The Neighborhood Slide Show
Who’s running the show here anyway? Does your pet run your life? Mine does.Â
Spuff, named after a childhood white cat where my parents couldn’t agree on a name (Dad wanted to name it Spot. Mom wanted to name it Fluff), climbs up on the neighbor’s roof and yells really loud meows that would wake the dead until I get up and rescue her.Â
The Rescue involves getting a big painting that somone did from a picture of me my brother had. He did it in a Nagel style. In the 1980s.  I use it almost nightly to save Spuff’s life. 
As you can see, if I rescued Spuff with the painting face up, she probably wouldn’t slide down. Nothing against the artist. I just have some features so sharp they could cut you. And they’re emphasized here.  Â
And while we’re talking cuts, I sustain major scratches getting Spuff from the painting to the ground with one hand.Â
All in a day’s work. Someone has to save lives while providing entertainment for the neighborhood.Â
So, I’m wondering what you go through for your pet.  Â
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:57 am
I have a labrador that loves to munch on ducks when the hunting is slow. I guess it’s her way of telling the my husband he sucks. I was home at lunch one day after a “bad hunt” and she was having some issues passing her duck-tartar. After she had multiple attempts in the yard to pass the duck I realized that it appears that she had some feathers stuck in her “exit site” and were kind of dangling there like a butt tassel. Being a take-control-in-an-emergency kind of gal I grabbed the LARGEST leaf I could find and was able to give a little tug that went a long way to relief. The dog and I couldn’t look at each other in the face for a few days and we haven’t spoke of it since. What happens in the back yard, stays in the back yard.
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:29 am
Except when you add it to Sherri’s blog. Oh, the shame your dog must feel.
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:33 am
I had a similar incident with my cat, Spider. I came home from work one day and found a piece of dental floss hanging from his butt.
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:05 am
i have a refrigerator magnet that says “life begins when the dog dies and the kids leave home.” pretty true!
my boxer once ate a wal-mart bag from the garbage. my theory is that if u eat it , you can pass it. with half the bag hanging out , looking like the flag of craposlovakia , he turned to me for help. big brown eyes bulging, furrowed doggie brow, tongue lolling out of the side of his grizzly muzzle. he looked at me, his loving master. no, no,no….there aint enough wild turkey on the planet for me to go tugging on something hanging outta a dogs butt in the middle of the intersection of thornhill and elmwood. to my way of thinking……i never asked him for help with this sort of thing so he has no reason to expect it of me. moments later, with a little work on his part, it did come out and i swear the animal actually grinned !
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:19 am
another thought…….ole spuff looks pretty chubby and im figuring he (she) could tolerate a shot from one of the police departments bean bag shotguns. a ‘less lethal’ weapon, as its called, would be perfect.
“BOOM” cat flies off the roof and lands in soft grass. stunned cat associates roof with bad experence and never climbs up there again. have camera dude around for this and your a instant you-tube sensation. neighbors gain a new respect for ’shotgun sherri’. kids stay out of your yard.
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:21 am
Who’s in control, pet or owner? Well as a dog once told me, “You don’t see me following you around picking up your poop!”
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:22 am
OH MY GOD! YOU POSTED IT!
I SWEAR THAT THIS PICTURE IS MY MOST FAVORITE THING ON EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:23 am
I think I’ll make it the wallpaper on my computer.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:31 am
Ah, the usefulness of an artist’s work…
I can’t say I ever envisioned this use for the Nagel ripoff I did for Sherri, but I’m glad it gets regular use and can help my feline friends.
Joey Kent aka “Someone”
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Busted! Uh…Hi, Joey. I was trying to protect your identity. Um..would you like a sherritalley.com t-shirt?
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
is something wrapped around your arms … near the elbows?
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Ha…no tommy, I’m not quite that weird. Must be some sort of camera flash glare.
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I sure am glad I decided to read Sherri’s blog during my lunch.
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Sherri, that is the most awesome painting ever! Can’t believe you used it for a cat ramp
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
okie dokie….i wuz thinkin it wuz your wonder woman bracelets….
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Actually….yes, those are glow in the dark cat-hypnotizing bands.
August 22nd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Sherri, if your hair would’ve been pulled back in that painting, I swear that you would’ve looked like one of those girls in a Robert Palmer video!! Talk about retro-80’s!!
August 22nd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I’m changing my ways. Thanks to your reaction of disbelief that I would use this painting as a cat rescue ramp, I’ll find a good place for it and make or find another rescue device.
August 22nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Alas, a peace offering. I will accept in case my cat should ever need a rescue net.
August 22nd, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Someone. Ha! Excellent! Send me a mailing address and size to stalley@ktbs.com.
August 25th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Not that I am an expert…butt….
When I was a kid our cat ate some Christmas tree tinsel. How do I know this..because sparkly red tinsel was hanging out of its butt. Anyhoo…my mom took the cat to the vet and the vet said under no circumstances are you to pull on it as you could lacerate their intestines! Instead, let them pass it naturally and keep it clipped close to the point of exit. There. Wasn’t that helpful.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
…and pleasant to read about during dinner. Thanks, CWA!
August 26th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I dated the artist, mr joey inthe 80’s. What fun during the P-King-Mule Hunts.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Haven’t you seen the movie ROXANNE? Although you appear to be “in charge”the neighborhood night-time entertainment, try a little tuna fish.
Of course, you have to keep the other varmits away, but a little tuna/juice goes a long way!
On the other hand, the neighbors get to see some of your other “sharp features”!