Cotons On The Cumberland

Kelli (needing some lip gloss) and Z looking as Fablulous as ever!
    

Our family is fairly large and we lead a very busy lifestyle like most people.  Our dogs are included in our activities as much as possible.  My name is Kelli Paris and along with my husand, Chris, we have two boys (three if you count my nephew who is with us often), and three dogs, a new kitten, and two birds.  We also have many friends and extended family members who share our lives.  Our boys are Zane, age 10, and Ian, age 5.  My nephew is 17 (he is a monster at 6'5" and still growing!) 

     Our animals are very much a part of our family life!  Our oldest dog, Zoe, is 10 years old and she is a mixed breed, probably part Sheltie and part Border Collie.  She is an incredible dog and loves her two little companions!  They have added years to Zoe's life and added so much companionship.  She truly enjoys being their friend and leader.  Our female Coton, Bella, will be 4 at the end of May, she is the tri-color coton with a slight curl to her hair.  Our male Coton, Z, turned 3 in October, he is Black and White.  He is puffy and Cuddly.  Z is the smallest of our Cotons weighing only 11 lbs. although because of his hair people think he is the biggest.  Bella, weighs in at 15 lbs.  She is bigger than Z but not by that much, she just likes to eat (we watch her but she can be VERY creative).  She is still healthy and not considered overweight by any means but she does like her kibble.  Our newest addition is our gray kitten who is about 4 months old.  He has added so much to our lives and is primarily the boy's pet.  The dogs sleep with Chris and I and Bullet, the kitten sleeps with the boys.  He became friends with Bella immediately, she loved to mother him.  Z took a little longer to warm up to him but they are the best of friends and playmates now.  Cotons are truly easy to get along with!

    I am a stay-at-home Mom which suits our lifestyle and makes the kids and dogs happy.  Our Cotons have human companionship almost all of the time and are well socialized.  They often go with me to pick kids up from school or to practice (whatever sports season might be in at the time).  We also visit friends and family members with them fairly often.  They get along well with their dog cousins, which are two Standard Poodles, this is kind of a funny relationship due to the size differences.  They love everyone they meet and everyone seems to love them.  I cannot imagine my life without them.  One of the things I like best about my two little Cotons is that they have this puppy quality about them that has never gone away and other breeders I have spoken with tell me they will always have that playful, carefree quality about them.  I personally, am so glad that I decided to get two Cotons.  I say this because of their play.  They are so happy together!  You can tell they love each other just by watching them.  Bella and Z, and at times Zoe, love to wrestle and chase each other, sometimes my kids join in this and we all end up laughing! 

     The only thing I have found they don't enjoy is their grooming but both tolerate it very well, they are just not overly excited to be groomed and brushed (I groom them myself).  Bella hardly minds at all, Z will just sit there pouting about being brushed and clipped.  Luckily, Cotons are not hard to groom and do not require that much time except when they blow their puppy coat.  The sweetest thing is that they will give each other encouraging kisses while being groomed.  They are so cute and I feel extremely Blessed to have them in my life, we all feel that way!