Fuzz’s Early Memories

One of Fuzz’s earliest memories is pouncing through golden red leaves with his dad in the front yard of a house.  He remembers his owner once saying they lived in New England.  But Fuzz could have cared less what the place was called, he simply loved the colorful leaves, the crisp air, and having his dad by his side.  He got that love for the outdoors from his dad, a gentle Yellow Labrador Retriever with an easy smile.  People say that he is also where Fuzz got his charisma and playful personality.  Fuzz and his dad would spend afternoons chasing leaves, barking at the occasional car (it was a quiet neighborhood) and slipping away to the small stream that ran behind their owner’s house.

In the late afternoon, they would join his mother on the porch.  She was a beautiful Golden Retriever and one of her favorite activities was people-watching, something Fuzz was fond of as well.  His mother could see right to the core of someone’s being and know exactly what they were about.  She often shared her insight with Fuzz, letting him know who was trustworthy and who was up to no good.  This too was an ability Fuzz would inherit (and it would serve him well later when he moved to the “big city”, but we’ll get to that part of his many adventures later).  Fuzz and his parents would sit on the porch and watch people sweep the sidewalk, take out the trash, mow the lawn, or whatever other activity happened to be going on that day.

Fuzz most loved watching the kids play kick ball or tag or pedal up the street on their bikes.  When he couldn’t stand it any longer he’d bolt from the porch and join the kids – chasing down a pop fly, running along side someone on a skateboard, or smothering a fallen child with so many licks that even if they scraped a knee badly, they always ended up smiling.  He considered himself a talented face-licker, he figured he must be good at it since people always ended up smiling.  His mother would always bark after him, reminding him to stay out of human’s way and get back to the porch.  But her bark was always followed by a bark from his father, telling her he’d keep an eye on Fuzz, at which point he would bound from the porch to join Fuzz in the fun.  Fuzz’s mom knew the Yellow Lab just wanted an excuse to play as well (this was actually fine with her, the sense of playfulness was what she liked most about Fuzz’s father).

Fuzz and his dad would eventually return to the porch, breathless and panting. Fuzz would then tell his mom stories filled with jokes as he told of pranks he played on the children.  His mother would listen with a smile and an occasional soft laugh.  This was the ultimate accomplishment for Fuzz – he loved to make anyone laugh, but to make his mother laugh was the best feeling.  Inevitably, their owner would step onto the porch and call them in.  Fuzz would head for the kitchen where on most nights his favorite meal of steak, chicken, and rice would be in the corner next to the cupboard.

Fuzz’s early years were good years.  Good food and plenty of exercise from running made him strong and healthy.  His parents made him good spirited but also courageous and strong-minded.  Little did he know how important these things would be when he headed to the “big city”, a place very different from this place filled with golden red leaves.  It would also be the place where he met a cat named Piing.  Here in his small town, he never paid much attention to the cats that he shared the neighborhood with.  They ignored him and that was just fine, he found little use for them.  Little did he know he’d soon rely on a cat named Piing for things large and small.  Little did he know of the adventures they would share.

But for now Fuzz was just happy to finish his meal and lay on the soft mat in front of the warm oven.  That was his life…for now.

When Piing met Fuzz