Jeff and Julie are staying with my ex-husband, Jack, on the Upper East Side for a few days. The brownstone is quiet but not without the occasional thump of King’s water bowl or Meow’s impressive leaps from sofa to sofa. During her last visit, one of my favorite clients, Rachel, brought a large peacock feather for Meow and a squeaky rubber banana for King. They were both ecstatic to receive these gifts. I haven’t seen King so excited over a new toy since he was a puppy. Meow, too, seemed younger and more nimble as she wrestled with the feather. I couldn’t help but be reminded of how many years have gone by.
Julie was only eight years old when we adopted King from a Long Island animal shelter. Emma and I were amazed to find an abandoned purebred Siberian Husky puppy. We were told he was the runt of the litter and had been surrendered by the owner. He had just been released for adoption the day we visited. At the time, Jeff was obsessed with dragons, kings and castles, so he wanted to name our new puppy “Dragon,” but I recommended “King” as an alternative. That lucky dog has since been treated as royalty, the ruler of the brownstone.
I have always been fond of animals and wanted my children to grow up feeling responsible for another living creature. Jeff often fed, bathed and walked King, while Julie spent a great deal of time with Meow. We found Meow in our garden several years after we adopted King. She wasn’t wearing a collar, and after putting up signs in the neighborhood and asking around to no avail, we decided to keep her. Meow is a vocal cat; therefore, her name wasn’t difficult to come by. Julie named her. I can tell Julie is growing concerned about having to leave Meow when she goes off to college this September. Meow will surely miss her as well.
King was born in early May and is very much a Taurus—a stubborn, gluttonous homebody. Although we are not certain in what month Meow was born, her personality also resembles that of a patient, comfort-loving Taurus.
Have you determined your pet’s sun sign?
Image courtesy of franky242 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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