
Is Sookie still alive?
Yes, she is. Thank you for asking. Sookie is getting on in years. She mostly sleeps. Her hearing is gone. Voice commands don’t do it anymore, so now we have to communicate by hand signals and pats. However, she is living her best life. She has all the treats and pillows and toys she wants and the other dogs treat her with deference, which is more than can be said of how she interacted with our Doberman when Del got old.
I took some pictures for you. Behold, Sookie in all of her glory.






Meanwhile, since Kid 1 moved out, Gordon and I are the sole providers of attention for Tuna. Tuna is very social, and we are clearly not enough. She’s been very difficult. She jumps on my desk and kicks everything off it: notepad, phone, coffee cups…






She is on my desk right now, aggressively purring and thinking about knocking my cup of water over.
Last night the dogs, who are generally calm at night, lost their stuff in a major way. They didn’t just bark, they exploded with snarls and yowls and lunging at the windows. I go to the window to check if there is a Tyrannosaurus Rex in the front yard flattening our hedges.
Nothing, nothing, nothing…
A skunk. A cute, adorable skunk with a huge fluffy tail.
And that’s when I understood why the dogs nearly foamed at the mouth. They were yelling, “It’s him! It’s him! That’s the stinky jackass!”
It’s very clear that our canine brigade has learned absolutely nothing from their noxious encounter and if they see the skunk again, they will attack on sight.
Sigh.
My Smokey has a mighty Tail of Death. He can knock down anything with it mostly all the stuff arranged around my monitor. Smokey also possesses a Dream Meow that will wake you even from the Doors of Death or a coma. He also likes to stomp on my keyboard and take a nap on my hands while I am using it.
I think I meant to say a Screaming Meow ….
Maybe it was Demon Meow? Yeah…Demon Meow sounds better and more accurate.
i assumed it was a “dream meow” as it had the power to awaken you from deep sleep…. Walking along Unicorn Lane hunting the latest magic wave dropped critter when suddenly MEEEEOWWWW!
The more I think it should be Never-ending Demon Yowls.
Love the increasing close-ups of Sookie’s face — which makes me happy.
I am also suitably awed by Tuna’s regalness. (Is regal-ness not a word? I’m getting red squiggles under it. Regality? Regalosity?)
Beautiful Sookie and Tuna! 😂😂 I lost it at the stinky jackass! I think it’s like pregnancy for them they forget how it really is so they are willing to do it again until it happens and at the end they are like why God did I do this to myself again make it stop!
Dogs love to smell bad.
We don’t have dogs, rather indoor cats. We have a skunk that comes and sprays outside the house, but near or on it, and somehow it ends up making the whole inside of the house stink. The stench dissipates eventually, but initially it’s awful.
My dogs NEVER learned to leave skunks or porcupines alone no matter how many awful experiences (um, I meant adventures) we had.
I read somewhere that only some raptors generally fool with skunks in the wild. Kind of makes sense: Death from above keeps you clear of their hind end.
Might want add that the majority of raptors are sight predators and thus are not known for a sharp sense of smell.
😂 I am definitely not a raptor then.
Sookie does look comfortable. And Tuna is a cat. You’re supposed to worship her not that weird-smelling box.
And my thanks to everybody for the good wishes and sympathy a couple of days ago.
The BDH is still here, sending virtual hugs your way 😢
You’re welcome. The Horde sticks together. 😊
My mother died in the wee hours this morning. I don’t say ‘passed’ because I think she did that several days ago.
It has been far more of a strain for the family that lives closer, and I am glad they will finally have a chance to get some rest.
I find myself thinking about calling her and asking about her garden, which is something I did with great regularity for the past 10 or 15 years. I don’t care for gardening myself, but it was such a joy to listen to her being that enthusiastic about something she loved that much.
I’m so sorry, Judy! May her memory be a blessing!
Thank you.
I am so so sorry. I hope you find some peace in the lovely memories you have of her. My mother has been dead for almost 20 years now, and I still cry occasionally because things were so unfair, but it does get a little easier with time. ::hug:: All the love.
Thank you.
