Dogs, Cats, Lizards, Oh My!

There's a dog on the sofa, a cat on my pillow, and a lizard in my shoe! Noah had his ark; this is our household. When my husband, Paul, and I were married, we each had a dog and that was natural as we had both grown up with dogs. But shortly thereafter, a rabbit joined our household. He was a huge Dutch rabbit who had been rescued from a classroom where, well, let's say less than nice things had been done to him. A couple more rabbits followed, then a cat, a couple of voles, a snake, and well, that kind of set the scene for the future.

Living with pets requires some compromises. We always have lint rollers at hand, in the house, and in the car. We are experts on vacuum cleaners - in fact, a future blog will discuss our vacuum cleaner findings! We each have a home office and there's a screen door on each room so that pets can be kept out if we want to exclude them. (A kitten makes short work of neatly stacked papers!)

But a life with pets can have some unexpected results. I have been writing professionally about pets since 1985 when I was first published in DOG FANCY magazine. As of today, I've had 60 books published on dogs, cats, reptiles, and birds, and have had more than 1000 magazine articles published in a variety of pet and general interest magazines. For more on my work go to www.lizpalika.com.

I also became a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant. I've been teaching dogs and their owners for more than 25 years. Kindred Spirits Dog Training is in NW Vista, California in northern San Diego county.

Another unexpected result of pets can affect family. Years ago, my mother in law said she would never spend the night with us again when she heard something moving in the guest bedroom closet all night. When Paul investigated, he found our kingsnake that had escaped from its cage a month or so previously! I won't say whether that result was good or bad!

Living with pets has benefits that definately out weigh the disadvantages, though. Our pets make us laugh and provide us with unlimited affection. There's always a warm body to snuggle with when you're feeling blue. We get more exercise, too, because the dogs need it and want it. And we have met the nicest people who also share their lives with pets.

So book mark this page and check back regularly. We'll be talking about a variety of things; all centered around living with pets.

Liz