Ok here goes:

* Golden, a golden retriever. We didn't have her for too long.
* Yochan - our first Yorkshire terrier and the first dog I ever truly loved. Named after a dog my mom had as a kid.
* Chester - Yochan's gentleman friend.
* Dozens of dogs that Yochan bore - We raised litters growing up
* Gabriella - The Yorkie we got after Yochan died. I hated her. Nobody can ever replace your first love.
* Smokey the cat - Bee brought her to New York when she moved in. She is a good looking cat, but kind of mean. The Regina George of cats.
* Sparky the cat - Smokey's sister, Bee brought her to New York when she got cancer. She was the first animal to make me feel the way that I felt about Yochan (except she wasn't mine, she was Bee's). She had a pure heart of gold and I think about her all the time. I suggested we use Sparky's name somewhere in Olive's name, but that didn't go over so well.

So that's six dogs and cats that I have been close to... plus a few dozens that I raised from puppies.

How many cats and dogs have you had in your life?