Beat This Caption

Nothing going on here kids!  Your mommy had something caught in her teeth and I got it out.  Now go back to your rooms and next time knock before coming in

Monday Question

Where is your favorite spot to be scratched?

Pocket: I like to have my ears scratched.

River Son:  My lower belly is my favorite spot.  

Bella is our August 18 2019 Kitty of the Week

We don't have many happy Bridge crossings here. Sometimes a human-angel is awaiting a new arrival, and their reunion is poignant, but there is also a beloved person left behind  We are lucky if the repair done to a heart by the reunion equals the damage done by the parting.

This week we had a rare happy reunion, although I had to go to the cat village to experience it.  The saddest day for a pet is when their human leaves for the Bridge. It is worse if it is a single-parent home.  The pet not only losses their reason for living but their house too. If the pet is lucky, they will be placed with a family member.  If not they go into the system, loveless and homeless.

When our good dog mom friend Mama Teri's mother passed away, she left behind her beloved cat, Bella.  Mama Teri's mom had made arrangements for Bella to live with Mama Teri's sister and niece after she passed.  Bella was lucky to go to a home filled with love and compassion instead of being on a shelf at PetSmart next to the litter.  But Bella's heart still longed for the woman she had grown up with.

Bella was suffering from cancer and was ready to join her Mom at the Bridge  Her mom visited her in her dreams (we have the advantage of remembering our dream visits because pets' minds are more open to miracles than humans, which is why we still think the Mets can make the playoffs) and her mom asked her to stay just a little bit longer, and to play just a little bit longer, because she didn't mind, and if Bella don't mind, she could take a little time before she left it all behind to play one more time.

Bella could never refuse a request from her Mom.  She said she would keep the Bridge at bay for as long as she could to ease the family's suffering over their mom's loss.  She loved her mom's kids too.

One day last week, after being separated for months, Bella told her mom she missed her and was tired. Her Mom realized Bella had given all that she could and told her it was time for her to come to her true forever home.

There was a  substantial amount of tears shed on the mortal side when Bella took her last mortal breath.  Her soul came to rest in the River and once reunited with her body, she floated to the Bridge.

We dogs hurried over to the cat village to watch the reunion.  We have greeted hundreds of pets who were saddened by their arrival. Finally, we had a soul yearning to be an angel.  On top of that, we would have a mother and child reunion.

We were standing on a bluff above the Bridge.  Judge Cotton was ready to give the oath. Next to her was Bella's Mom wearing the body she had on the last time Bella saw her.  Loud cheers erupted as Bella climbed the stairs toward Cotton and her mom.

Bella anxiously waited as Cotton administered the oath, and then she jumped into her mother's arms. There were a lot of tears, but thankfully, they were happy tears.  Bella didn't need any lessons about visiting her Mom on the mortal side. They were together again forever.

The last time I saw Bella and her mom Bella was happy curled up on her lap, and her Mom was contently stroking her.  They looked like they could stay there for eternity.

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For Our Friend Enzo: The Art of Racing in the Rain's Enzo is No Match for the Original

I got an urgent request from my old friend and fellow blogger Enzo today.  When I abandoned my “Ask Aunt Foley” blog, Enzo picked up the gauntlet and has been answering our fellow dog inquiries diligently ever since.   But what if he who answers has a question?

Enzo is suffering a crisis of confidence.  For years he has been the one and true Enzo.  But this week a movie called "The Art of Racing in the Rain" was released featuring a golden retriever named Enzo.   Our Enzo is afraid he is going to become a second rate Enzo. To see if his worries were justified, I screened the movie.

Kevin Costner voices Enzo. He does a fairly good dog, but if I had a voice like his, I would sit by the bowl all day and say: "If I sit next to it, it will be full."  What a wasted opportunity.

The biggest issue with Movie Enzo's character is that he yearns to be human.  Why the hell would he want to do that? Dogs are the superior species. Our pre-prepared food is plopped in front of us at the same time every day.  Humans have to go to prison to get that sort of service. Dogs and cats are the only souls who have their poop picked up and disposed of for them. Cats get it done once a day; dog poop has to be picked up when it is fresh.  Most humans come home from a hellish day at work, look at the dog, and wish they could change places. Who would want to be a human?

Also unrealistic is the love story between Milo Ventimiglia and Amanda Seyfried.   Whenever a young woman falls for a middle-aged man, you can bet some old, balding guy wrote it.  It left me with the feeling that Jack was hitting on Kate's older friend. Creepy.

Then there is the scene where Milo meets Amanda.  Enzo smiles at her and in his Kevin Costner voice, he praises her grooming habits.  Ridiculous! If this were a real scene, Enzo would stick his nose in her crotch. That is how a dog judges a human, not by the color of their skin, but by the smell of their crotch. The world would be a better place, with proper hygiene, if humans did the same.  This is why dogs are better than humans. Our Enzo can sniff Amanda Seyfried's crotch whenever he wants. The worst thing that happens is he’s told: "down boy."  Kevin Costner sniffs Amanda Seyfried’s crotch once, and it is a whole #Metoo disaster. Dogs rule!

Many humans assumed that after the couple meets the film would be a cute dog story like "Marley and Me," but it's "Marley and Me and Manchester By the Sea."  There is death and crying and suffering and a lawsuit and death and death and death. It does stand as a tribute to a dog’s ability to stave off suicide. Casey Affleck became so distraught in Manchester By the Sea he tried to kill himself.  Milo takes Enzo for a walk and it's okay.

The most important question:  Does the dog die? I did not watch until the end. I fell asleep, but my minions told me that Enzo does indeed leave Milo heartbroken.  The movie tries to sell this as a happy ending because Enzo is reborn as a human, but we dogs know it is our worst fears realized.  

My synopsis of the movie:   Boy meets dog and falls in love.  Boy meets girl and falls in love. Boy sufferers immeasurable losses. Boy loses dog.  Dog goes to hell. Happy movie!

So, do not worry, my dear friend Enzo.  Unless you are a human wanna be, or a no crotch smeller, or a pup who is uninterested in food, or a dog who thinks there is a better life without their parents, then you are the only Enzo worth recognizing.


Don't give this movie a second thought. In a week it will be gone from the theaters. A year later, it will gather a little buzz when it is on HBO.  And then it will be forgotten. Being forgotten is something you never have to worry about.