Cute Pets

Our friends the Boyds have some new animal friends at their place, a puppy and a kitten. What can I say -- they're extremely cute. Puppy was the first arrival, and she was just a tiny thing with a high little voice. She has already grown a lot, and is in almost constant motion, frisking around the yard, trying to dart indoors, and nipping at people's feet.
I caught her here in a rare moment of stillness, sitting next to her cage. She's a beautiful little dog with large scruffy ears.
Here's a more typical pose, with her gnawing on my arm as I take the picture. Albert the day guard looks on in amusement. She is really discovering her teeth, and enjoys playfully nipping at any body part that comes close enough for her to reach. Fortunately, she's quite good about nipping softly, not trying to hurt anyone.
The other new addition to the Boyd family is this adorable tiny kitten. She lives in the house, and is much less spastic than the puppy, although the two of them have met and she can definitely hold her own. The day I was photographing her, she was very sleepy and barely opened her eyes as I scooped her onto my lap.Here she is again, occupying one of her favorite spots: on Chris's lap as he types. This gives you a better idea of her size. Such a cute little handful!

On a more somber note, Kibibi, the Boyds' grown-up guard dog who lived in the yard while we stayed at their house, died about a month ago. She fell sick all of a sudden, and was gone within a couple of days. We've heard this does happen to pets here, what with all the interesting diseases available in Cameroon. Still, it's sad for the pets' owners. Fortunately these new little ones are here to help fill the void, although it will be some time before they'll be much use in guarding the house.