The one time I can remember seeing her on horseback, it was my horse.
We had much better-tempered ones – I have never figured out why she chose Paint. In fact, I asked her more than once and she never told me.
I learned how to be a smart-ass from her. It wasn’t what she said, it was how she said it.
I will always miss her.
My deepest condolences. I understand about thinking about all the good times with your mom. I did that with my mom. She had two degrees that she was passionate about. I use to tell her she was my personal therapist.
Aww love the pet updates! Cuties.
+1! 😊
Thank you for the first laugh of the day! I hope Mr. fluffy skunk will find a different route/territory.
Looks like Tuna wants a friend. Need. More. Cats.
That’s what I was thinking. Tuna needs a kitten to chase around.
Well at least the dogs are not barking because ghosts they feel near by.
I loved the post with the pictures of Sookie and Tuna. We have a dog and 2 cats. The descriptions were so funny and so accurate, that it appeared you were describing my animals.
Thank you for the pictures of the fur babies. Sookie looks so contented. I am a little jealous at what a grand old lady she is. I want that life 😍
Tuna is s cat! Soft kitty, demon kitty…..
Ilona, what you fail to understand is you are the pet not the other way around. Ålso, dogs have masters, cats have staff. You and Gordon must learn your place in the grand scheme of things. #trialsandtribulations
Sookie picture number 4 speaks to my soul 😅
Sookie looks very happy. My last dachshund had a very bad case of doggy old age, but as long as he was happy, we just dealt with it. He went at 17, still playing as often as he could con someone into playing with him.
Virginia may very well be right about Tuna. When I lost my Maine coon kitten, Brandark, his “brother”, Bahzell, was clingy as all get out – until the new kitten (Karat) arrived. Then he was busy taking care of the kitten / trying to avoid the kitten when he’d had enough.
These days, Karat is still his baby – even though at 15 pounds or so, she outweighs him by a third. (He had health problems as a kitten and stopped growing *way* too soon.)
They’re both affectionate, but not smothering.
I am considering getting a kitten again before I need one in a hurry. That probably the best way to insure Bahzell out-lives me…
Besides – kitten!
Interesting that Brandark and Karat are bigger than Bahzell, when in the books it would be the other way around.
True. He should be bigger.
Bahzell is an Alpine lynx cat. He should be 25 to 30 pounds of pure white fluff over a rangy body or possibly heavier.
The owner of the cattery I got them from showed me a picture of his older brother at 1 year. Tomas was 18 pounds and had 2 more years of growing ahead of him…
However, the vet diagnosed kidney problems and put him on a low protein diet at 8 months. So this is about where he still is as to size, somewhere between 10 and 12 pounds.
To be honest, the names were referencing large size and the ears. The ears were truly enormous. I could not resist.
I love the names! I enjoyed those books a lot. Are the kitties “calm and foxlike?” lol
I love updates about the HA animal menagerie!
Thanks for the pics.
Some dogs NEVER learn. My sister’s dog, Bruce Wayne, was like that. He got skunked frequently. They learned to escort him out at night , checking the yard before opening the door! I’m glad Sookie is still with you. And Tuna, I’m sorry you are bored.
Batman would have learned. Bruce, not so much. There’s only so much a playboy millionaire can handle.
You guys give your pets a great life. We have three older dogs and they’re the queens of the castle. Not looking forward to losing any of them so they get the most pampering.
cute!!!!! tyvm for sharing.
My male Aussie got into a “discussion” with a skunk at midnight the night before we were leaving for vacation. I’ll spare you the drama of the aftermath. But for a full 6 months after that, Every. Single. Time. he went outside he tried to find that skunk for a rematch. Like he thought the outcome would ever be different. 🙄
Tuna & Sookie yea!! So good to see how they’re doing. I’d love to get an update/pic/vid of meowmeow. (Little black cat) I think she had adopted one of your kids? And was able to magically walk thru/slide under doors. So cute! Thanks!
MeowMeow is a Horde favourite, for sure 🙂
If you go to Ilona & Gordon’s Instagram, you can tap on the “threads” link. There is a very darling picture of Artha and Meow Meow, entry #5 from the beginning of the threads account.
