I believe that animals are capable of loving. We love them and they feel so wanted and safe that there must be some kind of reciprocal emotion. Whatever it may be, when I am lying on the sofa watching tv, Lilliput jumps up and kneads me for half a minute or so (cats need to knead, }:-)), then nestles down beside me, sometimes for hours. And,at bedtime, she jumps up on the bed every night, and snuggles down, sometimes beside me, sometimes beside my wife. She likes to be with us; isn't that what love is! Another thing - when she wants our attention, she will come up to us, look up, tuck her shoulder under toward the floor, and drop on her side. We call it her shoulder roll. Cute? You bet! A pyschologist might call it an act of submission; we call it love. I forgot to mention that when Angel jumped up on the bureau for her nightly mirror routine, she always sat on my wife's jewlry box. I can see her still, staring intently into that mirror. Richard Emlin ----- Original Message ----- From: "Del Bristol" <bristol@wcnet.org> To: <padutch-life@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2007 9:14 PM Subject: Re: [PD-LIFE] A Lifeful of Pets > You are truly cat-people! What a warm and loving environment you provided > for your felines that they lived so long. How remarkable that Angel would > view herself in the mirror. > > Smiles, Anna > > -----Original Message----- > From: padutch-life-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:padutch-life-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Richard Emlin Reed > Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2007 2:25 PM > To: padutch-life@rootsweb.com > Subject: [PD-LIFE] A Lifeful of Pets > > Ja, guten Tag, Jerilyn. > When our cat came to us, she was not yet full-grown; and was suffering > from > malnourishment as a result of having been abandoned. So she was rather > small > and I named her - Lilliput. She is now about thirteen going on fourteen > and > weighs fourteen pounds. She is gray with black stripes and has beautiful > eyes. Although her figure is less than optimum, I call her "Miss > Americat". > Our first pet was a mixed breed collie and setter who was much more collie > than setter. Her name was Ritzi Ellen and my wife always said she was the > only one she got to name. I named all three of our children. She lived > almost fourteen years and died in my arms in the vet's waiting room. She > could sense when it was time for me to come home from work. Around 4:30, > she > would leave her favorite corner in the kitchen; come in the living room; > and > watch the front door. > Our first cat was Cuddles. She drank only running water. When she was > thirsty, she would jump up on the counter and nudge the faucet until > someone > turned it on. She walked on a leash like a dog. She was also well > travelled; > she lived in Camp Hill and Reeser's Summit in PA, Oklahoma City, OK, > Alexandria, VA, Myerstown, PA, and Port Charlotte, Fl. She was going on > twenty when she died. > Then there was Angel, who died of a heart attack when she was seven. She > liked to jump up on the bureau and stare at herself in the mirror before > jumping on the bed and curling up in the crook of my wife's arm. > After a brief hiatus, we acquired two sisters, one gray, the other black, > from a litter which my son's cat had. We couldn't decide on names; so we > kept referring to them as "the gray one" and "the black one". Finally, I > was > inspired to name them - Graywyn and Blackwyn. They eventually became Lady > Jane Graywyn and Dame Margaret Blackwyn. They liked to fetch balls; a > tinfoil ball for Graywyn, and a plastic ball for Blackwyn. Each would > fetch > only her own ball. They were also seasoned and seasonal travellers. We had > them during our motor home period. Blackwyn died at age 17; and Graywyn, > at > age 18. > As you can see, all our pets, except poor Angel, lived long lives. We like > to think it was because they were all loved and cherished. > Richard Emlin

I believe that animals love, as well, and not just domesticated animals.? If you ever get the chance, watch the documentary "Living with Wolves" that the Discovery Channel runs on a fairly frequent basis.? It is an amazing insight into the behavior of social animals, and it explains a lot about why dogs behave the way they do.? If you see the way this group of wolves takes care of each other, you will never doubt that they have genuine feelings for each other.? There is one particularly telling moment when the pack has to be relocated and the omega wolf refuses to come out of the cage.? The alpha wolf refuses to leave without the omega, who is his brother.? The alpha spends a long time coaxing the omega out of the cage.? There is also a scene where their sister is killed, and the behavior of the remaining