has so many nicknames that we will only share a few: Moo, Mooey, and Moostopheles. We most often call Molly, Moo or Mo. The only successful training we’ve accomplished with Moo is to have her consistently respond to our snapping fingers or the cluck of our tongues. The snap is to stop a behavior. The click of a tongue is to get her to respond to a request. Molly enjoys eating table food, even if it requires sneaking up onto the dining table. She loves to sleep and only occasionally freaks out and tears around the house like a maniac. She barks at anyone that dares to come close to her beloved family. She growls only at those that are deserving of warning. 
Meet the Fish – our two catfish are approximately 4 years old. Their claim to fame is that they have survived a trip from NH to WI. Bluey enjoys monitoring their hunger level and usually reminds the TR parents that the fish require food. They are fish. Two of them. They don’t do much. And they shy away from pictures so we aren’t able to include one for your enjoyment.
Most of our pets are rescued animals. Molly is a Sato rescue from Puerto Rico. Kismet and Pickles are from a stray cat rescue shelter in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, and Jiji was part of an unplanned litter from a neighbor’s cat. Only the fish came from a store.
We adore that our pets have as unique personalities as their human companions. Currently, Bluey is in charge of feeding the animals in the morning. It is a duty that he takes very seriously. And it is wonderful to see Bluey’s dedication to this chore and his care of our pets. Plum enjoys playing with Pickles and she attempts to train any of the critters that will tolerate her. We all benefit from our pets love and their ability to comfort us and calm us down.
Owning pets gives us a chance to talk about animal behaviors and diets. And about proper health care and career choices with our kids. Our pets greet us and cheer us up, in between knocking our stuff over, and stealing our food. Like we said, they are members of the family.
At times, owning pets isn’t always the most thrifty experience in life. But there are tons of coupons and free samples to be found to stock pile necessary items. And if you shop around, you can find cheaper quality products then the popular brand names. Keep up on your pets yearly shots and wellness visits and you shouldn’t often experience emergency vet bills.
We’d love to hear about your pets!