My beloved m0053 is 16,5 now. He was always the dumbest cat I’d ever lived with, and I’ve lived with almost 20 (this includes cats belonging to roommates and long-term fostering for friends’ pets). He’s getting senile. It makes for interesting days. He’s also arthritic and can no longer jump on the couch or the bed, so we got him soft, ramp-like, steps.
Our other two cats, who are in their prime, will jump onto and off much higher furniture than the sofa or bed, but have decided the ONLY WAY they can get on the sofa or bed is to use the steps. If the steps get moved, they cry until their only possible access is returned.
Three weeks ago m0053, for the first time in his life, climbed on me and cuddled. Formerly, he cried to demand two-handed petting (at the place and time of his choice, usually 2:30am on the mat by the balcony door), or just chilled in the same room. Next to us on the same surface was advanced cuddling for m0053. But I was reclined on the sofa next to him, and next thing I know, he hasn’t just climbed on me to stomp around on my tummy (we believe this is his version of kneading), but settled down and sat. On me. For almost fifteen minutes before he got too happy and ran away (at his age, running away = slowly getting down and moving to the other end of the couch).
I’m very glad sookie is having a grand old age. And I have been completely pinned by a paw to the wrist many a time. I feel your frustration.
Hmmm… sleep, treats, toys, pets… Sookie is indeed living her best life!
I could go for that kind of life when I reach the equivalent of her age. 😉
I love these updates. I grew up with pets and wanted the same for my kids. Cats keep finding me. I like dogs but recognize I can’t give them the care they need. I like watching the birds and garden insects/reptile visitors to my garden.
Both our indoor cats have personalities, and while the younger one is in no way as affectionate as the older one, I feel honored when she deigns to magically appear on my comfy chair’s arm rest, next to my head, as I read.
As to skunks – my Mom’s airedale has not figured out that one either! We have skunks that wander our property at night – sometimes burning my eyes and waking me up. It got so bad that I had a handy person out to investigate and seal up the openings to under my house. We also get raccoons – which is a big reason my cats are always indoors now. Possums too, but they do no harm – gold stars!
Worst skunking in my household came when the young adult Brittany, who loved to hump the barn kitties (who, for some reason, tolerated the aforementioned demonstrations of affection) elected to try to hump the brand new fancy black and white kitty. At 530 in the morning. On a work day. I almost tossed my cookies when he ran full speed into the house and jumped in bed with me. It was a direct shot on the left chest. I bathed him in all of the things. And he would continue to have the faint trace of eau de skunk 6 mos later when he got wet.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
+100!
I live on the edge of town, which is out in the country. I have lots of nuisance animals (skunks, raccoons, opossums, nutrias, etc). I bought a couple of animal repellers from Amazon. The one I chose lets you set it in increasing strength based on what you want to run off. It works!
I hired a dog walker, from Rover, and she also greets my cats – in particular she will play a little with the extremely active kitty, Joy. I’ve noticed that it helps reduce her energy level to play with a “stranger”. It’s more exciting than playing with me. If you need a Tuna break, try Rover. Someone can come and entertain her at your home or take her for a walk. There are also cat “parks” which are indoor and have lots of things cats enjoy. There might be one near you. It sounds crazy but my theory with pets is that you do what you gotta do to get through each day.
Tough luck with the skunk situation. In my experience, it only takes one spraying for a dog to learn that the striped kitty thing makes your eyes hurt.
The poodle beast attempted to bite me this morning to keep me from going to my Dr. appointment. This is not a nip. This is a full on, I will eat your face and draw as much blood as possible bite. It has been a long time since she did one of those, but I managed to dodge it. She us a rescue and that is her fear reaction, and she didn’t want to be left behind.
Oh no, poor both of you!
Sookie!!!! 🥰💕💕💕💕 I’m so glad to see that Sookie is having the old age we all can hope to have, surrounded by love and peace.
And Tuna!!!!🥰💕💕💕💕 Yup, Tuna is definitely a cat (and a gorgeous one)in every way possible. Gotta respect that.