wolves can only be described as mourning. This documentary helped me to understand a lot of my own dog's behavior--he was an alpha dog forced into the omega position in our pack and he was pretty cranky about it! Mostly he was superior and condescending, but he would also do things that were unbearably sweet--instead of just begging for some of what you were eating, he would go get something of his and offer it in trade!? He was ridiculously smart and staggeringly beautiful and completely irreplaceable. --Debra -----Original Message----- From: Richard Emlin Reed <remlinr@tampabay.rr.com> To: padutch-life@rootsweb.com Sent: Sat, 11 Aug 2007 10:38 pm Subject: Re: [PD-LIFE] A Lifeful of Pets I believe that animals are capable of loving. We love them and they feel so wanted and safe that there must be some kind of reciprocal emotion. Whatever it may be, when I am lying on the sofa watching tv, Lilliput jumps up and kneads me for half a minute or so (cats need to knead, }:-)), then nestles down beside me, sometimes for hours. And,at bedtime, she jumps up on the bed every night, and snuggles down, sometimes beside me, sometimes beside my wife. She likes to be with us; isn't that what love is! Another thing - when she wants our attention, she will come up to us, look up, tuck her shoulder under toward the floor, and drop on her side. We call it her shoulder roll. Cute? You bet! A pyschologist might call it an act of submission; we call it love. I forgot to mention that when Angel jumped up on the bureau for her nightly mirror routine, she always sat on my wife's jewlry box. I can see her still, staring intently into that mirror. Richard Emlin ----- Original Message ----- From: "Del Bristol" <bristol@wcnet.org> To: <padutch-life@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2007 9:14 PM Subject: Re: [PD-LIFE] A Lifeful of Pets > You are truly cat-people! What a warm and loving environment you provided > for your felines that they lived so long. How remarkable that Angel would > view herself in the mirror. > > Smiles, Anna > > -----Original Message----- > From: padutch-life-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:padutch-life-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Richard Emlin Reed > Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2007 2:25 PM > To: padutch-life@rootsweb.com > Subject: [PD-LIFE] A Lifeful of Pets > > Ja, guten Tag, Jerilyn. > When our cat came to us, she was not yet full-grown; and was suffering > from > malnourishment as a result of having been abandoned. So she was rather > small > and I named her - Lilliput. She is now about thirteen going on fourteen > and > weighs fourteen pounds. She is gray with black stripes and has beautiful > eyes. Although her figure is less than optimum, I call her "Miss > Americat". > Our first pet was a mixed breed collie and setter who was much more collie > than setter. Her name was Ritzi Ellen and my wife always said she was the > only one she got to name. I named all three of our children. She lived > almost fourteen years and died in my arms in the vet's waiting room. She > could sense when it was time for me to come home from work. Around 4:30, > she > would leave her favorite corner in the kitchen; come in the living room; > and > watch the front door. > Our first cat was Cuddles. She drank only running water. When she was > thirsty, she would jump up on the counter and nudge the faucet until > someone > turned it on. She walked on a leash like a dog. She was also well > travelled; > she lived in Camp Hill and Reeser's Summit in PA, Oklahoma City, OK, > Alexandria, VA, Myerstown, PA, and Port Charlotte, Fl. She was going on > twenty when she died. > Then there was Angel, who died of a heart attack when she was seven. She > liked to jump up on the bureau and stare at herself in the mirror before > jumping on the bed and curling up in the crook of my wife's arm. > After a brief hiatus, we acquired two sisters, one gray, the other black, > from a litter which my son's cat had. We couldn't decide on names; so we > kept referring to them as "the gray one" and "the black one". Finally, I > was > inspired to name them - Graywyn and Blackwyn. They eventually became Lady > Jane Graywyn and Dame Margaret Blackwyn. They liked to fetch balls; a > tinfoil ball for Graywyn, and a plastic ball for Blackwyn. Each would > fetch > only her own ball. They were also seasoned and seasonal travellers. We had > them during our motor home period. Blackwyn died at age 17; and Graywyn, > at > age 18. > As you can see, all our pets, except poor Angel, lived long lives. We like > to think it was because they were all loved and cherished. > Richard Emlin ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PADUTCH-LIFE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com.

