Our Animal Family, by Karen Ha

Our family has always loved animals. If we could go back in time, you would see us bringing home many dogs, cats, rabbits, and chickens over the years. Each has come with its own distinct personality and enriched our lives in so many ways.

Fast forward to today and we live with a very cool cat (Stella), a needy and lovable dachshund/lab mix (Bruno), two bunnies (BunBun and Theo), and fond memories of our wonderful dog (Baxter), who crossed over the rainbow bridge about 5 years ago.

Stella

Stella's Story

Stella is our sleek silky black cat and at 13, she is the oldest member of our pet family. Adopted as a kitten from a shelter in Truckee as a surprise for our 7-year-old daughter, Stella is affectionate, vocal, and clearly “the boss.” Everybody knows it – people, animals, even the neighbors on our street. 

Driving back to the Bay Area on adoption day was quite an adventure with a hyperactive kitten and an older dog. But it was also the beginning of a beautiful friendship, as Stella and Baxter were inseparable until he passed away at about 12 years old.

Baxter

Baxter's Story

Baxter spent his early life in a laboratory and when no longer needed for testing, was rescued by a nonprofit called NorCal Beagle Rescue. When we brought him home, the first thing he did was run into our daughter’s room, find a giant stuffed tiger, drag it out and start playing with it. He was a fabulous dog from day 1, great with our daughters and any other animals we brought home. He would share his bed with Stella without complaint, and he and Bruno were best friends. 

Bruno

Bruno's Story

Bruno, our sweet beagle who is about 5 years old now, was a puppy when we adopted him in January of 2020. We weren’t looking for another dog (famous last words), but a friend and her daughter were working at a PetSmart adoption event and invited us to go. All the way over, we kept saying, “We are not adopting another dog.” But of course, as soon as we got there, Bruno spotted my daughter and immediately jumped into her lap. We left without him but couldn’t stop thinking about him, so we went back the next day to see how well he would get along with Baxter. They seemed fine and just like that, Bruno had a wonderful new home.

Unlike Baxter, who was always OK on his own, Bruno suffers from separation anxiety ─ having to be with us, on our laps, part of everything, really needing that closeness and affection, and hating it when we have to leave him, even for a quick errand.

And while Stella’s one true love was Baxter, she has a much different relationship with this poor little guy. She seems to go out of her way to torment him, hiding behind something and then pouncing on him when he’s not looking. As soon as she gets the desired reaction, she calmly walks away looking very innocent as if nothing has happened. (Think Lucy and Charlie Brown) 

BunBun and Theo's Story

BunBun

Theo

Our Lionhead, BunBun, came to us as a present to my oldest daughter for her 16th birthday, and my youngest daughter brought Theo home from an adoption event (yes, we did it again). Nestled in a cardboard box with his litter mates, Theo was so small that he fit in the palm of your hand. 

While Theo is the friendliest, BunBun enjoys attention. He used to be in the front yard and during Covid, due to many extra walkers, he even had his own Instagram account. We eventually had to put him in the backyard due to excessive digging, maybe trying to get closer to his fans? 

What We’ve Learned from Our Furry Friends

In our world, cats, dogs, and rabbits all reside peacefully with their humans in the same household. Each of our animals has been different in its own way, brought something special to the mix, and we’ve cherished them all. But when we rescued Bruno, he also rescued us, because Covid hit and everything shut down right after we adopted him. He was a puppy, so happy and fun and full of life. He didn’t know what was going on and that turned out to be something we really needed. He was the star (and he knew it), adding joy to our lives at a very challenging time.