Thank you(from a devote animal lover) for giving your furry kids such a wonderful home, stinky kitty issues or not! 😂
One of our dogs had an antagonistic relationship with a local skunk, which he always lost. One day he chased it into the pool, and I fished it out. My husband was furious with me for taking the skunk’s side, over Hunter’s side. From Hunter’s perspective it probably was a betrayal, but the skunk did leave the area and never came back.
Sookie looks very peaceful. Queen of her territory. You should have no guilt when she is gone. You will, of course, but you shouldn’t.
Fart squirrels are almost as bad as the tree pincushions for dogs. We’ve had to get vets for the quills. You’d think he’d learn but it’s v for vendetta for sure.
Sookie snd Winston Churchill too smart old fellas.
I see the pics of Sookie and am reminded of Erra’s story. Heh… That looks like a dog that would hide next to her bed in a thunderstorm.
Glad the critters are keeping on. Sorry to hear that the skunk hasn’t taught them it’s lesson; the house canine here hasn’t learned to avoid porcupines yet.
Thanks for the Sookie and Tuna updates. 🥰🦨🐈🐶
At least it’s a skunk and not a porcupine. They’re nasty and dogs just don’t learn.
Hi Sookie!! The yawn sequence is adorable! Sweet girl!
Tuna just wants the level of attention she is accustomed to, so the computer will just have to wait its turn….
Ohh, animal drama. It’s amazing how riveting it can be. I’ve been tossing out some kibble for the raccoons so they’ll leave my birdfeeders alone and have gotten addicted to watching them through the blinds. After having been very predictable guests, they didn’t show up for 3 nights and I was worried that some hunter got them, yes, I live in the country and there’s a lot of poaching. But HUZZAH, they showed back up last night and did their usual dining and dashing. They always dump the water bowl to show me their appreciation. Don’t worry, I’m not habituating them to humans, they’re still scared of me.
Sookie is glorious. I really want to boop. And Tuna definitely looks like THE BOSS. No matter WHAT anyone else says…..
I had a gray cat who was convinced gravity must be tested multiple times each day.
Once I came home from work to discover she’d managed to get into our entertainment center and shove everything off the shelves. Everything. Including a few glass ornaments I’d gotten overseas as souvenirs. She laid on the shelf above the tv like a queen in repose, staring at me with pure satisfaction.
We went minimalist after that.
In her senior years I carried her everywhere. She had the entire top of my desk in my home office, but she’d always slide over my keyboard into my lap. If she didn’t think she was getting enough attention, she’d puke all over my office chair cushions. Hubby thought it was funny until she puked in his slippers.
I still miss that cat.
I have three dogs and the biggest is a Blue Lacy at 80 pounds. Blue Lacey’s were bred to herd cattle and hunt feral hogs so they are very active and have a very strong prey drive. After months of picking up squirrel, possum, racoon and bird pieces, (thankfully no skunk) I bought brass jingle bells to put on her collar. Much to Willow’s disgust she now makes too much noise to get a jump on any critters. In an abundances of caution, she’s only allowed out at night on a leash. Picking up critter pieces is no fun.
What a fabulous duo! They are both so cute in such different ways. Our last surviving pup is 8 and she wants all the treats and beds like Sookie and all the attention like Tuna. And she gets it all! She has shifted her devotion from me to my DH so I have many cute photos although not a lot of snuggles! Sadly she is too ornery for a new dog in the house!
I love Sookie’s cranky old lady face lol. I have an Orange idiot…Er I mean “Cat.” Nubbins wants loves and fed at 4am. Nubbins is a brat.
Poor little skunk just want to forage for bugs in peace lol
Aw, it makes me so happy to see. Sookie and Tuna living their best lives! Thank you for the update 🙂
Lol! Good luck keeping your dogs away from the skunk.
Love seeing the pics! My 5 month old kitten has started jumping from a dresser onto the top of a door, and from there onto the curtain rod. Since he gets back down on his own, I have not interfered other than taking a couple of pics. He also rules the screened front porch in decent weather, getting up to just below the ceiling on the screen frame. His canine big sister, who is two, watches intently, but thankfully she is quite good about following rules. So far no tattling. Eventually, around 8:30pm, the kitten winds down. Thank God.
