The first of every month, my dogs get their heartworm preventive medication along with flea and tick treatment. The cats also get their monthly treatments. The other day I lined up the dog’s ParaStar Plus. I like that product. It is made in America, has the same ingredient as Frontline, plus an added ingredient that

a non-pink Fudgie Last weekend, Fudgie and I went to the Black Diamond cat show. Prior to the show, he had his usually primping routine. The never ending bath and blow dry was accomplished on Friday. Saturday morning at the show while sitting at the bench, I noticed his tail looked a bit

My oldest dog, Twinkle, is in her twilight years without a doubt. She will be fourteen years old in the spring. She, like all my Labradors, has been a good dog. She was a great show dog, earning her championship at a young age. Seriously, she was one of those dogs that stood up and

The Greater Baltimore Cat Club hosts a show in Parkville MD every December. I like to go to the show. It’s not too far away, the weather is usually pretty good. Well, except for the year there was a snow storm on the drive home when I was very grateful I was driving a Tahoe.

I spent the long weekend driving back and forth to Bloomsburg for dog shows. I competed with my four year old chocolate Labrador, Orchid. Orchid and I have spent much of the last year campaigning for her championship in conformation (sort of the beauty queen class). While she is getting closer to completion for that,

I admit it. I have not been working with my six month old Labrador puppy, Bling, as I intended to. It has been a busy summer. She went to puppy class as do every one of my puppies. She knows the basics, sit, walk on a leash, stand, etc. But, I had planned early on

It was my first time at the huge Garden State Cat Club show in July. I knew ahead of time there were going to be FORTY SEVEN vendors; that’s a big show! I packed up Fudgie for competition in the championship division along with retired Nougat to be a Pet Me cat and to be

photo of Orchid by RoxAnn Franklin This was a busy weekend with Orchid. At over three and a half years of age, Orchid is becoming a beautiful, gentle dog with her own special personality. Yesterday, Orchid and I went to Fun Field Day with the Keystone Labrador Retriever Club. It was a lovely

It all started with pictures of an adorable RagaMuffin litter. After having purchased a pet RagaMuffin from Kathy Hyneman of Kaerik Rags two years previously, I had decided I wanted to try my hand at showing a cat. They were all beautiful. Kathy pointed me to the silver classic tabby male. There was something special

I’ve blogged so many times about Crinkle that I expect that any time someone will comment : “enough!” But, here is one last one. His remaining time is very limited. A piece of my heart will go with him. He is dying. I need to make a decision soon to help him leave this world.

Last weekend was yet another cat show. The day before Easter, I was set up next to friends at a hotel in Maryland with a couple of cats and several Easter costumes. Nougat, my seasoned show cat, star of commercials (well, he’s made an appearance in a couple), and object of my obsession with cat

12 months Recently, I went to a cat show in the Baltimore area. I entered both veteran Nougat and his grandson Fudgie. One of my plans for the show was to have them both photographed by Chanan Photography out of California. For Nougat , it was likely to be his last photos prior

Crinkle is my red tabby rescue cat that I’ve had for three and a half years now. He has been the subject of several previous blogs. When he was found, he was starving, maggot infested and not expected to live. He struggled to survive for several months. He became an integral part of my household.

It’s the weekend before Halloween, so I do as I typically do, fret over what outfits the cats are going to wear at the show. I know, I know, nobody cares. But, I also know, spectators and other exhibitors get a kick out of my wonderful RagaMuffins when they see them dressed up. Other exhibitors

After years of competing with horses, then dogs, and now cats, one thing I have come to believe is that the animals need to enjoy it. They do not have a say in sending in the entries. They have no say in what class they will be in. This is not to say that they

I realized recently that two anniversaries have gone by without notice. One is my adoption of Sprinkles and Praline and the other is the addition of Crinkle to the family. All are doing well. They are joyful, well loved members of my household. Over four years ago, Sprinkles and Praline were rescued from a campground

It’s been over nine years since I lost Sparkle. She was only three years old when she was killed by a car on my road. I cry every time I think about it. The guilt has stayed with me. I think it always will. Sparkle was my keeper puppy out of my first show dog,

Every pet owner knows that one day, their pet will be old and it will be time to let go. I am facing that now with three of my old cats. Kinky, Truffles, and Basil are 15-17 years old. Until recently two of the three have been doing very well for their age. It is

Today was a day I knew would come. It was the day every pet person knows is inevitable. I put Shimmer to sleep. Those that visit Schuylkill Veterinary Hospital may remember Shimmer as the older chocolate Labrador that hung out at the front desk until recently. She’s been failing, so had to stay home of

I’ve been a Labrador breeder for quite a while now. Always on a small scale, I have produced dogs with the goal of health, temperament , trainability, and classic Labrador looks. Most of my puppies go to families as beloved pets. But, over the years, I have donated puppies to service dog programs to be