A Dogs Life

I’ve been trying for weeks, to read “Marley and Me”. The mistake I made was reading the last bit first: the last bit was the tribute to his dog that the author wrote in the newspaper when his dog, Marley died.

Having been an animal lover (?!) for over 30 years, the words and sentiment behind them, hurt so much, I started to read and cried…….

Last night I started at the beginning of the book and read of the authors first dog, with him since he was a boy – and I cried again. I think this is a book (and movie), I won’t be able to take…….

In our home now, we have numbers 11,12, 13, 14 and 15, “never agains”. These are our beloved animals (2 cats, 3 dogs) which we were never going to have because the pain of losing numbers one to 10 was SO very great, the thought of losing another was just TOO much

But here we are: with Tiffy cat who, at 13 and looking very like Ena Sharples, is in the twilight of her cat years. With Alfie dog, aged 7.5 who has endured being thrown on a motorway and left to coming into our home in Yorkshire then moving here to Cyprus. Molly Mou who found us after being dumped in the dark forest – and Charlie Kitten, who was found at the other side of the island by our friends who couldn’t bare to leave the little kitten. And Jake: now 11 stones , 14 months and totally loveable in a “monster” sort of way. My heart breaks when I think about losing any of them – but my spirit sings when I see them all – especially all cuddled together in their “pack”, enjoying the company. It is so very hard – yet it is so easy to love them………

So the book is going to be consigned to a villa in Coral Bay where I hope the guests have stronger guts and less sensitivity than I – and I know it is a beautiful book.

A dogs life it may be but its one I’ll be eternally grateful for , not least due to their endearing and unconditional love for we humans. As to cats, their love is touching too – by claws if we forget their food and by cuddles when they are in need of security when their ‘vagabonding” nights are done.

If I ever write, it will be “Animals and us – and lots of them”.

Bless them all