Furchild Jake & Tribute to Fat Boy

Ten years ago, I had a little puppy come into my life. My family's dachsund-chihuahua mix Barney had just passed away, and my children were heartbroken. We had decided not to get another dog, but one day my son came to use with tears in his eyes and said he missed his Barney, and we knew we had to find another little bundle of unconditional love for them to have in their lives. With some Christmas money, we went off to search for the right dog. I had heard that jack russells were energetic dogs full of piss and vinegar, but I heard they were smart as well. I was hoping to find a more temperate breed of dog. However, when we went to the pet store, there were six sweet little jack russells. One in particular seemed especially friendly, and my children remarked, "he touched noses with us!" I didn't want to make a hasty decision, so we went home to think it over for the night, but the next day I couldn't wait to get back to the shop, and there was the little fellow, alert and greeting us!


Of course, he went home with us. I remember being so happy I had tears in my eyes. Even before we left the store, I just knew that his name was Jake. Later on I realized that he was probably the most alert and friendly because he was the alpha dog! He has been ruling our home ever since.


I have since learned that if you are looking for a new dog, you should go to a reputable breeder, but Jake has a good home and no dog is more loved! This dog is full of it! He is ornery as all get out and still full of energy. He lays around and sleeps more than he used to and his muzzle is turning gray, but he still can jump as high as ever. And lordy, do those jack russells jump!

Isn't he adorable here? He was tearing up his bed, so I bought a cushion to put in there, but he decided to fashion a cave for himself.

When I moved here, I discovered that the lady across the lane had two little dachsunds and several kitties! She said that all of her cats were rescued because of people coming to the end of the lane to dump them off at the riverbank. One of those kitties was especially friendly and always looking to be petted. She said his name was Fat Boy because when she found him, he was so emaciated that she didn't know if he was going to make it, and she hoped the the name would be prophetic. Well he did make it and thrived! Isn't he a doll?

Fat Boy is an outside cat. He has big cajones (sorry, lol) and he is a fighter, always hunting and protecting his territory. I would often see him with some cuts and I always wondered what he found to tangle with.

He could never be caged though, and was happiest when roaming free. However, I hadn't seen him in a couple months, so I asked my neighbor what happened to Fat Boy. She said she hadn't seen him since February, and was really hoping that he had wandered into someone else's yard and was getting good care. She said that a woman up the river had a reputation for feeding what she thought were stray cats. I sure hope he is well too!

Here is a pic from last summer with Fat Boy lounging on my deck rail. My Jakey saw this and bounced at the patio doors for 20 minutes straight leaving trails of drool in his wake. Fat Boy just sat there like the cat that swallowed the canary. I hope my little neighbor kitty boy makes his way home!

I shared these pics with my neighbor and she was so overjoyed to have some pics of her lost kitty. You never know when such a little gesture like taking a picture can lead to something so meaningful for someone else!