Hi Richard and All, Our two cats have a mirror under the one organ in our front hallway/library area. I put it there to get it out of the way, and when I noticed they like to lay there, next to the mirror, I put a small rug there, for them to lay on. Our Morris does the same thing, kneading, then laying down all content. Whiskers just needs to be near when SHE wants to be paid attention to. Morris did that dropping and rolling onto his back, for his snacks when he was a stray. One time he was at the edge of the porch, and rolled right off into the bushes. He immediately jumped back up onto the porch again, with a look of "what just happened!!!!!" When he disappeared for 9 months, right after we got his shots, before we were going to bring him into the house, I was so heartbroken!!!! I went to the shelters, to see if anyone turned him in. I looked all over Columbia, hoping to get a glimps of him, and nothing. In fact, he just disappeared like that, after living outside in the shelter I built for him at the window, where he just sat looking in at me working at my computer. I saw him on one of the coldest nights of the whole year, and said to Mike, we HAVE to bring him in. After his 9 month disappearing act, I was taking the trash out, on one of the coldest nights of the next year, and I saw something drop and roll in front of me, and I almost stepped on whatever it was. It was so dark, it took a while for my eyes to adjust_IT WAS MORRIS!!!!!!!!! I dropped the trash, and picked him up. I came into the house and told Mike to take him upstairs and give him a GOOD bath, he wasn't going out anymore!!!! He was our inside cat!! Right before that we had taken in Whiskers, and her 5 kittens, and Lindsey, that very night, brought home Lexus from Harrisburg. Talk about a full house of pets!!! We had 12 gold fish, one as big as a carp, a dwarf bunny, two cats, a dog, and I can't even remember all the other pets at that time, I would have to look for a note somewhere that names them all. Our pets always last a long, long time_and I'm so glad, because when one dies, it's like losing a family member for sure. They surely do capture your heart, and you capture their hearts. They love UNCONDITIONALLY. I remember our Stubby, who we rescued from the Humane League after someone took him from our neighborhood, and placed him there. There were 5 people who cared for him, feeding him, making sure he was inside on cold nights. He was a stray but not a stray. The person who would have taken him in, after he wound up at the Humane League, was on her way to New York, and couldn't go get him. I went to get him for her, but when I signed the papers, it said that you weren't allowed to give the animal to anyone, that the animal was your responsibility, and was to be kept in your house. So, STUBBY became our first of the strays we took in to give a good home to. Stubby talked, too. He said "I love you" "Mom" "No" (when you gave him a bath), "Where are you?" (if you went into the bathroom and closed the door). I told you of the story of the high school student who brought his friend down here to hear Stubby talk. He had heard him talk many times, because he use to come down here to watch me make up routines for the girls in the band front. Wouldn't you know it, when he brought his friend down to hear Stubby, he would say a word the whole time. The guys even ate dinner with us, waiting on Stubby to say something. When they left, Stubby started talking up a storm. Well, have to get some rest. Good night all. Lynn Richard Emlin Reed wrote: I believe that animals are capable of loving. We love them and they feel so wanted and safe that there must be some kind of reciprocal emotion. Whatever it may be, when I am lying on the sofa watching tv, Lilliput jumps up and kneads me for half a minute or so (cats need to knead, }:-)), then nestles down beside me, sometimes for hours. And,at bedtime, she jumps up on the bed every night, and snuggles down, sometimes beside me, sometimes beside my wife. She likes to be with us; isn't that what love is! Another thing - when she wants our attention, she will come up to us, look up, tuck her shoulder under toward the floor, and drop on her side. We call it her shoulder roll. Cute? You bet! A pyschologist might call it an act of submission; we call it love. I forgot to mention that when Angel jumped up on the bureau for her nightly mirror routine, she always sat on my wife's jewlry box. I can see her still, staring intently into that mirror.

