Our story Meet Milo & Pretzel
Tails That Thrive started close to home, with Milo and Pretzel. Milo, my senior chihuahua, taught me how important it is to truly look at what an animal needs, especially when standard advice does not quite fit. Pretzel, our British Longhair with a delicate heart, reminds me every day how valuable good care, calm and attention really are. What I learn through them, I share here.
Milo
Milo is a real sweetheart, a loyal little snuggler who'd rather always be close by. He's clever, curious, and loves coming along on our adventures. But beneath all that enthusiasm there's also a sensitive side.
He follows me around the house, picks up tricks faster than I can come up with them (especially with a reward), and has a clear interest in people: he loves to stop and study them, and sometimes just walks up to say hello. He can't resist an open door either, he simply has to peek inside. In every walking area his little paws come along the whole way, even now in his older years, although we keep a careful eye on his pace and breaks. A café after the walk is the cherry on top, because that's where he gets something from his own "snack pack".
Milo used to struggle with his stomach and gut (vomiting, diarrhea), inflammations and itching. At a good vet clinic, it turned out he's allergic to several meats and to rice and potato: ingredients that turn up in remarkably many dog foods, including many "hypoallergenic" brands. With deliberately tuned food, he's doing so much better now. But food is only one part of the story: mental and physical stimulation on his level matters just as much. Sniffing walks, predictable routines and games that suit him do him visible good. In that whole search (food and enrichment alike), I keep noticing how little is actually made for small senior dogs. Much is aimed at bigger, younger dogs, which means I often figure out for Milo myself what's safe and suitable. A lot of what I share on Tails That Thrive comes from that search.
Pretzel
Pretzel is a deeply sweet cat. A soft soul who likes being close, even when she pretends she couldn't care less. But behind her Garfield-style charm there's also something that asks for extra care.
She shows her affection in her own cat way: subtly in the same room as us, sometimes right next to us on the couch, and when we come home she greets us with cheerful enthusiasm. She knows her name perfectly, because at every "Pretzel" her ears prick in our direction, even when she doesn't feel like reacting straight away. She has never scratched anyone: she always "pats" with her claws tucked in, just with her soft fluffy paws. Aside from that, Pretzel is a true lounger, who occasionally leaves her comfy spot to give Milo a playful tease. And secretly, she's also head over heels for my boyfriend: during his work-from-home days she does everything she can to grab his attention at his desk.
But beneath all that softness lies a fragile side too. Pretzel has Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common heart disease in cats and extra prevalent in British Shorthair and Longhair: the heart muscle thickens and the chambers shrink. When we got her with pedigree, only one side of her lineage had been tested for HCM. Today recognised cat breed associations thankfully require both parents to be tested for HCM, but for us that realisation came too late. So: don't rely on pedigree papers alone. Explicitly ask for HCM test results from both parents. What I can influence, I do all the more deliberately: thoughtful food, daily tooth brushing, and paying close attention to what she needs. Her life expectancy stays uncertain, and that's taught me something important: time with Pretzel and with Milo is never to take for granted. They sit at the top of my priorities every day.
And although Tails That Thrive is a dog project today, who knows what the future might still bring for our feline friends ;)
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