Little Bit and Caydence

7/2/2025

Two of Sarah Ohms’ pets seemed to appear randomly, right at the moment when she wasn’t looking to adopt a pet.

Caydence, a redbone coonhound, came into her life seven years ago. Ohms was volunteering at the Animal Lifeline when a litter of six puppies needed homes.

With two remaining puppies who didn’t get picked, Ohms adopted Caydence. She already had a dog, Mylie, at home. 

“I got puppy fever and wanted another dog,” she explains. 

Mylie, a corgi lab adopted from the ARL, passed away last year at age 14.

Caydence and Mylie got along well. Mylie was a championship barn-hunting dog that won awards from the AKC for good citizenship and in other events.

While doing dog sports with Mylie, Ohms got Caydence involved in flyball. She belongs to the flyball club, Mutter Chaos. Flyball is a four-dog relay race, where dogs jump over hurdles. A tennis ball in the box at the end of the course must be grabbed by the dog, and then the dog must jump over four hurdles.

Caydence has competed in the Fast CAT (Coursing Ability Test) races, including a 100-yard dash. A moving lure simulates chasing a rabbit through a field against time.

Ohms says she became involved in dog sports as a way to interact with other dog owners. 

“I was new to the area and wanted to meet people,” she says. “It’s a fun way to bond with my dog.”

She travels to tournaments across Iowa and practices each Sunday with other dogs and their owners in Berwick. All types of dogs can participate with points and handicaps for various dog breeds.

Her other pet is a cat, Little Bit. Ohms was camping at Backbone State Park when a little kitten came running over. At first, the cat was scared. 

“He didn’t trust me,” she recalls. “The next day, I fed him lunch meat and set out a blanket to keep him warm.”

When it was time to leave, she called the park office and found out he had been dumped at the park and kept reappearing at the campground. She looked longingly at the cat and said, “I can’t just leave you here.”

Ohms picked up the small cat and named him Little Bit, because he was hanging around “just a little bit.” Later, the veterinarian found several infections and that he suffers from feline leukemia virus. So far, Little Bit is healthy; but he can’t be around other cats due to the virus. 

Ohms does not cite favorites between a dog and a cat; she is just happy to share her life with them. 

“It’s nice to have a pet. You can get lonely. Pets offer a way to occupy your thoughts and to cheer you up and console you,” she reflects. “They make great companions.”