By: Kylie Cooper Photos by: Rachel Benavides
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr
You know that moment? The one where you catch yourself justbrstaring at your pet and have the inner thought of: “How long have I justbrbeen sitting here staring at this four-legged creature doing nothing but merelybrexisting, yet somehow I have been entirely entertained?” Yeah, we arebrfamiliar with that notion. So much so, we decided to dedicate our cover featurebrto it (and because it was a definite crowd favorite from previous years). Webrput out a call for the Coastal Bend’s cutest pets and boy did the floodgatesbropen. After multiple heart-wrenching rounds of narrowing down over 150 entrybrforms, all just as cute as the one before, we finally landed on 25 finalists.brThose finalists were then put up to a vote for our readers to pick who they’dbrlike to see in the magazine. From a vivacious and incredibly smart pig to abrtiny Chihuahua who can pack a punch, we present to you the eight cutest pets!
Felicia, The Juliana Pig – 1 year
Piggy Power. While some people might associate the characteristicbrof laziness to the pig, our girl Felicia is quite the opposite. She can jump atbrleast three whole feet into the air.
Dog or Pig? Felicia has been trained similar to the likes ofbra pup. Her owners have taught her how to sit and lay down on command. She alsobris totally potty trained and will let you know when she is ready to be both letbrin and out to take care of her business. Oh, and she enjoys walks on the leashbrfrom time to time.
Code Pink. When guests arrive to the house, Felicia is readybrand waiting. She will alert the whole abode to a new- comer’s presence bybrbarking when a knock on the door is heard – and when we say bark, we mean bark.
A Big Personality. If a live-action film were to be madebrabout her life, the voice of Felicia’s character would be done by none otherbrthan Tiffany Haddish. They are both loud, energetic, and make their presencebrknown to all.
Life Swap. On the topic of celebrities, if Felicia were tobrswap lives with a celebrity one day, she would choose Cardi B. This is because shebrfeels as though the random noises she is constantly making would be verybrsimilar to the random noises Cardi B is constantly making. No one would everbrknow the difference!
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr
A True Champion. If Felicia was to be on a reality TV show,brshe would have to go on “Man v. Food.” It goes with- out saying she would blowbrher competition out of the water. Eating excessively isn’t just Felicia’sbrfavorite pastime, she looks at it as a way of life.
Mattey, The Sheltie-Mix – 12 years
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr
A Fox atbrHeart. One ofbrMattey’s coolest characteristics is that she resembles a fox! So much so thatbrif she were to be any celebrity, she would most certainly be the CARFAX Fox,brbecause he is basically her identical twin.
brbr
SneakybrSneaky. Mattey’sbrfavorite snack usually comes in the form of something she wants but cannot havebr(relatable). Snagging a sandwich off the coffee table when all eyes are turnedbrelsewhere is her go-to cheat meal.
brbr
A Fear ofbrMissing Out. Thisbrpup loves a good boat day. Once, her parents were loading the car up for a boatbrride and didn’t ask Mattey if she’d like to join. The FOMO was real and shebrdecided to take matters into her own paws. She was nowhere to be found uponbrleaving the house until they checked…the boat. She had taken it upon herselfbrto extend the invite.
brbr
SolebrSurvivor. IfbrMattey were to decide to send her audition tape in for a reality TV show, itbrwould be going to the offices of “Survivor.” This is because, when the game isbrall said and done, there is only one survivor, and Mattey will outwit, outlast,brand outsmart them all.
brbr
Fourth Time’sbra Charm. Thisbrpup had been adopted three times prior to finding her destined human parents.brHer family was seeking a friend for their other Sheltie and decided to go thebradoption route. Her previous owners had all returned Mattey for being toobraggressive, but with the right training and abundant love, Mattey found herbrforever home.
brbr
A CountrybrGal. Mattey’sbrfavorite song to listen to is pretty much anything by George Strait. While itbris unclear whether this love is her own or forced upon her by her mother, thebrKing of Country is still her favorite nonetheless.
brbrBella & Beau, The Golden Doodle Duo – 1.5 years
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr
Cherry onbrTop. Thisbrdynamic duo has a bit of a sweet tooth. Other than bacon-wrapped sweet potatobrtreats, their favorite way to enhance any meal comes in the form of a nicebrdollop of Reddy-Wip oh-so-delicately placed atop their bowl of food.
brbr
You’ve GotbrSome ‘Splaining to Do. Bella and Beau’s
brTV star twins would be Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, and not
brjust because they’re a match made in heaven. While Bella lends herself to thebrLucy type, being the comic relief in any situation, Beau tends to be a tad bitbrmore reserved. Plus, he has a certain suaveness to him – one that is eerilybrsimilar to Ricky’s.
