Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

OMG, Jeremy - that is just so awful - poor little boy...I'll certainly get a card off to him tomorrow, and pass on the word
huggies
Maria

AAAAWW - thanks - it's not long now, and I'm getting really twitchy! I was at the awards ceremony last year, and (my first time!) - it was nerve wracking. Nice buffet dinner and then they played, very loudly
"It's the Final Countdown"....signal to rush to the loo, and to my surprise, join a queue of other nominees. Then we had a long speech from one of the organisers, followed by an INTERMINABLE speech, by the German equivalent of the mayoress......she went on and ON...by this time i was a gibbering wreck - Carola (Cala bears ) was with us and she can vouch for it all!!!
At least this time I know what to expect...
big huggies
Maria

Congratulations, Lynette...it's a lovely article!
huggies
Maria    

Dilu...you certainly deserve our votes - stunning work!!!
And thanks, Kassie for letting us know in time
huggies
Maria

Hi Daphne - lovely thoughts (and pictures!)
sorry I didn't get round to sending you a cyber hug yesterday - feeling very blue after the death of our cat...but then I got lots of comforting hugs too - gee, aren't we lucky to belong to such a warm caring group!!
anyway - a belated hug or few for you..
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Me too - so glad your pup came though O.K. It is always a worry with things like that, but I'm sure
Ginger will be fine...give her(him?) a big cuddle from me
big huggies
Maria :hug:

Thank you all SO much for all the hugs and sympathy! I know that most of us have pets and love them dearly - and we feel for each other's joys (especially all the new puppies - I love the idea that we are all TT aunties and uncles) - and the inevitable sad times. In the end, all we can do is look back on all the fun, love and joy our pets bring to our lives.
And yes, Shane, we did adopt two kittens from the local rescue.... Fuchsia seems fit and well, and was kept isolated from Titus once he got sick. We are taking her in today for a FIP vaccination (although it isn't 100% effective) - just hope she continues to be well.
With the Munster show at the end of next week, we have to revise our plans - Nounours will be going into kennels for the weekend - she LOVES the place - the owner only ever takes up to a dozen dogs and they are all free to play tgether, so have an absolute ball! We 'll have to leave Fuchsia shut in at home and get a friend to look in on her....it will only be for 2 nights, so should be fine.
Getting ready for a bear show is stressful enough - this is the FOURTH time that one or other pet has screwed up our plans!!! Maybe they are trying to tell me something?
big huggies to all
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

A few of you already know that we have been nursing a very poorly cat for a couple of weeks....
Titus was initially tested for obvious "nasties" like FeLV and FIP  - tests negative....
he obviously had a liver malfunction, and the vet thought he had probably picked up poison somewhere, so he was being given supportive treatment, in the hope that his liver would improve.
Meanwhile, samples were sent for more extensive tests this week - we fronted up at the vet this morning with a cat who looked a little perkier , to be told the bad news that it WAS FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) - so poor Titus was put to sleep. So very sad that a FUN and active little character should have to die so young (he was just about 2 years old).......and the vet told us it was the first case of FIP
here for 10 years or so. No point asking - "why him" - these things happen...but they are awfully hard to accept
huggies
Maria

Elen - you should have been with us when we went to choose our Leo pup - the breeders had EIGHT adults, and two bitches had whelped a week apart......TWENTY pups in all......imagine cleaning up around that lot???? Wall to wall puppies!!!!
huggies
Maria

Sonya - they are just gorgeous...you are going to have so much fun watching them grow and develop!
And yes - please keep the photos coming!
big huggies
Maria

Oh Jane...
what terribly sad news...my deepest sympathies to you and all your family
lots of hugs :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:
Maria

Marion and Ellen
back again!!!
Marion - I don't dare show Nounours photos of your pets - lounging by the pool - she would be SO jealous
and Ellen - thanks for the info on Havenese dogs...and boy have you had a LOT of dogs over the years!
this is such a fun thread - lots of beautiful furry friends to ooh and aaah over....
big huggies
Maria

Now you've really got me going.....we have TRIED to get people to fall off their bikes laughing...years ago we were living in Holland (near Eindhoven) and we'd regularly walk our two Irish Wolfhounds, one Bloodhound and....a Somali cat......the "feline wolfhound"......you can imagine the reactions!
Your Leonberger friends sound wonderful LADIES......but I bet you prefer your little girl. I don't really know the breed , but she looks a real sweetie!
huggies
Maria

