When is a Dog not a Dog?

Recently, I took Ray to the doctor's for an exploratory look down his throat.  I have been worried, you see, because Ray is losing his voice. The once powerful doghorn has lost its ability to guide ships through the night and has been reduced to the feeble output of an ordinary dog.

I admit that for awhile Gregg and I were enjoying the relative quiet. I thought that perhaps it was just a temporary thing and that his voice would return in a week or two. But after a month, I started to worry. I took him to the vet and was told that in order to see if there was anything seriously wrong, they would have to knock Ray out, move his tongue aside, and look down his throat. I took Ray home again and thought about it for another week or two, waiting to see if his voice would get any stronger. But Ray's voice just became weaker.

So Ray went in for a sound-check. The vet found nothing wrong. Ray is fine. He's just a bit quieter than he used to be. We are trying very hard to feel bad about it.

(Answer to above - When he's a little hoarse)

Well, this end looks ok.

A Short Update

If you started out reading Ray's blog from the very beginning and knew how...um...interested he was in cats, it's hard to believe that his best friend would end up being a cat. But such is the case. 

As his dog friends moved, or moved on to a different plane of existence (died), Ray adapted. He learned to not eat his cat companions and even to enjoy their company. 

It helps that Ray's current cats are not afraid of him. Juno knows that if she is in Ray's path, he will step on her so she scoots out of the way. Lionel, Ray's best friend in the whole world, moves for no dog. He waits for Ray to step on him then grabs Ray's foot, or if its close enough and Li doesn't have to exert himself too much, Ray's head. Li sleeps with Ray and eats his food. Juno keeps a motherly eye on both of them, giving them a quick lick every now-and-again. As mothers are wont to do, she anxiously awaits Ray's return from long walks and greets him ecstatically, rubbing along his legs, and tickling his belly with her tail, making her excited little porpoise noises the whole time.

Brothers from another mother

Juno and Lionel love their dog. And Ray, much to my amazement, seems to love his cats. 

The boys at rest