My little dog is approaching 11 1/2 actual years and is the light of my life. His chin hairs have turned silver as has his whisker area around the nose. But he still looks like a young pup to me.
He has that sparkle in the eyes when I ask him if he wants to go for a walk or go chase the “critter” down the hall. His critter is a stuffed toy, his favorite and resembles a ferret. I have lost count of the hours where I threw the critter and he retrieved it. He always knew just how to ask by sitting up and handing me his paw and I never let him down.
I think that is part of trust. A habit that results in something is reliable and it showed him he had some control over the process of play. He also feels that he is my second in command since he takes it upon himself to dispatch a correction to my 18 year old cat when she yowls for attention and starts misbehaving to get it. He does not hurt her but chases her and that is just what she wants.
My cat has gotten to this ripe old age by being smart and of course, she thinks she is in charge. There is an inherent understanding between the cat and my dog that is truly remarkable. Sometimes they play what I call the train game where he is the caboose and she is the engine. With his nose in her behind, they travel from room to room till she tires of the game.
They both know that they can rely on me to play with them and to provide routines so they know what to expect. Take meal time for instance. Both are fed early morning even before I consider my own breakfast and they eat in two different rooms to cut down on any friction. My dog gets cooked liver along with the usual dried kibble and she gets some canned food for seniors, just a little since her innards are sensitive.
They look forward to it. Also, I go to bed at the same time every night. I start turning out lights and the cat moves into the living room where I was sitting to get the warm spot while my dog and I head for the bedroom. He cuddles up to me on the covers and another day is done. I always feel grateful for this since my animals sense my moods and give love so freely.
If you ever have lost a pet, you know how hard that is and what a hold they leave in your life. A few years back, my dog got a horrible and mysterious infection internally that almost killed him. I was without him for three days and it made me see how close we truly are. I guess the only message from this is to appreciate your pets while you have them. They teach us so much about living in the moment and loving life. I hope you too feel as blessed about your pets as I do about mine.