It’s very clear that all animals living with House Andrews are completely spoiled—as it should be!
Tuna is very beautiful. She looks a bit like our Calvin, who was the sweetest baby for all his 20 years. We miss him every day.
When Calvin got really old, his hearing loss was evident, but he could still hear. He had an illness when he was about 15 and we nearly lost him, so when he was back home and convalescing, if he made a noise (he had been a very quiet kitty up to that point), then my husband and I would race to him to see if he was okay.
At some point after he WAS okay, he discovered that he could get all his humans to step lively if he made noise. Since he couldn’t hear himself that clearly, the noise was loud yowls. LOUD yowls. If his bowl wasn’t full. If his water or his litterbox didn’t look to suit him. If his humans were in two different rooms. If his humans weren’t reclining on comfy furniture making a nice warm place for a kitty to snuggle.
Little poop. I wish he were here yowling at me now. I would cuddle him as much as he wanted.
Yes, skunks and porcupines are both an object lesson which will forever remain unlearned in the teeny tiny brains of dogs everywhere!
perhaps poor lonely tuna can befriend mr. stripey tail!
Attack on sight! Absotively posilutely they will (my dad’s funny mangle – he would be thrilled to know I still use it). So so sorry and I hope you bought more of the anti skunk wash!
Thanks for the photos! Made me smile!
My Great Dane mix is currently loosing her mind. I have someone working on my car in the driveway and she wants to “supervise”. Does not understand the meaning of personal space and that no one needs 90 pounds of dog helping while they are working.
😂😂😂😂🤪
How adorable! Not the skunk part, though. Glad they weren’t out when the little guy (or girl) came by.
My fourlegged sister is a menace to anything on four legs. The only, and I do mean only, four-legged being that’s safe is my other dog sister.
This girl has caught at least one body for every year she’s been alive. She’ll be seven in December. Unfortunately, her hit list has included a few skunks. Luckily you guys didn’t have that problem.
And I just realized what that looks like. To be clear, all of these murders happen in our backyard. It’s a territorial thing. She actually loves other dogs as long as they aren’t in her zone.
I see your skunk and raise you a middle aged staffy who thinks she’s a puppy champing at the bit to eat a snake (king brown) in our new backyard 🤦♀️. I did almost step on it myself, and boy that was enough elevated heart rate for the day. she sat at the glass door and watched it for hours. for those of you north of the equator, a king brown is one of many of the venomous snakes in Australia that are lethal.
Where can I invest in the company that sells Skunk Off?
Nice to be on the ride with people who also adore their pets and suffer when they suffer.
yes I have a cat like that. She will run away from me in the garden if she doesn’t want to be touched . jump up and be annoying if she wants pats. but we love them
A friend of mine once had a golden retriever who never learned. At least once a year he had to be deskunked, until the day he died.
Sookie’s face reminds me of the rancor from tatooine …. But, you know, cuter 😉
I have a cat named Tuna too! Ours is a long haired gray cat. We found him dumped in a Walmart garden center last year and he’s a beast of a cat now. We have an older cat who is grumpy and uninterested in playing so we recently adopted another kitten for Tuna to play with so he would stop bothering Vinnie. That’s Ginger and he and Tuna are best buds after a week. The younger cats also keep the kids company at night so everyone is happy.
Dear Ilona and Gordon,
When I say that at one time I read every Fantasy, Sc-Fi, Paranormal Author that existed, I’m not kidding. And, I don’t do that anymore because now I can tell after just a few pages whether a will capture my attention for 00 pages. Now it’s the writing, not just the story line that holds me. I’m 74 and started reading what we euphemistically called Adult Books at 8. These days I pick my battles. Meaning, I read anything and everything that’s written by you. I love your newsletter because after the first read I realized you carry your wonderful sense of the ridiculous and humor over to your life and not just in your novels. If I tell you that you got me at “here kitty,kitty”all those many years ago you can tell that i’m a happy member of your fan club. Also I too have had a menagerie of “pets” in my life, and if that doesn’t give you patience and a sense of humor I don’t know what will! All in all, I just wanted you and Gordon to know how much I enjoy your writing and how much I always look forward to your next novel, and of course your weekly newsletter.
