Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Food Fight…Day One Hundred And Thirty Eight

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We’ve had a couple of incidents in our house that revolved around food; trouble is I wasn’t certain until this weekend.

I wasn’t even really sure what happened the first time or who was involved.  I did know that I had two dogs waiting for breakfast in the kitchen and one cat crying in the doorway.  I had my back to them and I heard a growl and a snap and when I turned around Sampson was on the floor, Delilah was in one corner and Bob the cat was in the doorway.  I wasn’t sure if one of the dogs went after the cat or if one of the dogs went after the other one.

The second incident happened Friday between Delilah and Bob.  I was making pizza in the kitchen and Bob was crying in the doorway for food.  I opened the pantry door and Bob thought he might check it; trouble is that is Delilah’s job (at least according to Delilah.)  She told him verbally and with her body language that the pantry was off limits.  Naturally I told her to back it down.

The third and defining incident (at least for me) happened this morning.  We feed our dogs the raw diet, which consists of ground meat at night and turkey necks in the mornings.  Because we buy in bulk, every three weeks or so I have thirty pounds of turkey necks defrosting in my bathtub; today was one of those days.  Of course the door to the bathroom has to be shut tight, otherwise Delilah would be in there eating frozen turkey necks; all thirty pounds.

I went in this morning to package up the defrosted necks and naturally Delilah came with me, but this time so did Bob.  I saw her turn and let him know once again that he was treading on hallowed ground.  That was when the light bulb went off and I realized the dogs are becoming a bit possessive with Bob about their food.  At that moment, Delilah and Bob were banished from the bathroom while I did what I needed to do. 

Now I know what is going on and as the saying goes, “Knowing is half the battle.”

I think I will try feeding Bob first in the morning so he is out of Sampson and Delilah’s space, and if necessary I will implement a “No dogs in the kitchen rule.”  We can’t have the dogs going after the cat.

There's Something About Bob…Day One Hundred and Twenty Two

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A cat came to live in our house today. 

My daughter who is serving in the Army has two cats; they have been staying with a friend of hers.  This little kitty (Bob) got very ill with a urinary blockage, he has been at the vets for the last two days, and finally was allowed home today.  He needs to be on a special prescription only food for 4 weeks and he also needs to be closely supervised to insure he is urinating and not in any discomfort.  My daughter asked if he could stay with us. 

Remember that old wives tale that cats have nine lives?  Bob is on his fourth one.  Just before Cassie left for the Army, Bob ate some thread; it got wrapped around his tongue and all inside him and he needed surgery to put him right.   Then just a couple of months ago, he had a really bad infection inside his chest;  he was in the hospital then too.   By my calculations, that would make this his fourth life.

I haven’t had a cat since we had to put my Smokey kitty to sleep and truthfully as I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed allergies in my eyes, so I haven’t been in any hurry to get a cat.   Honestly, I would have kept him when she went in the Army, but she really wanted the two cats to stay together and I think two dogs and one cat is quite enough for two old folks.  But…kitty needs some TLC and our baby girl wants mom and dad to do it; so a cat came to live at our house today.

Surprisingly, Delilah is the one who is pretty good with the cats; Sampson is the one who likes to chase them.  Plus they both love the treats that kitty cat deposits in his litter box, which means the area where kitty cat poops, needs to be gated off from the dogs. 

So which chipmunk did you bet on Ollie?

Because I have allergies to cats, they love me.  Bob likes to sleep on the top of the sofa, right above my head.  When our daughter was home, her cats basically lived in her room; that room has since been converted to my office/scrapbook/chill space room, so I am hoping that Bob will be able to adjust to not spending all his time in his/my room. 🙂

Ok, if I’m being totally honest here, I have been begging Chet for a cat.  Ever since we had that mouse invasion last year, I have been saying we really need a cat;  I went out today and picked up  a few things to make life at Stone Manor a little more comfortable for Bob.

A collar, some toys, a mat for food and scratching.

I am hoping that once Bob feels better we can adjust him to life as an indoor/outdoor cat and he can help us with our mouse problem and maybe, just maybe he can help Delilah catch that chipmunk.  In the meantime, can someone come and help wipe these Cheshire cat grins off mine and Bob’s faces?

That's a happy cat.

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