What are they trying to say? 
By Mauri Formigoni

The cutest puppy we have had in a long time is Chubbs. A nine-week-old female, she is a brown, fuzzy, teddy bear of a Belgian Shepherd mix. She is healthy, energetic, and good tempered, though she needs bones and toys to chew as she continues to teethe.

We have few puppies currently, and she is a pip and worthy of a loving family. Please come and meet her. I believe that she will be a medium-large dog when full grown, but now she looks like a fluffy toy. Cute as she is, you must realize that she will grow and needs training and walking. We have many darling puppies returned because they grew up—sad and unrealistic, but true.

Those of you who saw Sunday Morning this week may have heard about obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs as well as people. Many dogs feel compelled to repeatedly clean their paws or walk protectively around and around their master as though stuck in a time warp of worry. 

We can think of such repetitive behaviors in someone we know or have in our families. Studies of genes which produce these compulsions in both dogs and people may benefit humans or vice versa. With the increasing ease and precision of DNA testing, we will be able to determine which breeds contributed to our mutts' good looks and intelligence. Amazing but true! No more will I guess what lies beneath that shaggy coat and will be able to proclaim with certainty that Bibsy is an Afghan-Chihuahua-Black Lab mix with a distant Old English sheepdog aunt. Not bad.

Several friends who are passionate about their pets have discovered a dog psychic who will talk to your dog over the phone, long distance, and be able to diagnose your dog’s problems and worries and give you solutions. One large, elderly Neapolitan Mastiff came in and tried repeatedly yet futilely to tell us her story. I knew only bits of her sad drama, but the psychic's suggestions and explanations coincided with the knowledge we had of her previous life. Practical, soothing, and revealing—my friends are going to ask this fine Southern lady to come to San Miguel this winter and help us understand our pets’ pasts and what they are trying to say to us.

Recently I inherited Amy, the one-eyed cat whose owner died, as did her seeing-eye cat companion. Tess, the replacement companion, went to the shelter to be spayed and Amy is roaring mad to be left alone, and cries constantly, “Where are my livers?”

Lovely turquoise eyes set this grey-striped tiger cat, a young lady named Tigre, apart from the others. She is mild, shy and sweet, but those eyes! We have fewer cats than in the past and that is good for everybody. Cats do not like to be crowded, nor do we like to be at SPA. Several of our female cats would prefer to live alone, but we have no choice.

Come and see our animals in the Jardín on Thursdays 11:15am–1:15pm or visit us at Los Pinos #7, just off Calzada de la Estacion (formerly Canal) Mon–Fri, 11am–2pm. Call 152-6124 for an appointment with our veterinarian, Cristina Valencia. Write to me at mauriformigoni@hotmail.com.