This past weekend we celebrated Cate's 6th "Gotcha Day"! It was a special day with family, and we all reminisced about that special day when we brought her home. It's hard to believe it's already been 6 years, and yet we can't remember life without her, since she truly has "completed" our family in so many ways.
I work from home, so Cate has been my constant companion since the day we got her, without much exaggeration! We've developed our little work- day rituals and follow them pretty much every day. Our day begins with her jumping up on the bed to get kisses, hugs and tummy scratches -- neither of us could start ANY day without that. After breakfast, and before work starts, we take our walk in the fields near our house. One of her favorite games is to run aaaaallll the way around the community baseball field, as fast as she can go, and as many times as I'll let her. (You could call it her version of running the bases, only she's running outside the fence.) We stop to say hello to our neighbor's horses - they really like Cate, and it's clear they come over to see HER, not ME. We head home, she sits and waits while I get my coffee, and we head to the office upstairs.
Cate is my favorite coworker, bar none. First of all, she never complains, but doesn't seem to mind it too much when I do - who could ask for more from a colleague? She has been there to celebrate my successes and be my friend when things haven't gone gone very well. She patiently listens to me practice my "lines" when I have a presentation to make - she's a very attentive and polite audience. When our cat Custard comes in meowing, she shoo's him out with a nudge of her nose so that he won't interrupt my phone conversations. She naps under my desk, right at my feet, and patiently waits until I take a break and we can go outside again.
We spend all our weekends together, too, as you would imagine. Cate and I like to get outside as much as we can, since we both have "desk jobs" during the week. She's been hiking on the Appalachian trail, camping in several places, swimming in the Atlantic and in a lake in Canada. Got Cate - will travel!
As a family member, Cate is Loving Dog-ter and Protector of Smaller Fuzzy Siblings. She looks after our cats Custard and Pearl - especially Pearl, our cancer survivor, she is quite protective of her. If Pearl's asleep on Cate's bed, Cate will go lie down some place else rather than disturb her friend who is on the mend. Pearl gives her tail hugs and nose kisses - it's very sweet! When we had our rabbit, Ben, Cate would lie very still when Ben was around, so as not to scare him. And when Custard would try to bother Ben, once again, Cate would nose him away ("Keep moving, You!"). If I'm Mom, Cate is my "Mini-Mom," for sure.
Again, I just can't imagine life without Cate, I really can't. She is the sweetest and loveliest dog I've ever been privileged to know, and I just absolutely adore her. I thank you, Sarah, for leading me to my dear and special friend, Cate... aka Catie, Catherine Anne, Cate-zilla, Catie Nana, Catie Dawg, Cater-Pups....
:-)
Thanks for letting me share my story, Sarah :-)
Laurie
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