Thanks for the warm welcome:) My screen name comes from my dearly loved dog, Rat. She died in Jan. 1997 but lives on in my heart in a major way. I love the Rainbow Bridge story that I've seen explained her on PT. That was new to me. Rat was a 9 lb. poodle/terrier mix. She was given her name due to her coloring when a puppy and her countenance once wet. My friends and family were appalled when I adopted Rat because she was so scruffy looking when she was little. HA!!! She was beautiful to me and indeed did grow up to be the proverbial swan. I don't know how to post photos so I can't show you my furbaby but maybe I can find someone who can teach me and then you will see Rattie in her full glory:D We called her Rattie, Rattiepoo (bestowed upon her by my then 2 yr old niece), Poo-Bear and Bear. Rat performed what we called her Bear Act when she begged for treats( mainly carrots). Rather than expend the energy to tippytoe around on her hind legs, she would just roll back on her haunches like an ol' bear. Super cute and naturally it worked every time. The vet recommended carrots for her treats because they are low-cal, crunchy which is good for "cleaning" teeth and dogs seem to like the sweetness in the carrots. Rattie liked them in a big way. I was always chopping carrots or whipping out a baggie full of carrot chips. My sister even graced me with a carrot charm for my bracelet in recognition of all my time spent with this vegetable :rolleyes: So that's a very brief description of my baby dog. I forgot to say that she was 16 when she died so we had a nice journey. Four years ago I was adopted by a kitty, my first feline experience. She is a trip and a half and I am learning, learning, learning all about CATS:eek: I'm so glad she came into my life because I had previously only had close kinships with dogs. Now I'm certain I'll never be without a kitty!!!!!! Thanks so much for the warm welcome. Ya'll are the Best
