THE CRITTERS

Roxie the Doberwoman
Matey the Dalmatian
Piki the Kitty

© 2001, 2006 by Orchid Land Publications

[20010922, 20060226]

Roxie was found at a shelter by the people who gave her to me when they moved off island; she had been abused.  But they treated her with great kindness; and kindness 
is what she's received here, so she's overcome most of her former fears and hang-
ups.  She learned from Matey to be more aggressive in seeking attention.

Roxie died in August, 2001; she was old and had a cancerous
tumor on her ankle (and the medicine has ceased to
work, so she was limping).  With two strokes on
her record, I decided to have her put to
sleep.  She was then cremated.  She
is greatly missed.

The preceding photo doesn't show Matey's stunning designer ears;
he was 3 years old and full of vigor on 9-26-99.  He looks a
bit strange running around with an antenna sticking
out of his remote shock collar; but it works 
just to have the collar on, so I can avoid
terrorizing this really cool mutt.

CLICK HERE for Matey's Page

Below see Piki (a cat) at the foot of a papaya tree
in the garden that my jungalow encloses

Never thought I'd be a cat person till I was given Piki (by a local artist
whose husband, also an artist, created the bronze statue of the 
Merrie Monarch in Hilo honoring a former king of Hawai'i; 
his festival is Hilo's biggest annual event).
I've been converted to philofelinitism.

     Roxie never messes anything up.  Both breeds--Dober and Dalmation--are meticulously dainty and odorless (Matey cannot help the fact that he sheds year-round). But where the Dobie is staid and correct, the Dalmatian is energetic (his tail constantly wagging) and not a little rambunctious.  I heard that Roxie is the only Dobie that her vet can inoculate and examine without having to muzzle; she is very gentle and loving, though fangs show when Matey goes too far in annoying her--and he at once understands who is top doggess.  Cats are very useful for keeping the geckos, rats, mice, and pigeons (even the occasional cockroach or henroach) away; mobettah if dey happy an' healthy like Piki-san.  Piki ("Shorty" in Hawai'ian) loves to take risks, like running under the hose (without getting wet) while I'm watering the plants; her jumping feats are prodigious, e.g. from the top of a file cabinet across a three-foot gap to a wall shelf five feet higher up!!  You won't be able to make out Matey's handsome designer ears in the above photo; only a small percentage of Dal-matey-ans have these.   No wonder that Piki's in love with such a handsome stud and likes to sleep curled up in his paws.  During the day, Matey harrasses Piki, but at sundown they declare a truce, and she sleeps inside of his paws next to my chair or by his place in bed; Roxie sleeps on the other side.  Matey wears a tuxedo tie when guests are present. 

SEE ALSO HERE

     A family of cardinals has always eaten here; and there is a pond full of 59 golden tilapias.   Haven't eaten any yet, but they are said to be delicious.  

    I am constantly intrigued how dogs can sort out of a medley of sounds a single sound or out of a medley of scents a smell that they know how to recognize and react to:  They can perceive a strange outside noise while music is playing or smell a given drug in a suitcase full of other odors.  I don't know about taste, but I have shown to my own satisfaction that they see analytically whereas humans see globally. Of course, the sense of feeling for both dogs and humans is analytic—we do not have a global perception of something's touching us .

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