Happy Anniversary Lady and Man

 Today the Lady and Man celebrate being married for 87 million years (some days it does feel like that, although legally is its 30). We will be away again this week, but expect to return to regular scheduled programming next week.

Happy Belated Gotcha Day

 Yesterday we celebrated 1 year with Tigris and Styx. It is hard to believe it has been one year already. They arrived between the loss of Hailey and Zaphod, and while our hearts still ache, it would have been impossible to survive that 6 week period without them. They bring us joy, laughter and love.

Happy Gotcha Day!

Then

Tigris

Styx

Now

Tigris

Styx

Happy Family Day - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends

Guess what? Guess what? In Ontario, where Lady works, it is Family Day. This means Lady is home all day. Man works in Quebec so he is still at work. This makes me sad because Man is my BFF. Also, I like it best when all the people are home. Yesterday, Lady went out in the morning without Man and I had to wake Man up to make sure he knew it was just us. This is not a normal Sunday thing and I was concerned. So concerned I need to check on him, and then go in the windows and meow and carry on and get love and and and. I was so glad when he finally got up. 

We don't have a family picture yet, nope, we don't. Tigris and Lanie are just starting to interact. It is mostly Gris hissing at Lanie, but that is how my friendship with my new friend started. I hissed and she ignored me and now we are buddies. So while no family picture this year,  I do have pictures with each of my best cat girls.

Here I am with Lanie, watching her eat. I hardly ever even hiss at her anymore. We like to hang out in Lady's office when Lady isn't in it. 

Here I am with my first Lady, Tigris. I may annoy her by playing too rough some times (she gets really mad and I love it), but she is a very good caretaker and I don't think I would be here if she hadn't taken such good care of me before we came to live with the Lady and Man. I am lucky to be hers.

I hope everyone takes some time to love their family members today. I will. I will give so much love and be so helpful.

your pal, Styx

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Lanie

Styx

Tigris

Welcome 2026

Lady: 2025 ended in ways we did not expect. While we felt confident we would be saying goodbye to both Hailey and Zaphod in 2025, we didn't imagine ending the year with 3 cats or be rehabbing a feral one. Goes to show you, you never know where life will take you. 

To all of those who have followed our journey the past year (or longer), thank you. We wish you and yours all the best for 2026. May you have more laughter than tears, and more adventures than set backs. 

Now to the cats resolutions.

Tigris:

I resolve to only sleep on soft human furniture, refuse to do puzzles and refuse to love the new cat. 

Styx

Hi friends, hi friends - I resolve to remember I have a tail, remember my food has to be on the counter cause Gris eats it all and resolve to continue to protect my people from all the wildlife outside my window.  I might try and like the new cat.

Jack-O-Lanie

I resolve to refuse to give my captures the satisfaction on lap love and to make Styx at least be my friend. 

Almost Wordless Wednesday - Merry Christmas

 

Our official Christmas picture

From all of us, to all of you, wishing you the best of the season, however you celebrate it.

Lady, Man, Tigris, Styx and Jack-O-Lanie

Happy Canada Day

 From the River Cats, Tigris and Styx

Happy 14th Birthday Zaphod!

 Today we wish our beautiful boy a very happy birthday! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

 

Thank goodness, a virtual hat

"May you always hear, even in your hour of sorrow,, the gentle singing of the lark."

Happy Valentine's Day

 

Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Outtakes

 

Happy 15th Birthday Hailey!

 Today we celebrate Miss Hailey Bug's 15th birthday! 

There is so much we could say about the last 14 years with our girl, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Today, we are just going to sit in the moment of celebrating her! 

Shouldn't there be a Senior Hat Tax Discount?

Happy Gotcha Day Hailey!

 Today, we celebrate 14 years with Hailey!

She has never been an easy dog. However, in spite of the destruction, anxiety and craziness, she has always been wonderful.

Today we celebrate 14 years with her!

Happy Birthday Dear Man!

 Today we celebrate a milestone birthday for our Man. He turns the Big 5-0!

Please join us in wishing him a very happy birthday!

The Celebration - by Phod

 Thank you to everyone who took the time to wish me a happy Gotcha Day. 

Lady was out a lot of the day, but when she was home, she sang and sang and sang. 

It wasn't all bad, because at dinner, I got a special treat.

Lady got special puppy donuts. She sang while we waited for them.

Because it is good to share, there were 2 and Lee had to wait too. 

Lady says the look on my face, made her laugh. I was done waiting. 

I picked my cookie and then took it and ran to the other room to eat it in peace!

your pal, with a full belly, Phod

Happy 12th Gotcha Day Phod!