So happy you love the books! 🤗
Our dog caught a raccoon and lost. He ended up covered in mud with bites all over his snout and a hole bitten through his lower jaw, all at 1 a.m. because my idiot brother let him out without checking first. So of course he wanted to go right out and do it again the next night.
All Hail Tuna, Ruler of all things House Andrews.
Odd, our dogs learned that skunks were not to be messed with. The would bark from like 20 feet away, but always back up. I wish they showed the same intelligence with porcupines.
Such a w.a.f.f.y (warm and fuzzy feelings) post for a Thursday. Thank you!
Love you Tuna!
stinky jackass! lol
My favorite is the hiking trail sign with a skunk picture that said, “Do NOT pet the Fart Squirrels!” So now stinky jackass will go into rotation with fart squirrel…
sounds like it’s time for Tuna to get a cat for her very own.
Dogs don’t learn lol. My dog had the misfortune to be sprayed twice and after the second night time incident, all night time potty outings were done on a leash (our property didn’t have a fence). We luckily still had leftover deskunking shampoo from the first incident the second time it happened. We had no more incidents after we kept Mr. Milou on a leash as soon as the sun went down.
Thank you for the Tuna and Sookie updates. They both seem to be living their best best lives.
Fun. You’re life is a blast
I read this and got emotional. We are so very blessed as pet parents to have our pets into their elderly years.
Tears are flowing again as I type this and have been for the last month. I never know what will trigger them. I lost my two recently, Slugger 18 and Lucy 19 (both cats), within three weeks of each other. It’s been hard for me to relay the grief to others who are not pet parents and not bonded to their pets. I’ve had a couple not get it or say, “they are just cats” or “You knew they were old.” When you have a pet for so long, its hard to imagine a life without them. Yes, I knew they were old, but that doesn’t lessen the grief and yes, even for cats. I swear I can still hear their paws tip-tapping on my floors or jumping on the bed to snuggle and realize or wake to realize they aren’t there anymore and never will be. I miss their 3AM zoomies and 5 AM breakfast yowls. Most of all I miss their comforting purrs, understanding stares and head butts. The house is so eerily silent without them now. Never in a million years would I have ever thought to lose them both within weeks of each other. One missed the other and I never imagined how my Lucy was also experiencing grief and loneliness, even with me there. Especially since she and Slugger had a hate/love relationship. Cherish your elderly pets and give them a hug in memory of my Lucy and Slugger. Hugs to Sookie and Tuna.
Take care of yourself Hilda. It’s so hard to lose them.
My dog got sprayed the first time on the side of her neck and shoulder area. She was obviously turning away. The second time was different. She got a full frontal spray, including in her mouth. Some dogs (mastiff types mostly) just flip to it must die mode.
This doesn’t really fit here so you can take it down if you want.
I remembered the lovely Ilona talking about how hard it is to reach new readers and as my weekly writerspace.com newsletter welcomed new authors I wondered if they had ever thought to join a newsletter group like that.
Again just a thought. I just know how many smiles and laugh out loud moments reading IA books bring to me and thought we should share the love with people who haven’t yet discovered them.
I love hearing about your pets.
My mother had a sheltie that was an urban dog. She’d lived in the city all her early life where her worst enemy was a tree rat who threw pine cones at her. She understood her place in the house pack, which was behind the people and the two cats.
Then we moved to a rural area and a nasty bad smelly tree-rat- like thing sprayed her right in the face causing all her beloved people to yell and hold their noses and the cats to hiss at her
She only got sprayed the one time. After that our gentle dog who bowed down to people and cats killed all the nasty black and white tree rats she could find. And because their bodies distressed her people, she buried them in the back yard.
It took nearly a decade for the skunk population to recover from the little collie after she died. My mom found a skunk graveyard in her back yard when she planted some flowers… at least 4 of them. There were more, but the sheltie never got sprayed again.
I adore that cat. Sincerely. I love how perfectly entitled and contrary she is. Perfect cat. Is she the inspiration for Cyanide’s grooming scene?