Dear Allie,
My name is Zoie and I have a serious problem. Three years ago, an amazing family
saved me from a chicken coop and took me home. My life started out really nice; I
had 2 big step-brothers, a step-sister, and my friends that used to visit now live with
us. My mom is great, and I love my dad! My other human I have to share with my
bratty brother, Mokee. I guess I never minded because technically Tina belonged to
him first. But Tina and I have gotten really, really, really close. She taught me
tricks, she takes me to fun places, she even defends me when Mokee is being a
bully! But the biggest thing, she sleeps in my bed with me. I used to think it was
annoying when she'd curl right up next to me, like I was her security or something.
And now she's packing up a bunch of boxes, talking about leaving our home, and
saying weird things to me. Now, I'm a very smart girl and I understand a lot, but I'm
having trouble getting this new idea through my ears. I hear her and mom talk about
me maybe leaving too, but then mom gets upset because she's mine and doesn't
want me to leave. Tina says things like "retrain Zoie" and "she can learn not to sleep
with people". I don't understand this. I mean, I understand that Mokee sleeps with
mom and dad and gets very possessive when it comes to his bed; plus he's not
good at sharing. But I've always been the baby girl and gotten my way. I just don't
know what to do. It sounds like our room is going to be changed around quite a bit,
and it won't be the same at all. Do you think I can learn how to sleep without a
human? And what about the others that sleep on our floor? I'm worried that I won't
get my beauty sleep each night! Please give me some advice.
Zoie Rehfeldt
Dear Zoie,
It sounds like maybe you and your human, Tina, are going to go on an adventure.
Maybe you're going to have your own house or something. That can be fun
(especially if you don't have to live with any yucky boys) but you gotta keep sleeping
with a human. It's essential for your beauty sleep! You see, the humans have oily
skin and sleeping with them is what makes our coats really pretty and shiny. And
humans are also really warm, of course.
Before I lived with Debbie, I had to sleep in a crate by myself every night. As a
matter of fact, the first night I stayed with Debbie, she put me in her bed and I
thought I was going to get in trouble for that. But she actually wanted me there and
I still sleep there. Well, a couple of times when me and Cosmo wouldn't stop
wrestling she made us both sleep in our crates all night. But mostly she wants me
there.
Is your human going to have a smaller bed maybe? If that's the case, then you will
need to sleep in the bed and she will need to sleep on the floor. Or if your bed is
going to have more humans than normal in it, she will need to get an even bigger bed
so you will all fit. In any case, if she doesn't treat you like the princess you are, you
will need to stay with your mom and dad and just visit Tina on weekends! Hmmm, I
wonder if that would get you double the treats and toys if you had two homes…
Good luck, and keep clinging to that mattress,
Allie (who sleeps in the exact center of the bed surrounded by her 2 humans)
****************
Allie Lu Brown-Thompson
Edwardsville, IL
My name is Zoie and I have a serious problem. Three years ago, an amazing family
saved me from a chicken coop and took me home. My life started out really nice; I
had 2 big step-brothers, a step-sister, and my friends that used to visit now live with
us. My mom is great, and I love my dad! My other human I have to share with my
bratty brother, Mokee. I guess I never minded because technically Tina belonged to
him first. But Tina and I have gotten really, really, really close. She taught me
tricks, she takes me to fun places, she even defends me when Mokee is being a
bully! But the biggest thing, she sleeps in my bed with me. I used to think it was
annoying when she'd curl right up next to me, like I was her security or something.
And now she's packing up a bunch of boxes, talking about leaving our home, and
saying weird things to me. Now, I'm a very smart girl and I understand a lot, but I'm
having trouble getting this new idea through my ears. I hear her and mom talk about
me maybe leaving too, but then mom gets upset because she's mine and doesn't
want me to leave. Tina says things like "retrain Zoie" and "she can learn not to sleep
with people". I don't understand this. I mean, I understand that Mokee sleeps with
mom and dad and gets very possessive when it comes to his bed; plus he's not
good at sharing. But I've always been the baby girl and gotten my way. I just don't
know what to do. It sounds like our room is going to be changed around quite a bit,
and it won't be the same at all. Do you think I can learn how to sleep without a
human? And what about the others that sleep on our floor? I'm worried that I won't
get my beauty sleep each night! Please give me some advice.
Zoie Rehfeldt
Dear Zoie,
It sounds like maybe you and your human, Tina, are going to go on an adventure.
Maybe you're going to have your own house or something. That can be fun
(especially if you don't have to live with any yucky boys) but you gotta keep sleeping
with a human. It's essential for your beauty sleep! You see, the humans have oily
skin and sleeping with them is what makes our coats really pretty and shiny. And
humans are also really warm, of course.
Before I lived with Debbie, I had to sleep in a crate by myself every night. As a
matter of fact, the first night I stayed with Debbie, she put me in her bed and I
thought I was going to get in trouble for that. But she actually wanted me there and
I still sleep there. Well, a couple of times when me and Cosmo wouldn't stop
wrestling she made us both sleep in our crates all night. But mostly she wants me
there.
Is your human going to have a smaller bed maybe? If that's the case, then you will
need to sleep in the bed and she will need to sleep on the floor. Or if your bed is
going to have more humans than normal in it, she will need to get an even bigger bed
so you will all fit. In any case, if she doesn't treat you like the princess you are, you
will need to stay with your mom and dad and just visit Tina on weekends! Hmmm, I
wonder if that would get you double the treats and toys if you had two homes…
Good luck, and keep clinging to that mattress,
Allie (who sleeps in the exact center of the bed surrounded by her 2 humans)
****************
Allie Lu Brown-Thompson
Edwardsville, IL
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