brbr
One DaybrYou’re In and the Next You’re Out. If Bella and Beau were to compete on a reality TVbrshow, they would be contestants on “Project Runway.” This seems like the onlybrlogical choice due to their impeccable style, tendencies to judge other’s andbrtheir own fashion choices, and the chance to be the center of attention comebrFashion Week.
brbr
Ready orbrNot. One ofbrthe pups’ favorite pastimes is playing hide-and-seek with one another. Beau isbrthe resident seeker, while Bella’s go-to hiding spots are behind a chair orbrlaying low to the ground. A few rounds of this take place before a necessarybrcool down dip in the pool.
brbr
Love Bugs. It’s been said there’s not abrsingle aggressive bone in either Bella’s or Beau’s body – and we can confirmbrthis to be true. Not only is their love for each other enough to send tearsbrstreaming down your face from a cuteness overload, but their love for strangersbris just as abundant.
brbr
Pets on Petsbron Pets. Peoplebroften worry when adopting littermates, as it can sometimes cause the animals tobrget so attached to one another, it becomes hard for them to create bonds withbrhumans. However, for Bella and Beau, this could not be further from the case.brWhether it is their constant desire for attention or just wanting to bebrcuddled, this pair can’t get enough pets.
brbr
Teddy, The Boston Terrier Mix – 19 weeks
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr
Two isbrBetter than One. Teddybrwas born with the rather rare condition heterochromia. This means he has twobrdifferent colored eyes – the result for Teddy is a beautifully striking bluebrand black eye.
brbr
Braver ThanbrMost. Whilebrmost pets are usually frightened by the sight or sound of a vacuum, Teddy looksbrat the vacuum as an object to conquer. The first time he caught the sight ofbrthe device, he ran straight to it. After scoping out the situation, growlingbrand barking at it a little, and eventually climbing aboard, Teddy soon began tobrride the vacuum. His mom turned it off and he barked. She turned it back on andbrthe joyride resumed.
brbr
A CharmingbrMan. If Teddybrwere a celebrity, he would without a doubt take the form of Frank Sinatra. Hebris classy, sophisticated, and charming, and his one blue eye is ratherbrreminiscent of Frank’s baby blues.
brbr
MortalbrEnemies. Whilebrhe might have a peculiar love for the vacuum cleaner, he doesn’t necessarilybrfeel that way about all cleaning products: The Swiffer mop might just be hisbrarch nemesis.
brbr
Boy’s BestbrFriend. A dogbrmight be a man’s best friend, but Teddy’s ride or die pals take the form ofbrstuffed animals. His blue octopus keeps him busy during the day, while hisbrstuffed elephant helps him fall asleep at night.
brbr
A TruebrFoodie. Evenbrat the young age of 19 weeks, this boy can eat. Like, really eat. Similar tobrFelicia, if he were to go on a reality TV show, it would hands down be “Man vs.brFood.” He would undoubtedly blow the competition away with his mighty appetite.brHis favorite snack consists of cream cheese, peanut butter, and pepperoni.
brbr
Marilyn, The Maine Coon – 9 years
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr
Siblings, NobrMatter the Species. Marilyn,brunlike some cats, loves dogs. After her family adopted a dog, they soon becamebrthe best of friends. She will constantly walk up to him, run her tail under hisbrchin, and then flip over on her back and start hitting his face with her paws.
brbr
Close, ButbrNot Too Close. Shebrwould never, ever admit it, but Marilyn loves a good cuddle. Although shebrenjoys her space, she needs to be in the same room as her owner at all times,brbut not too close – 3 to 5 feet away, to be exact. But she does enjoy beingbrheld like a baby from time to time. I mean, who doesn’t?
brbr
Passing thebrTime. Marilyn’sbrhobbies and quirks include playing with ping pong balls, perching up onbrwindowsills for hours at a time to chirp back with the birds, and spendingbrquality time with her pup best friend.
brbr
Will YoubrAccept This Rose? Ifbrthis beautiful cat were
brto be on a reality TV show, it would have to be The Bachelorette. She wouldn’tbreven have to lose at The Bachelor first, she would just go straight to beingbrthe main attraction with all the fella cats lining up to steal her heart.
brbr
A Class Act.brJulie Andrewsbrwould be Marilyn’s celebrity doppelgänger. This is because of her undeniablebrclass. She is sophisticated, and a little bit sassy, and everyone knows andbrloves her.
brbr
Fun Facts. Marilyn’s official nickname isbrSnoop Catt – and it comes with a theme song. Are you ready for it? Get the tunebrto Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” in your head. It goes a little something likebrthis: “With so much drama in the C-R-P, it’s kinda hard bein’ SnoopbrC-A-double-T.”
