Of Cats and Dogs

I am one of those people who sincerely believe that pets make our lives better. In fact I can't imagine not sharing my space with a pet. As many of you recall, we presently have two pets, Owen, our Persian kitty (pictured here at left) and Sheldon, our Standard Poodle. It amazes me how social they both can be. Sheldon usually goes to work with one of us every day, and Owen works at home as guard-kitty. He likes to hide under the glass top table, in the middle of the base pillars that support the glass. I suppose with the chairs around the table base, it protects him from any wildebeests who could come charging in without a moments notice. Owen sure is smart about things like that. When we come home from work, Owen runs to the door to greet us. I swear that cat can tell time. Sometimes, if we are running late he will be waiting by the door, and immediately begins talking at us when we cross the threshold. Of course, Sheldon is so excited to be home again to see his brother that they soon run around and play together for awhile.

above: Sheldon loves to be outside on the patio, relaxing by the pool.

above: ...while Owen waits patiently by the door, inside wishing he could get outside to play. Aside from the heat, I don't want the cat outside, too many hungry hawks with sharp eyes.

above: Sheldon is such a social creature. He follows me around wherever I go in the house, and listens to everything I say. Sometimes I think he actually understands me.

above: Owen has a few other favorite spots in the house. This end table is handy for its proximity to the wild jungle-like plant.

above: Sheldon loves to sprawl out and relax, content with watching me blog away on my laptop.

above: When comfort comes first, Owen heads for his favorite side chair. This one has an especially comfortable spot on top, ideal for meditating and practicing mind control over humans. Funny thing is I think he is pretty good at it. I find myself mumbling "must open can of organic cat food for Owen...must open can or organic cat food for Owen...."

Well that's all for today. Hope you enjoyed this little post of Cats and Dogs.

-Rick Rockhill

Adventures of Sheldon: Opposites Attract

Our young Sheldon has developed into a fine young boy, living the life of a prince-complete with the best quality natural food, organic treats, and a faux mink fur dog bed, of course! Among all of his other spoils, Sheldon has really bonded with his older brother Owen. They have really bonded and spend loads of time together- from chasing each other around the house, to "grooming" each other, to snuggling up for a nice long snooze. I managed to catch some video of them together the other day and thought it would be a fun way to end the week. Usually people think dogs and cats fight and just can't get along, claiming they are opposites. I have a different opinion. I say, "Opposites Attract" so check out this video as the "Adventures of Sheldon" continue...

(to watch the video, click the little arrow in the lower left corner of the box above. FYI- the sound is a little loud, I forgot to lower the song volume when I edited it.)
If it doesn't play, click here to watch it on You Tube
I hope you enjoyed that little video of the Adventures of Sheldon. They sure are cute, aren't they? Here is a great photo of Owen one morning when he woke up- he likes to sleep under the covers sometimes, although I can't say I blame him!
Oh, tomorrow I'm having lunch with one of my super famous friends, and by super famous I mean someone on TV. If I can write about it, you'll be the first to know, but you know how protective I am of those friendships...so stay tuned!
-Rick Rockhill

Owen's New Official Job Duties

Most of you are familiar with Owen, our Persian cat (see head shot at left). He recently assumed several new important responsibilities at home. His official duties now include: Secretary of the Interior, monitoring everything from furniture to furnishings and also has responsibilities for pruning plants and flowers. Homeland Security Chief, where he maintains a watchful eye on the property through window observation points. But most recently Owen has assumed an additional role, as Minister for Atmosphere and Entertainment. In this important new position, he has broad powers to oversee essential functions such as lounging, chasing things, watching TV, sleeping, and watching flickering flames from candles and fireplaces. In one of his first actions as Minister for Atmosphere and Entertainment, Owen instituted sweeping rules that require all fireplaces and candles to be in operation daily. In this photo, you can see the effect of the fireplaces and candles that give Owen plenty of distraction and entertainment. Having three official jobs keeps Owen quite busy. He is frequently torn between critical decisions such as whether or not to chew the plants, stare out the window or sit in front of the fireplace. Here is Owen hard at work:

above: standing guard in the light of day...

above: standing guard in the dark of night...

above: and after sitting upright for hours, Owen takes a moment to relax in front of the fireplace.

above: Owen's jurisdiction includes outdoor fireplaces, but he delegates these supervisory responsibilities to me. I frequently sit outside at night in front of the fire to blog, and carry out his duties with a glass of wine and my laptop. Owen's dedication and commitment to his three official duties are a true inspiration, don't you agree?

-Rick Rockhill

Halloween Is Just Around the Corner

Many of you know that I work in the retail pet supply industry, and love animals. I'm always a little leery of people who don't like animals. I'm not saying everyone has to LOVE animals, but when someone says they dislike animals I have a hard time warming up to them. I happen to have two dogs, a cat and of course a world-famous betta fish. My pets are a big part of my life, in many ways they are our "kids". In my position I meet a lot of pet parents who are crazy about their four legged-friends too. One of the more interesting examples of people having fun with their pets is around Halloween. There are retailers like us who sell fantastic costumes for dogs and cats. Now before I come across like a complete shill for my company, I wish to reinforce that this is not a paid post, it is just me writing my little old blog, about my personal opinions, with no affiliation to my employer. That being said, we sure have some stinkin' cute Halloween costumes this year! I was thinking of sending a costume to my mom for her Shitzu, "Abbie", but I can't make up my mind which one. I think Sheldon may be the caveman or construction worker, but I have not decided yet. Last year I waited too long to buy a costume for Koshimi and we were sold out of the good ones. For the sake of making this a little more fun, I borrowed a few images from our website, just to show you how much fun it is to dress up your dog at Halloween.

above: The Pirate...where is Johnny Depp- I mean, Captain Jack Sparrow?

above left: Fire-Dog & above right: Police-Dog. I love a dog in a uniform!

above left: Bumble-bee & above right: "Witch-on-a-broomstick" (I love witches)
Which one is your favorite? or are there others you like better?

-Rick Rockhill

Stinky Old Shoes...

What makes a cat pass out? Well how about a pair of smelly shoes? When you look at them together it makes a fun story-board of smelly shoes that makes the kitty pass-out! Thanks to my friend Andi for sharing these photos with me.

I'm off to Las Vegas today for business...will definitely have an interesting update for you tomorrow so stay tuned!
-Rick Rockhill

Spotlight on Owen

This week I took Owen to the groomer for his usual "lion cut" haircut but he had so many knots and tangles that he had to be shaved down a lot shorter than usual. When he got home he was cranky...and paced around for awhile...

So I called him up onto his favorite bar stool to have a talk, "cat to man". He listened intently as I explained how he really needs to do a better job grooming himself in between visits to the groomer. But I told him what a good kitty he was, then he bowed to acknowledge my words.

And then he moved in close, stared at me and suddenly began talking. He is very communicative, and squints his eyes as he meows. He looks like something out of the Chronicles of Narnia or something. But he's my boy!

-Rick Rockhill