Sleep for me too!

Nora, congrats on new cat having. Also, congrats to Marley!

The Humane Society recommends keeping the new cat in a separate room for a few days, and swapping out bedding items so each cat gets used to the scent of the other. [link] Another hint that sounds eminently reasonable, is during the "quarantine" time, put their food dishes on either side of the door, so they get used to associating the presense of the other with food, a good association.

ETA: I should say, that I have never bothered with that kind of advice, and just let 'em all in together.

Also, I think that if letting them sort things out for themselves at first does not work out, you can go back and try again with a quarantine period to reset things.

I don't wanna go out today.

And rain is SO not the way to make me want to get out.

Ugh, rain. It was raining here yesterday. I'd been planning on going grocery shopping, but ended up staying in and reading instead.

It's snowing here. It's gorgeous. Toto wasn't real thrilled on his walk this morning, but I still say it's gorgeous.

And, speaking of adding another pet, I have been seriously considering getting a companion for Toto. I think it would be good for him when I go back to work, and I think it would be good for me, in case anything ever happens to Toto. I really want another Cairn Terrier, and I have looked at rescue Cairns, but so many of them can't be adopted into a home with another dog. So, I've also been checking out breeders. Part of me feels badly about that. I mean, I rescued Toto. But, some of his issues almost did me in. And that's not to say that a dog from a breeder wouldn't have issues. I just think some of the more difficult, persistent issues wouldn't be such a problem.

So, we'll see... I think it will be fun to have another dog, though.

A very, very short leash. I don't mean this in the negative sense. Bartleby's leash is less than a foot long.

I follow the short leash school of thought too, bonny. And use a body harness rather than a collar because that controls the tugging/pulling without the choking/gasping for air things.

I haven't tried a backpack though. That's a good idea.

One of the biggest problems I have walking Jas around our neighborhood is that a lot of my neighbors have small dogs that they allow out into their front yards without benefit of leads or invisible fencing. So they come charging at Jasmine and Jas, being a happy Lab, wants to PLAY! And who do you think gets the stinkeye? The owner of the cute, eensy puppy or the owner of the big, black, 65 lb. dog? It's kind of frustrating.

Oh, ugh. I have a huge, HUGE thing with people who let their dogs wander unleashed. If they are with their dog, it's not such an issue, but if not, I get really crabby. I have worked really hard with Toto to wait for permission from me before approaching another dog. So, when a dog runs up to him, it really throws him off. It's not always about your own dog, you know? There's a reason why there are leash laws.

I've actually called animal control and/or the police on wandering dogs. I just have no patience for it. That and people who don't clean up after their dogs. No patience for that either. I have trouble with a couple of my dogless neighbors because of other people. I always clean up, and they know that now, but at first they would be really crabby if Toto even inched onto their lawn.

Oh Brenda!!! {{{Bren and Luce}}} You gave her an awesome life honey.