Missing Kato

Throughout Kato illness we did the bargaining thing. One more Christmas (we got two), one more Landmark with people she feels content with (Martello Tower with J &S), one more summer, one more walk with people she adores (thanks G & J) one more visit from P&B so she could chew P’s beard (we had several), one more science defying back from the brink (she did a few) and she saw me through my cancer.

But at the end, it comes down to one more day, one more hour, just five more minutes. What I wouldn’t give to just rest my face on her soft head and inhale that wonderful, warm smell of Kato. Kato never grew up, the eternal puppy, so it feels like she went too soon and we have to remind ourselves that she was 12.5

Losing her has left a huge gap, the house feels too big and the future feels strange.

The Search is On

Frodi is OK though he looks bereft on the odd occasion he has to be left. He’s enjoying his 7 miles twice a week with G and for a 13year old dog he is very fit.

We know we should get another dog. Hippy is pretty much home all day but even so it’s wrong to leave a dog like Frodi alone for more than an hour. We don’t want to buy a dog while so many are in rescue but the rescues have rigid homing policies. We’re too old, too disabled, too honest, we won’t walk her everyday, Frodi will grumble at the home assessor. Being turned down would make me rage, however reasonable the reasons. Like failing an interview for a job I didn't want. How dare they.

The Midlands rescues seem to be wall-to-wall staffys (bit small for us) or dogs who can’t live with other dogs. We don’t mind not having a puppy but not so old that we’re soon losing again. If we go to Sunnyside, the homing policy is more flexible but we know it will be rows of sad, discarded staffys.

Sunnyside do ask that the existing dog has a walk with potential dog on a lead. Frodi doesn’t do leads very well and there is no off-lead area. And it’s sort of meaningless, it’s the introduction in the home that is crucial to whether Frodi accepts his new companion. Frodi liked Dotty but he did try to bully Thorn. He’s great with other dogs out on his walks, especially if he’s off-lead. The internet is full of young dogs for cash sale whose owners’ personal circumstances have changed. I’ve seen a couple of female Rottweiler cross in Birmingham rescues but it’s quite far now for us, if things didn’t work out and we had to return her. We don't mind a few foibles to iron out but perhaps not the full on neurotic mess that Frodi was.

But I know she’s out there, there’s a name, basket and eccentric elderly collie companion waiting.