This is Mocha: our first Rottweiler.
This is a photo of Mocha when she was 6-months old, taken three months after coming to her new home. There is something about this picture that reminds me of a centerfold pose in a men's magazine. Because of this, I call it Porno-Puppy. Mocha quickly became part of our family, soon after we brought her home. At first, she had difficulty climbing the stairs to the bedrooms on the second floor. But now she sleeps on my bed every night and snuggles up to me for companionship. (photo taken early 1996)
Mocha, affectionately called Mo, has been my friend and companion since the day she was given to me by my daughter who owned her parents, Nikko Bear and Felony. We never owned a Rottweiler before and knew little about them except for the bad publicity they received in the news media. I did not believe all of those stories because my daughter had four small children in the house when she was given Nikko and Felony by a couple who were getting divorced. We had seven cats living in our house when Moe arrived, and she had never seen one before. Six of them came down with us from New York, and were getting on in years. The youngest were Butch and Jones, a pair of twin red tigers, and they were 14-years old when Mo arrived.
This is Butch introducing himself to Mocha. It didn't take long for this brave little cat to make friends with the puppy. Moe was just as curious about this friendly little critter and enjoyed giving him little kisses and ear washes. Butch was always known as the ambassador cat, because he would be the first to make new friends. He taught Moe that cats can be friends, too. Butch and his brother Jones both passed away in 1997, they were very close to each other and died 6-months apart. (photos taken early 1996)
The arrival of Nikko and Felony.
As fate would have it, 7-months after we brought Mocha home, we learned that her parents, Nikko Bear and Felony, needed a new home. We didn't know there was an organized nation-wide rescue program for Rottweilers, but we loved these big brutes from the moment we first saw them and had to give them a place to live. My wife drove back to New York, 12-hours each way, and brought them back to Kentucky. Later, we learned that many people were involved in Rottweiler Rescue because these magnificent brutes are so loving and caring. Click on the "Bumper Sticker"below, to find out more about rescue work from The Rott Bros. Farms.
My wife Jacqueline took this photo at 4 a.m. when she discovered the Three Bears sleeping on the couch. The two older Rotts had not yet found that sleeping on our beds was more comfortable. (photo taken 1996)
This is a photo of Butch working his charm on Nikko Bear soon after he arrived. Nikko and Felony had seen cats before and didn't care for them but it didn't take long before Butch's tenacity overcame their bias. Today, Nikko sleeps on my wife's bed along with our two remaining felines.
Anyone who is familiar with cats, especially in a multi-cat family, will know that when several cats live together each cat takes on an assigned function. In our home Butch became the Ambassador Cat and this brave little guy took on the task of making friends with the new Rottweilers who had come to live with him. It didn't take long before Nikko and Felony got used to these creatures but actually made friends with them.
When we moved to Kentucky we brought 6 cats with us. A gray tiger cat named Tigger and his twin sons Butch and Rusty. The Tigger family were inseparable and always slept together. Nikko became close friends with Tigger and he had an unusual way of demonstrating it. He takes Tigger's head into his mouth and VERY GENTLY holds it for a few seconds. Tigger does not seem to mind this at all and even accepts the Rottie kisses he frequently gets. The three photos above were taken on April 13, 1999. While not the best quality, they were snapped during an unscheduled show of affection while we were sitting on the couch and I was holding the camera at arms length overhead. Yes, we keep the camera on the end table right next to the couch. Never know when you will need it around here.
A few months after these pictures were taken Tigger passed away. He was 19-years old and had some very special qualities. From the day his twin babies Butch and Jones lost their mother, Tigger was their constant companion. The three of them slept in a pile every night for 16 years. When the twins died a few months apart two years ago, Tigger never got over the loss. It was then he started looking to Nikko Bear for companionship.
After Tigger died, his best friend, Nikko Bear, spent several weeks looking everywhere around the house for him. We knew then how much Nikko cared for him.
