There have been essentially no new developments on the home repair/crafting/building/gardening fronts for a while. This is for multiple reasons:
- I have somehow injured my back/neck/shoulder and have been experiencing some pretty severe muscle pain; it's about all I can do to get through a workday at the moment.
- With Christmas and Chanukah coming, finances are being re-prioritized.
- Finances are also a little tighter for another, even more exciting reason: our new puppy!
This is Westley. He's twelve weeks old, a male neutered Lab/Pointer cross. The rescue thinks he may have a little Spaniel in him too. He was the smallest in the litter of six puppies, and the only yellow one (all of the others are black and white). He is also the only one born with a natural bobtail (ie. it looks as though his tail has been docked). Westley (or "West") is very sweet, a little shy but not fearful, and came with kennel cough and a trifecta of parasites: hookworms, coccidiosis (a GI protozoa), and demodectic mange. I am more concerned about the kennel cough than anything else, but have him on broad-spectrum antibiotics and so far he's doing reasonably well. He is already crate-trained and almost-but-not-quite potty trained; he has had a couple of widdles in the house but nothing major.
Westley has also done surprisingly well with our resident kitties! The first night he came home (Friday) he growled at them from his crate for about half an hour on and off, but since them he has shown nothing but polite interest. He wants to play with them but does not bark or chase, and if they turn and walk away he gives the equivalent of a puppy shrug and goes back to whatever he was doing. They are also responding well. Pippin is a little afraid of him, but most of the time his curiosity overwhelms his fear, as you can see in the photos below. Perrin seems to really not care one way or the other, although they both get frosted with me when Westley gets a training treat and they don't, so they're getting extra cookies now. Neither cat seems severely anxious and their stress-related urinary conditions have not flared up (*knock on wood*). They are still getting lots of love from us, both with and without the puppy present. Pippin is on the couch with me as I write this post, kneading a blanket and purring away, while Perrin naps in the sunroom. We are not letting Westley through the kitty door into the sunroom, and soon he'll be too big to use the door anyway, so that will remain a kitty zone.
We have only had him for two days, so this is all very new to both him and to us, but so far everyone is getting along and seems relatively content!
And now....photos!
Pippin really wants the rawhide chew.
Westley doesn't seem to care, which is great!
Sitting in Nick's lap with his new giraffe toy. He loves it!
Officially too cute for words.