Sasha, The Chihuahua – 13 years
Gentle Soul. Sasha isn’t really much of a barker. According to her parents, there are only three different scenarios in which she will let one out: seeing other animals, if the television has anything animated on it, or if she sees either handshakes (this is actually her biggest pet peeve) or someone clapping loudly.
Sasha in Space. This isn’t Sasha’s first media appearance; you could say she’s quite the social media influencer. This gal has been featured in many of her dad’s music videos and on the front page of the Corpus Christi Caller Times, and even has her own hashtag on Instagram. Find her at #sashainspace, where she poses with all her fans.
A Bad-A Sidekick. If Sasha were to take the form of any celebrity, it would have to be Pikachu. She’s tiny, cute, and fuzzy, but will definitely open up a can of whoopass
if need be. Plus, she totally serves as her mom’s sidekick and partner in crime when it comes to the adventures of everyday life.
Corpus Roots. True to her Corpus origin, Sasha’s favorite song to jam to would have to be “La Carcacha” by Selena. Does Sasha have a man with an old, beat up car? We aren’t sure, but what we do know is this song gets her in the mood to conquer any day.
I am Groot. If a live-action film were to be made about Sasha’s life, the voice actor of choice would be none other than Vin Diesel. Specifically, Vin Diesel doing his voice for Baby Groot. Baby Groot’s cadence would lend itself perfectly to Sasha as she is both tiny and fearless.
brbr
Emma & Mochi, The Holland Lop Bunnies – 1 year
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr
Full SpeedbrAhead. WhenbrMochi and Emma were first adopted, their owners thought they would enjoy alonebrtime at home – taking advantage of the quiet time provided when no one else isbrin the house. However, that’s not how it turned out…as opposed to takingbrnaps, the brother and sister duo instead begin to run laps around the house.brThey’ll run from room to room before tiring out.
brbr
The Office. If Mochi and Emma were to bebrcharacters from a TV show, they would be Jim Halpert and Angela Martin,brrespectively. Mochi would be Jim because he is cool, calm, collected, andbralways easy-going. Emma, on the other hand, would be Angela due to her princessbrpersonality. She is very reserved and likes to be in charge, and doesn’tbrparticularly care for funny business.
brbr
A HappybrTune. Thebr“Puffin Rock” theme song is what you’ll find the pair jamming to on any givenbrday. The bunnies relate to the playful nature of the song and it never fails tobrlift their spirits.
brbr
Yin andbrYang. Mochibrand Emma are basically a match made in heaven. While Mochi would sometimesbrrather lay back and chill, Emma likes to live life a little more on thebradventurous side and is always curious about something. Their personalitiesbrcomplement each other pretty perfectly.
brbr
A PowerbrCouple. In abrlive-action movie about their lives, Mochi would be voiced by Sean Connery andbrEmma by Michelle Rodriguez. The reasoning behind this? Mochi would totally havebra James Bond vibe to him and would need a voice actor who can provide that. Hebris calm and cool but ready to use his special skills on a moment’s notice. Emmabron the other hand would need the voice of a tough and powerful woman. Thisbrallows her to keep on Mochi’s toes and sweet talk him when necessary.
Remington, The Basset Hound, 3 years
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr
QualitybrTraits. Somebrof Remington’s (Remi for short) defining characteristics are his hound howl,brwhich strikes fear in other neighborhood pets, his short legs and turned outbrpaws, and his personality. He is friendly, easy-going, and people oriented!
brbr
AttentionbrLover. Remi’sbrbiggest pet peeve really is any time the attention is not specifically on him.brHe demands to be seen and heard at all times! Other pet peeves include beingbrmoved from a deep slumber, when his humans prevent him from meeting new friendsbrat the front door, and taking baths.
brbr
Not a LapbrDog. AlthoughbrRemi’s size does not qualify him to boast the title of a lap dog, he doesn’tbrlet that stop him from acting as such. All 55 pounds of cuteness will hop up onbrthe couch to curl up in your lap. He also enjoys sleeping right next to hisbrhumans. He prefers to be the little spoon, though, because of his large dogbrcomplex.
brbr
I Will FindbrYou. Remibrreally identifies with Liam Neeson’s character in the movie Taken. The waybrBryan Mills feels about finding his daughter is how Remi feels when his toysbrhave been taken away. His humans say he lives his life by the following mantra:br“If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have any money. But whatbrI do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired by mybrlong nose. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let mybrtreats and toys go now, that’ll be the end of it.”
brbr
brbr
brbr
