An Exciting Announcement and Friday Cat Blogging

Announcement: I'm a grandma!

OK, not really. Only sort of.

My sweet little dog, my sweet little and supposedly sterile dog (Shadow), just gave birth to six of the cutest mutts I've ever seen at about 5am this morning. Two girls and four boys.

There's a cat in this story so it's still cat blogging, right?

See, what happened was (all the greatest tales begin with "See, what happened was..."), my sweet little Shadow was just waiting on the right man, er, dog. It would seem that she wasn't sterile after all but just "confused", suffering an identity crisis if you will. Once she either realized she wasn't a cat or my cat Thor (who interestingly enough has been "fixed") would never return her love, she headed straight into the paws of a fellow dog.

Years ago, the vet assured me that Shadow must be unable to conceive after quite a few attempts over the years to introduce her to a certain fellow named Lucky (who turned out to be not so lucky after all). I would just like to note for the record that it was I who said, "Are you sure she's not just convinced she is a cat?" Yeah, he rolled his eyes at that, at me. Well, who is rolling their eyes now, Mister?! Everyone reading this post, you say? Shuddup, you!

Seriously, all the signs were there from the very beginning. The laying on her back and waving her feet in the air, like a total moron, every time so-called Lucky showed interest in her. Growling and biting him when he became more persistent, as if to say "Hello, I'm a friggin' C A T, you dope!" Then there was the refusing to eat anything but cat food. The chasing after and looks of longing cast Thor's way. Following him everywhere, wagging her tail (the tail tells no tales?) and slobbering on him whenever he walked by. The trying to follow him up trees and repeatedly attempting to join him on the back of the sofa, only to come crashing down again and again. Oh, and the sitting on his head! Dancing in circles on her hind legs, begging for him whenever I picked him up to save him from her obsession with licking his face. It was all there in black and white! Suffice to say, it was as if Shadow was never quite sure exactly what she was supposed to be doing in that respect...but whatever it was, she surely wanted to be doing it with Thor.

It probably didn't help matters much that Shadow was an apartment dweller the first years of her life, raised with cats, and never even saw another dog until she was two years old. Whaddyado? I loved her despite her sterile status (confused orientation) and only wanted her to have puppies for her own sake. I wanted her to experience the joy of motherhood just once before towing her off to the vet to be spayed, but it just wasn't in the cards.

Or so I thought...

Three years after moving to the sticks, Shadow has slowly but surely become a dog. She no longer smells of strawberries and cream, she rolls in the grass and dirt. She no longer lounges inside under the AC in the summer but digs a hole and lays in it. No more burying chew toys in the sofa cushions, she's out there running with the big dogs now. Her not so little friends, Duke and Zoe (both neutered males) from down the street stop by often to visit, play and chew bones (and anything else I forgot to put up). They bring her presents, such as the leg of a deer (I'm starting to think I'm not getting any good photographs lately because my neighbors are eating all the nature) and a good time is had by all.

Then, with the new neighbors came a new kid on the block, a blonde Lab. Oh, and a brindle colored Boxer too. Now where did he come from?! And here I thought that was sooo adorable, Shadow's making new friends.

Well, it would appear that Shadow was making a little more than friends as her tummy began to grow larger and larger (and larger still).

There was much stressing and running to the vet. I'm sure everyone found my major wigging out over it all quite amusing, but I had to make huge decisions for this very special little dog of mine. Could she safely have her puppies? Would they simply be too large? Would she need a C-section? Was it even worth the risk? Oh yes, there was much to consider and as you have already read, I decided that it was worth the risk (with close monitoring) as this was Shadows one and only chance to have puppies (at all, ever). Of course the good vet managed to reassure me with phrases like "nice wide bone structure".

If I didn't know better, I'd swear Shadow rolled her eyes at that.

Ahem.

So anyhow, today the six year old Shadow is one happy mommy. She did a great job and there was much rejoicing!

Most especially relieved by the recent turn of events, is Thor, I'm sure. :)

Brand new puppy pictures will follow. Tomorrow, after the new mom has had a chance to rest a little (and I've changed the grossness that is now her bedding, ew).

Until then...

Shadow, checking out the new camera. I think maybe she's checking to see if it needs killin'.











Here she is ferociously showing all the wild beasts of the forest her fangs in order to better protect me.










Honestly, that's really the middle of a yawn, getting terribly bored with all the taking photos.

Here she is even more bored than before, if such is even possible.










Last, but certainly not least, I give you Thor's thoughts on the entire subject.