Hi Ellen....
I'm just trying to imagine walking TWO Leos...Nounours is all I can manage - she is WAY stronger than me, and I once foolishly let her realise it! She's our second Leo, and i learned way back to watch the body language - they seem to be able to gather themselves and charge....full tilt...and 55 kilos of dog hitting the end of the lead at full speed is VERY difficult to hang onto!
You'll easily recognise me at Munster - one arm longer than the other!!!! Oh and while I think of it , I'm at Mitte 02...I think that's the number of the whole block....
see you soon
huggies
Maria

Wow - that's GREAT news  :dance:  :dance: - humungous congratulations all round....looking forward to some photos!!!
huggies
Maria

O.K. - here's our Baby......Nounours the Leonberger, photographed just over 3 weeks ago when winter paid a surprise visit...seems impossible that it was so recent, as it's now in the high 20'sC.
Nounours will be four in June - she was born on Friday 13th and appropriately, her kennel name is Hexe (witch)
We also have two cats, but I won't tempt fate by posting pics, as one of them is pretty ill right now....

huggies
Maria

Michelle - I think I read somewhere that pregnant cats, and mums with kittens somehow take precedence - seems to be an unwritten cat "law"...I guess it's Nature making sure the next generation has the best possible chance. Certainly, when Wolkje was pregnant, the other cats seemed almost nervous of her, and like I said, when the kittens were born they kept WELL clear.
And I'll never forget this little black cat, curled up with her babies and almost beaming, PROUDLY, whenever a big Wolfie head popped into the box to check up on them...
huggies
Maria
p.s. Titus is still not doing very well - fingers crossed.......

Hi Marion
meant to write yesterday..but.....
anyway - I LOVe the new website - it really suits your delightful bears...I always find it hard to believe that they AREN'T made from mohiar fabric!
big huggies from an ultra-warm (for the time of year!!!) Germany
Maria    

What a great start to a day, and some new lives! And I SO agree - it is a privilege to be part of the birth.....years back, we assisited in the birth of our Norwegian Forest cat's first and only litter. We had put "birth boxes" all over the house, in nice quiet places, and just for a joke  left one in the middle of the lounge....and - yes - Wolkje jumped into the box one evening and proceeded to go into labour, in front of our two Irish Wolfhounds. It was such an amazing experience - proffering a hand for her to push against, and carefully holding kitten no.1 while the second was entering the world......she had a big litter - after seven, it looked like she was done for the night, so we eventually tucked them all up and went to bed......it wasn't till the next afternoon that I realised there were actually eight!
The other cats wouldn't even come into the lounge, but the wolfies were quite welcome - they would check up on the babies every now and then, and totally ignore Wolkje's food bowls, which at any other time would have been fair game...ain't life wondeful sometimes!
big huggies
Maria

Brilliant...now if only we could get the little darlings to read (actually, they probably can, but are too sensible to let on!). There would have to be one more rule for our dog - she is BIG and weighs the same as me....and she thoroughly disapproves of sun-bathing - if I ever get the opportunity to stretch out on the sun lounger, she promptly arranges herself on top of me!!!
huggies
Maria

Hi you two....
I'm another who checked out your site a few days back, and haven't had time to write (we unfortunately have a very sick cat, and daily visits to the vet - SIGH!)
The site is really great, and lots of fun (wouldn't expect anything else from you!)...and I just love Chester!!!
Have a great time at this w/end's show...wish I could be there!!!!
big huggies
Maria

Wow - what AMAZING pictures of your little dreamer...thankyou for sharing
big huggies
Maria

Yes, it's 1cm by 140 cm ....maybe it sounds cheaper that way(!)
huggies
Maria

That's tremendous, Sonya - congratulations!!!! I look forward to the photos...
huggies
Maria

Yikes - I've just been reading all about fishers, and I don't think I'd actually want to meet one! We really don't have anything dangerous here - O.K. - adders (poisonous snakes) but they are pretty shy - just as well - we have had the cats bring snakes in (!) occasionally, but they have been harmless ones. BUT - big excitement a couple of months back - the european Lynx is moving back into the area...and after last year's furore over poor Bruno (Germany's first brown bear in YEARS, and a very sad tale) the papers went to great lengths to point out that the lynx are NO threat ...apparently you would be extremely lucky to ever see one.
And Melisa - I LOVE the idea of little penguins roaming round - tho' I guess you wouldn't want them nesting under the floorboards!
The pine martens we had in the roof were quite amusing  - we finally figured out that they only spent the winter there - explained why they were really noisy just twice a year - Spring, when they were packing up to move out, and late Autumn when they returned, unpacked, and made themselves at home....making beds, hanging up pictures, fighting over the best spots - well - that's what they sounded like!
And the cat? - back to the vet tomorrow......ho hum.....
bed time....
huggies
Maria