Great story Lynn loved it..You are truly a good person Barb ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lynn Vondran" <lynnvondran@att.net> To: <padutch-life@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2007 9:59 PM Subject: [PD-LIFE] !Re: A Lifeful of Pets > Hi Richard and All, > Our two cats have a mirror under the one organ in our front > hallway/library area. I put it there to get it out of the way, and when I > noticed they like to lay there, next to the mirror, I put a small rug > there, for them to lay on. > Our Morris does the same thing, kneading, then laying down all content. > Whiskers just needs to be near when SHE wants to be paid attention to. > Morris did that dropping and rolling onto his back, for his snacks when he > was a stray. One time he was at the edge of the porch, and rolled right > off into the bushes. He immediately jumped back up onto the porch again, > with a look of "what just happened!!!!!" > When he disappeared for 9 months, right after we got his shots, before we > were going to bring him into the house, I was so heartbroken!!!! I went > to the shelters, to see if anyone turned him in. I looked all over > Columbia, hoping to get a glimps of him, and nothing. In fact, he just > disappeared like that, after living outside in the shelter I built for him > at the window, where he just sat looking in at me working at my computer. > I saw him on one of the coldest nights of the whole year, and said to > Mike, we HAVE to bring him in. After his 9 month disappearing act, I was > taking the trash out, on one of the coldest nights of the next year, and I > saw something drop and roll in front of me, and I almost stepped on > whatever it was. It was so dark, it took a while for my eyes to adjust_IT > WAS MORRIS!!!!!!!!! I dropped the trash, and picked him up. I came into > the house and told Mike to take him upstairs and give him a GOOD bath, he > wasn't going out anymore!!!! He was our in! > side cat!! Right before that we had taken in Whiskers, and her 5 kittens, > and Lindsey, that very night, brought home Lexus from Harrisburg. Talk > about a full house of pets!!! We had 12 gold fish, one as big as a carp, a > dwarf bunny, two cats, a dog, and I can't even remember all the other pets > at that time, I would have to look for a note somewhere that names them > all. > Our pets always last a long, long time_and I'm so glad, because when one > dies, it's like losing a family member for sure. They surely do capture > your heart, and you capture their hearts. They love UNCONDITIONALLY. > I remember our Stubby, who we rescued from the Humane League after someone > took him from our neighborhood, and placed him there. There were 5 people > who cared for him, feeding him, making sure he was inside on cold nights. > He was a stray but not a stray. The person who would have taken him in, > after he wound up at the Humane League, was on her way to New York, and > couldn't go get him. I went to get him for her, but when I signed the > papers, it said that you weren't allowed to give the animal to anyone, > that the animal was your responsibility, and was to be kept in your house. > So, STUBBY became our first of the strays we took in to give a good home > to. > Stubby talked, too. He said "I love you" "Mom" "No" (when you gave him a > bath), "Where are you?" (if you went into the bathroom and closed the > door). I told you of the story of the high school student who brought his > friend down here to hear Stubby talk. He had heard him talk many times, > because he use to come down here to watch me make up routines for the > girls in the band front. Wouldn't you know it, when he brought his friend > down to hear Stubby, he would say a word the whole time. The guys even > ate dinner with us, waiting on Stubby to say something. When they left, > Stubby started talking up a storm. > Well, have to get some rest. Good night all. > Lynn > > > Richard Emlin Reed wrote: > I believe that animals are capable of loving. We love them and they feel > so > wanted and safe that there must be some kind of reciprocal emotion. > Whatever > it may be, when I am lying on the sofa watching tv, Lilliput jumps up and > kneads me for half a minute or so (cats need to knead, }:-)), then nestles > down beside me, sometimes for hours. And,at bedtime, she jumps up on the > bed > every night, and snuggles down, sometimes beside me, sometimes beside my > wife. She likes to be with us; isn't that what love is! Another thing - > when > she wants our attention, she will come up to us, look up, tuck her > shoulder > under toward the floor, and drop on her side. We call it her shoulder > roll. > Cute? You bet! A pyschologist might call it an act of submission; we call > it > love. > I forgot to mention that when Angel jumped up on the bureau for her > nightly > mirror routine, she always sat on my wife's jewlry box. I can see her > still, > staring intently into that mirror. