I don't know what it is about our family and black pets. We currently have three pets, a dog (Cassie) that is part Black Lab/part Border Collie. We also have two cats; one is an older cat (Stormy) that is completely black (with a little gray starting to peek through) and a kitten (Boots) that is black and white. Each animal has its own story.

Stormy came to us first, during the fall months several years ago. We're still not sure if she was dumped in our neighborhood or if she wandered off from someplace or what happened to bring her to us. But she camped on our porch for several days; no collar, no identifying anything to lead us to an owner. My husband Brian does not really like cats, uh hem... so he kept telling me we were not going to take her in. He instructed me not to feed "it", not to pat "it"; you get the idea. One night during a terrible storm, she lay shivering on the porch. My husband, the "self-proclaimed cat hater" went and sat on the porch, as the kids and I anxiously watched out of the living room window to see what he was doing. The kids were all young then and started squealing, "Mommy, Mommy! Dad's holding the cat! Does that mean we get to KEEP it?" Naturally, I was amazed at what I was witnessing but told the kids not to get their hopes up. Brian asked me if I had any food I could give her and a warm blanket. So we fed her all I had at the time (which was a casserole), made her as warm as we could, then left her alone. The kids and I wished all night long that he'd let us bring her in. The next day during his lunch break, he saw that the cat was still on the porch. While I was making his lunch, I heard the kids call from the living room, "Mom! Mom! Come quick! Daddy brought the cat inside!!" I ran to the living room to see my big, strong husband cradling this cat that he "doesn't even like" and she's been in our home and hearts ever since.

Cassie is an adorable black lab/border collie mix. We actually adopted her for my husband to have as a hunting dog. We'd responded to an ad in the local paper just before Christmas in 2004 I believe. Our kids and I wanted so badly to surprise their dad. We'd bought him a new shotgun from someone he worked with, without him knowing! That was a feat in itself! Then, we saw this ad for a black lab/golden retriever mix puppy they were giving away! We jumped on it, needless to say! The kids and I went to the owner's house and I was thinking "puppy" as in little dog, and when we got there we saw a "PUPPY"! Ha.. She was already 6 months old and running around the living room. The owner explained that she had a three year old and it was just too much puppy for the little boy. They were concerned because she kept knocking the boy down when she'd play with him. She's as friendly and sweet as anyone can ever hope for in a dog, but for a three year old, she's a bit much! So the owner and I talked and I debated for what seemed like an eternity to my kids. I finally decided we'd take her and see how things went. Shortly after we picked her up it was time to pick up my husband from work. Naturally this new sweet, energetic ball of black fur had to ride along and surprise "daddy"! (21 years ago when we first got married, my dear groom did the exact same thing for me-he adopted a little terrier mix and brought her to where I worked when he picked me up.)

Cassie poked her head up when I told her "your new daddy's coming!", when Brian got off work. It was love at first sight! Later on however, our vet informed me that she was not part lab/part retriever, she was in fact, part lab/part border collie! I had gotten my husband a dog that was half hunter, half sheep dog! As you can imagine, she's not the best "hunter"! She wants to "herd" birds and other animals! She has been trained to fetch things like her ball and such, but my dear husband never did try to make a hunter out of her. She instead has enjoyed a life of relative ease with our family. She's our "baby". She may not be able to "earn her keep" as a hunter, but she sure made her way into all of our hearts and she's been the very best dog we've ever had.

Boots (Bootsie as I call her) came to be with us last year during Christmas (2007). Our youngest daughter, Hannah had always wanted to have her own pet. She'd tried raising those little hermit crabs but when one of them died and we had to have a funeral and bury it, she was devastated and wanted no more of them. (Mom was upset too-I think I cried harder than she did!) She'd been asking if she could have a puppy or a kitten for quite a while. Brian and I agreed to get a kitten since they can at least be litter trained! We'd just remodeled our house and the thought of a new puppy and the messes that come with it, didn't thrill us at all, even though they are so cute.

A lady at work had placed an ad on the company bulletin board advertising two free kittens to good homes. This lady has been involved in animal rescue for quite some time and Boots' mom had been hit by a car and killed, leaving Boots and her sister to survive on their own in the country, at the tender age of about 2 weeks. Someone that knew of this lady's rescue operation found the kittens. They contacted her and she took both of them in, nourished them and saved their lives. They were ready for adoption just in time for Christmas. We arranged with her to bring them both by our house and told Hannah she had to close her eyes, as one of her presents was being delivered! She sat on our couch with her hands covering her eyes; a huge, anxious grin peeking out from below them. The lady walked in and placed both kittens on her lap. Hannah opened her eyes and the look on her face was pure surprise! We instructed her that she could only keep one, so she needed to choose carefully. Both kittens were adorable but she decided to keep the one that looked like she had "white mittens" on. The name "Boots" was later given to her. After a few minutes of sparring with Stormy, and the two cats determining their place in the house, they settled down. Now, they're like mother and daughter, playing one minute, Boots getting a bath the next. This once scared, little frail kitten has become a "total terror", getting into things much as a human baby would, but she is also such a source of joy!

No matter what anyone says, I'll always believe that our pets are family members and each and every one that we've ever had, has brought their own loving ways to our family. Pets never judge, never argue, never hold grudges if you yell at them in haste. They're always loyal, always loving and caring and so fun to watch when they play! I'm always going to be grateful for the pets that we've been blessed with.