not_hathor | Adjustments

It's been a week, now. Still getting used to only one dog underfoot in the mornings; not spending 20 minutes following Bel around the house until she decides which door she wants to go out (always eventually the Mudroom, but only after checking both front and back porches and multiple stops at the water bowl); making certain she gets down the porch steps all right, turning down the heat on the sauce pan so the chicken/beef liver/leftover pork in beef broth with sesame oil and soy sauce doesn't boil over and putting on my velour hoodie before going outside to bring Bel up the ramp when she's done with her business (because Dr. Jennifer agreed that bringing her up the ramp would give those weak back legs better exercise/be easier than the mudroom steps -- although she'd still TRY if I took too long coming outside! Bless her stubborn Chow heart!); warming up egg and sausage scramble for breakfast (and making sure there's enough to give Jethro a small portion, too) --- that was our routine through the month October. Sometimes Bel would eat kibble out of my hand; sometimes Moist & Meaty, sometimes chunks of canned dog food. The boiled meats would be cooled and sliced and saved for lunchtime, or suppertime or just before bedtime.... It was only those last few days that she started refusing everything except lunchmeat.

Saturday morning, Husband and I sat down to a breakfast of biscuits and gravy; Jethro positioned himself in his usual spot between our chairs. I made the mistake of glancing over to the floor at the end of the kitchen table. No little black Chow waiting (im)patiently for her share... Rather than endure that emptiness, I got up and brought out my 'life-size' wolf plushie, Timmain, and plopped her down in that spot. I could see her out of the corner of my eye, and that made things just barely bearable.... Timmain has received an abundance of hugs this past week; Jethro has never tolerated hugs well in the past, but he has been more touchy-feely lately.

Jethro wanders around the house, carrying the rawhide chew bone we bought him Friday night -- I think he wants to show it to Bel, except he can't find her...