Lady: Happy Gotcha Day Phod

Phod: You are not going to sing are you? I hate it when you sing!

Lady: Sorry bud, I am going to sing to you all day. But first, I want to tell you the story of how I came to be the luckiest Lady alive, and have a Phod in her life.

Phod: I am not sure if retelling this story is better or worse than the singing, but go for it Lady, because I know it will make you happy and there is nothing I love more than making you happy.

A picture of Phod from the first year he lived with us

Lady: Ok, here it goes. In the spring of 2012, Man and I decided it was time to move. We were thinking about what part of the city to move to, when one day the Man said "Don't say no. I want you to think about it." So I of course immediately said no, and then he said "What about moving to the Quebec side? We could have trees, and hills and water." Now as you know, I don't really speak French and had some concerns, but I asked "Can I have another dog if we do?"  And the Man said yes. So we started a search for a house in Quebec and another dog. 

Phod: How did you find me Lady?

Lady: I was looking at all the rescues, and the rescue we got Hailey from. I reached out to them. At first, they said, read the profiles. Then Lady said, "I do, but it is hard to know who is a good fit. I want the opposite of Hailey." The woman who ran the rescue said there was a once in a lifetime dog, a very gentle soul they had recently taken from a shelter. If her dog wasn't so territorial, she would take him. He was a shepherd mix probably about one and a half named Zaphod. 

Phod: So, if another dog didn't need to be an only dog, I wouldn't have found you? 

Lady: Our lives would all be different Phod, but you would have been loved. We arranged to meet you and took Lee to a park with a fenced space near your foster mom's. You two played and got along well. We were sold. 

Phod: I am very handsome and sweet, so I can see why you were sold Lady. 

Lady: Then we were moving and we moved on August 2nd. Around this time we got a call saying that they were dropping a dog off not too far from us and if we were really interested, they would bring you on August 6. We were a little nervous, having just moved and people being worried about us getting a Shepherd mix. Sadly, this breed has some prejudices against it. But we took the plunge and said ok. You came. You walked into the house, looked around, lifted your leg and peed on our bed (the only time you ever did this) and you were home. And everyone who was nervous about us having a Shepherd mix wasn't the moment they met you.

Phod now

Phod: I am glad that I helped show people that it isn't the breed, it is the dog you should judge. I am sure the rescue people were nice and would have been great, but I am really, really glad you said yes Lady and picked me. I am glad Hailey is my sister (and not just because her behaviour has made anything I do look good in comparison). I love her and you and Man and the lake and the bush and the neighbours (who I miss a lot right now because they are on vacation), and Grammie and the Big Guy and Emma and Uncle Chris and Aunt C and her family and well almost everyone I have met, and my Precious even though I don't play with her anymore, and sleeping in the closet and well I love almost everything. I don't love the car or the vet. 

Lady: Phod - we love everything about you and we are so happy to be celebrating 12 years with you. 

Happy 12th Gotcha Day Zaphod! 

Happy Canada Day!

 Picture circa 2020 because darn, Lady forgot to make us pose for a new one.

FFF Nature Friday - Special Edition

If Aunty-Yam's FFF and Rosy and Sunny's Nature Friday falling on the same day wasn't special enough, today is also Aunty-Yam's birthday!

We are sending our warmest birthday wishes across the pond. 

Look up in the sky and see

Happy Birthday wishes from me,

They are floating on the clouds so far

To bring them to where you are,

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Happy, Happy, Birthday, Hooray!

How We Celebrated Easter

 

We had a very busy Easter weekend. Friday, we went in the car for 87 million hours (about 1.5 hours) to Grammie and the Big Guy's house for lunch. 

There we saw our human cousin Troy who used to be scared of us but is not our best buddy. 

Since we didn't have breakfast before we went as Phod gets carsick, we begged for treats (no we didn't get any peeps). 

We got lots of pets from Grammie, the Big Guy, Uncle D, Aunt C, 

And of course Uncle Chris. Cousin Emma didn't come so we didn't see her. We missed her. 

Sunday we celebrated by having an egg hunt.

This year, Lee wasn't so much into it. She tolerated the activity. 

I shouldn't have to search for my treat, they should be given to me on a silver tray

Phod though, he got right into it.

I get to hunt for treats - cool! 

If you celebrate we hope you had a fun Easter too and if you don't, we hope you had a wonderful weekend. 

Happy Birthday Phod!

 

We may not know exactly when his birthday is,  but we pick today to celebrate it.

We may no know exactly how old he is, but we guess he is at least 13, so we celebrate 13 this year.

What we do know is how much we love this sweet, old man and how much he makes our lives better.

Happy birthday buddy!