When Farley (formerly Liam) formally joined Maria’s family, he was not only the sweet boy she’d long been dreaming about, he looked exactly like the painting of a golden her sister had given her five years before.
Despite his traumatic past, Farley was surprisingly mellow and sweet from the start, with so many wonderfully endearing qualities. After warming up to everyone, he “chose” a few people to befriend and stay beside when visiting, from Maria’s brother-in-law to her elderly relatives, taking gentle and special care of them.
Especially attached to Maria, he enjoys their work-at-home routine. He “clocks in” to their front office room before she does, waits for her to arrive and pet him before she starts her work computer, nudges her when it’s time for her lunch break and again when he thinks she should be clocking out. Even their cat has warmed up to him, and they now sleep near each other while she works.
Now being treated for arthritis, he’s a good sport about it and likes having his own bedtime routine. He gets his “Better Than Ears Hip & Joint” treat and a quick snuggle then trots over with it and curls into bed before sleeping all night. Although he doesn’t want to use a ramp to get into the car, he settles in after a while and sleeps in the back seat on the way to visit relatives.
He especially enjoys his walks, and his favorite thing to do is climb a small hill, stop, and beam at Maria until she calls out, “King of the hill!” They have a fluffy bed for him with lots of plush fibers as well as a ritual of scattering tiny mini bones on it a few times a week, with Maria always saying “bone fiesta” beforehand. Farley reacts by twirling around and getting as excited as a kid at a carnival.
Due to the pandemic, the family hasn’t traveled as much as they would like, but Farley is happy in his home and with his routines, so Maria is cherishing her time with her sweet furry son.
