Over the years our family has had many pets - some weird, some wonderful but all dearly loved. Some were with us for a long time, others for only a few days, but we remember them all. Here are some of their stories - favourites of Katrina's who has asked that they be part of the "Pets" page.


 

Back in Flossie's day, dogs (and kids) led a much more carefree life than they do today. Claude and his friends would take off on their bikes first thing in the morning roaming around the city with their dogs, checking out construction sites, parks and all sorts of other interesting things. The dogs might leave the group early and were always able to find their way home on their own from any part of town. The kids would arrive home later, in time for dinner (probably pretty grubby and in need of a good scrub) to be greeted by their furry friends. The dogs ate table scraps - and, if they were lucky, a bone to chew on. Flossie lived a long and healthy life - no vaccinations, no vets, just lots of love and plenty of exercise!

 

Boots was a small tabby cat with white paws - so, the very original name of Boots. She was Penny's first kitten - the first of many. When Boots was about to give birth to her own kittens, GeeGee, horrified that her little daughter might see such a thing, arranged for the neighbours to go on a picnic (GeeGee supplied all the food) and to take Penny with them. So when Penny came home - behold - new kits!

When Penny and her parents moved to France in 1952, they adopted a small orange and white cat, already named Mitsou. Mitsou and her babies had many adventures and they all used up every one of their nine lives.
Mitsou's human family rented a big house with a huge garden in Bois-le-Roi. At the end of the garden was an old rotting hen house. One day, Mitsou disappeared. We searched the house and garden for days, calling and calling for the little cat. It was winter - a cold rainy winter like we have in Vancouver and there was no sign of Mitsou. We had given her up for lost when GeeGee said she thought she had heard a cat crying when she was out in the garden - more searching and finally - back in a corner of the old rotting hen house - there she was - cold, wet, hungry and skinny. We gathered her in - gave her a bath (oh how she hated THAT!) and a good meal and a dish of warm milk.
But Mitsou's adventures had only just begun!
In the huge house (as there are in lots of houses in Europe) there was a large wine cellar. The wine cellar belonged to the landlord and the renters had no access to it. One day, soon after Mitsou's first adventure, the landlord came to visit and went down to the wine cellar. After he got some bottles of wine he locked the cellar and went back to his home in Paris about 75 kilometers away. Again - no cat! We called and called. The first place we checked was the old rotting hen house but this time she wasn't there. We thought we could hear her crying but couldn't find her. After five days we realized she had gotten locked in the wine cellar when the landlord left. You have to understand that in those days, in Europe, driving 75 km took a long time and was pretty expensive. First we had to call the landlord (a long distance phone call - also expensive) and try to talk him in to coming back to let the cat out of the wine cellar. He was not a cat lover and would happily have left her there, but we finally talked him in to coming back to let her out. Another bath for the cold, hungry cat!
But Mitsou's adventures weren't over yet!
Soon after that episode, Mitsou's family decided to move to another house, but had to spend a month in a "Pension" (hotel). Mitsou was expecting kittens and the hotel owner said she would have to go to the vet to have her kittens. Mitsou's time comes and her family takes her to the vet's. Two days later, she was yet to have her kittens and the vet was worried. He said she would die if she didn't give birth soon and she refused to have the kittens at the vet's office. After much discussion, the hotel owners agreed to let Mitsou have her kittens at the hotel provided her human family payed for any damages. An hour later, there were three beautiful little kittens.
Move adventures yet to come!