All Creatures March/April 2020

DO ANIMALS FALL IN LOVE the way people do? Is it with the same mad intensity that is part pleasure and part pain? I only know that Millie, our late golden retriever, appeared to feel that way toward Simon, the dog next door to our weekend place in the Berkshires. Simon was her first love, when she was just a year or so. He was a smallish black Lab mix, about five, with a touch of gray on his muzzle. Millie fell head over tail in love with him at first sight. She’d chase him through our yard, which was enclosed by an underground electric boundary fence, yipping and whimpering in a way she did solely for him. If Simon took off up into the woods, she would wait patiently…

Seven years ago Shelby Madere heard about a four-month-old potbellied pig who needed to be rehomed. Shelby knew she could care for him at her Southern California home, even with two rescue dogs. “The dogs were curious about Chowder,” she says, “and I worked hard to help them not only coexist but also become family.” Three more rescue dogs joined the family, and Chowder and his five canine siblings have grown up together. “We relocated to south Texas so I could give them a country life with room to run,” Shelby says. The bonded pack takes full advantage of the open land, playing together and posing for pictures. Their favorite activity is walking the property alongside Shelby. “It brings me so much joy to see them happy together.”…

WILD RUMPUS BOOKS Minneapolis, Minnesota Eartha Kitt Though usually a spunky cat, Eartha, who joined the Wild Rumpus family in March 2019, sometimes falls asleep next to books. Newbery Newbery the chinchilla enjoys running on his wheel and is a champion snuggler. Neil and Iggy Talk about a welcome committee! Beloved by visitors, Neil (top) has even laid eggs in the store. Atticus Books With a Past Glenwood, Maryland This kitty is known to nap throughout the shop, where he has his own shelf of book recommendations. Opie, Marlee and Sparky with Ann Parnassus Books Nashville, Tennessee Novelist and co-owner Ann Patchett sits with three of her four-legged associates. Her dog, Sparky (far right), will always accept belly rubs. Sophie John K. King Used & Rare Books Detroit, Michigan Owner…

ON JANUARY 26, 2019, tragedy struck our family. My husband and I were out of town. A friend was taking care of our 15 rescued cats at our second home. Our friend wasn’t in the house when an electrical fire started. The place was destroyed, and 12 of our fur babies perished. I was heartbroken. Every one of them—Buddy, Tag, Tigger, Little Bit, Nubs, Lovie, Hitchhiker, Smoke, Friendly, Guy, Joey and Blue—had a story. Some were rescued from the county shelter, others were found on the street. A few were feral cats that had come to trust us over time. Each of them was precious, with their own unique personality. We’ve had many pets cross the Rainbow Bridge over the years, and I bought garden flags printed with their photos…

BERTHA SINGER, 89, has been sewing pillows for decades, often giving them to the church near her Pennsylvania home. But her most recent beneficiaries are the more than 150 feline residents of the volunteer-run Meshoppen Cat Rescue. For Bertha, who is a lifelong animal lover, creating these cushions has not only brought her joy but also helped her health since arthritis and dementia have limited her abilities. “Making the pillows leaves Mom relaxed yet focused and keeps her mind active,” says her daughter, Ethel, who helps Bertha drop off the pillows at the shelter. Bertha and Ethel also donate litter and food, but it’s the homemade cushions that have garnered the most attention—from cats and people. “The pillows have brought a lot of happiness to the kitties,” says Paula Foux,…

OLIVE AND CUDDLES (pictured at right) are two residents of the Kiernan family farm in Duanesburg, New York, that help keep things colorful this time of year. Of the 30 chickens that Kristen, her husband and kids care for, six are Easter eggers. These birds often have colorful patterned plumage; some have extra fluffy feathers around their cheeks; and most have green legs! But their blue or green eggs, or even those that appear pink, are what surprise and delight people. “Some are a soft blue, while others are almost a teal color,” Kristen says. A single hen, however, does not produce a rainbow of eggs. “If she lays a blue egg, she only lays blue eggs.” No need for an egg-dyeing kit in the Kiernan household!…