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > PADUTCH-LIFE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Thanks for a great story. I loved it UNCONDITIONALLY. Poor Morris, I can almost see the "wha' hoppen" look on his face. Lilliput always looks around to make sure she has enough room to roll. And I can always tell when she's going to do one. She quickens her pace; takes short steps; makes a half turn; looks up; and down she goes. What a thrill it must have been to see Morris after nine months. And all those others. Full house is right. Great story! Richard ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lynn Vondran" <lynnvondran@att.net> To: <padutch-life@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2007 10:59 PM Subject: [PD-LIFE] !Re: A Lifeful of Pets > Hi Richard and All, > Our two cats have a mirror under the one organ in our front > hallway/library area. I put it there to get it out of the way, and when I > noticed they like to lay there, next to the mirror, I put a small rug > there, for them to lay on. > Our Morris does the same thing, kneading, then laying down all content. > Whiskers just needs to be near when SHE wants to be paid attention to. > Morris did that dropping and rolling onto his back, for his snacks when he > was a stray. One time he was at the edge of the porch, and rolled right > off into the bushes. He immediately jumped back up onto the porch again, > with a look of "what just happened!!!!!" > When he disappeared for 9 months, right after we got his shots, before we > were going to bring him into the house, I was so heartbroken!!!! I went > to the shelters, to see if anyone turned him in. I looked all over > Columbia, hoping to get a glimps of him, and nothing. In fact, he just > disappeared like that, after living outside in the shelter I built for him > at the window, where he just sat looking in at me working at my computer. > I saw him on one of the coldest nights of the whole year, and said to > Mike, we HAVE to bring him in. After his 9 month disappearing act, I was > taking the trash out, on one of the coldest nights of the next year, and I > saw something drop and roll in front of me, and I almost stepped on > whatever it was. It was so dark, it took a while for my eyes to adjust_IT > WAS MORRIS!!!!!!!!! I dropped the trash, and picked him up. I came into > the house and told Mike to take him upstairs and give him a GOOD bath, he > wasn't going out anymore!!!! He was our in! > side cat!! Right before that we had taken in Whiskers, and her 5 kittens, > and Lindsey, that very night, brought home Lexus from Harrisburg. Talk > about a full house of pets!!! We had 12 gold fish, one as big as a carp, a > dwarf bunny, two cats, a dog, and I can't even remember all the other pets > at that time, I would have to look for a note somewhere that names them > all. > Our pets always last a long, long time_and I'm so glad, because when one > dies, it's like losing a family member for sure. They surely do capture > your heart, and you capture their hearts. They love UNCONDITIONALLY. > I remember our Stubby, who we rescued from the Humane League after someone > took him from our neighborhood, and placed him there. There were 5 people > who cared for him, feeding him, making sure he was inside on cold nights. > He was a stray but not a stray. The person who would have taken him in, > after he wound up at the Humane League, was on her way to New York, and > couldn't go get him. I went to get him for her, but when I signed the > papers, it said that you weren't allowed to give the animal to anyone, > that the animal was your responsibility, and was to be kept in your house. > So, STUBBY became our first of the strays we took in to give a good home > to. > Stubby talked, too. He said "I love you" "Mom" "No" (when you gave him a > bath), "Where are you?" (if you went into the bathroom and closed the > door). I told you of the story of the high school student who brought his > friend down here to hear Stubby talk. He had heard him talk many times, > because he use to come down here to watch me make up routines for the > girls in the band front. Wouldn't you know it, when he brought his friend > down to hear Stubby, he would say a word the whole time. The guys even > ate dinner with us, waiting on Stubby to say something. When they left, > Stubby started talking up a storm. > Well, have to get some rest. Good night all. > Lynn > > > Richard Emlin Reed wrote: > I believe that animals are capable of loving. We love them and they feel > so > wanted and safe that there must be some kind of reciprocal emotion. > Whatever > it may be, when I am lying on the sofa watching tv, Lilliput jumps up and > kneads me for half a minute or so (cats need to knead, }:-)), then nestles > down beside me, sometimes for hours. And,at bedtime, she jumps up on the > bed > every night, and snuggles down, sometimes beside me, sometimes beside my > wife. She likes to be with us; isn't that what love is! Another thing - > when > she wants our attention, she will come up to us, look up, tuck her > shoulder > under toward the floor, and drop on her side. We call it her shoulder > roll. > Cute? You bet! A pyschologist might call it an act of submission; we call > it > love. > I forgot to mention that when Angel jumped up on the bureau for her > nightly > mirror routine, she always sat on my wife's jewlry box. I can see her > still, > staring intently into that mirror. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > PADUTCH-LIFE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message