An Unexpected Visitor

     I’m sitting on my couch with my devoted pal Quizz.  When, we hear a couple of bangs and thuds.  No one is in the house but us and the cat.  Usually the cat is, well, cat-like, stealthy and quiet, only visiting us when he wants company.  To add to the oddness, the cat starts his chirping call.  The one he makes when he is on the hunt outside and sees his favorite quarry, the squirrel.

[caption id="attachment_437" align="alignright" width="61" caption="Charlie the Hunter"][/caption]

 Intrigued, I get up and investigate.  I don’t have to go far, there sits the cat.  Tail swishing frenetically back and forth while focused intently on the space between the toilet and the vanity.  The only thing between his quarry and himself was two trash cans.  Charlie, that’s the cat, senses my approach and imperiously meows at me.

 Translation “Stupid Human, how could you have these items between me and what I want?  Remove them immediately!”

I being the ever so obedient cat minion says, “Okay.” And I move the trash cans, not expecting to find more than an annoying silverfish.  Mind you those are gross and icky enough and must be destroyed.    

[caption id="attachment_428" align="alignleft" width="85" caption="The Intruder"][/caption]

 

Instead, I find a RODENT!!! I scream.  It darts Left! It darts Right! IT DARTS BETWEEN MY LEGS WITH AN OVER EXCITED CAT AFTER IT!

At that point the dog realizes that something is up and decides to join the fray.  He comes just in time to see the rodent, which my brain has since identified as a squirrel.  Always up for a game of chase, Quizz chases it into the sewing area. 

  This is not good, too many places to hide, too many places to never be found. But never fear!  Quizz has it cornered.   The cat is upset that his game has been interrupted. I’m trying to figure out how to capture the squirrel without blood being shed by anyone!

Now to be fair, the gradient size goes like this.  Human – really large (a lady never reveals her weight!). Dog – 60 lbs. Cat – 17 lbs. Squirrel – 6 oz. tops.   I can see where the squirrel would be a bit freaked out. 

I finally got the squirrel corralled in a trash can. Called a Wildlife Rehabilitator and found out it was not a juvenile squirrel but an adult flying squirrel that had come to visit.  Some how, I’m thinking that the squirrel is regretting its decision to the bottom of its curious soul.  As flying squirrels are nocturnal, all I had to do was release it in the backyard.  Boy did it run. 

The dog had to go out and try to find it, he never did. The cat keeps hanging around where he originally found the squirrel hoping that another one will magically appear.  Because one hasn’t, he’s getting a little annoyed and annoying.  He wants a squirrel!

Many mysteries remain.  No human, dog, cat or squirrel was harmed in the performing of this adventure.

Miscellaneous Stuff

NaNanites Unite!

Yes that time of year has descended and I'm deep in the depths of my madness. 23,000 words and counting.  I sneak it in every where I can.  Thanks to my dog, cat and family I eat and remember to go to work.  But I must write! 

My Brain Hurts!

An exciting note!  Quizz & I have received an award!


 
Thank you Dozer, Peepers, and Dozer's Mom.  
 
Quizz is very excited ...  hey
 
afk;hertgiohtg;'/xujhtg6az' tujxcvi9pser6h bjklt64w56 n@w56

 

That was Quizz saying hello and Thank you!  I have to translate due to his lack of opposible thumbs he must type by nose.  Now I have to clean the keyboard. 

The cat is jealous.  I suppose I'll have to get him his own page, but the content will have to be carefully negotiated.  Apparently he has grand world domination plans.  More on that later.

The War of the Leaves has commenced.  I will be victorious or some how find a way to open a portal to an alternative universe to dump those things.  The dogs enjoy them, but I'm over them already.  Do you think I can send them where the lost socks go?  Mmmmm.

Must get back to my writing.  NaNoWriMo and Beyond!

Human vs. Cat - Who Wins?

In case you didn’t know, cats have apparently taken over the world and we were a willing participant.  Case in point, meet Charlie. 

 

Charlie came to our household a stressed out rescue cat with very few manners and even fewer communication skills.  He had a dislike of people, dogs and everything, except for his food, in that order.  Once he got over the shock of moving to our home, he quickly went about training my mother by biting her to get her attention, quickly earning the nickname of Fang. We figured out quickly why the shelter never followed up on Charlie, they were just grateful we never came back with him. 

 

When the cat tried to sink his diminuative teeth into me, I would pick him up and corporally cuddle him.  Telling him how much I loved him and how if he sank his little sharp teeth into me, I’d give him to the dog.  Somehow the cat understood the very real threat.  Of course, the dog would only slobber him to death, being a pro-feline canine. 

 

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After a six month human/cat/dog training program, we all came to an understanding.  The cat rules the roost.  The dog loves the cat and will do anything for his acceptance.  The dog and cat are best friends and the humans clean, care for and feed both animals.

 

Who said animals weren’t smarter than humans.

The Difference between Cats & Dogs

Everyday I get home from work and my dog, Q, greets me with his most treasured toy clenched between his teeth and his back half wiggling for all it’s worth in what I call the butt-wiggle of joy. The day I might have had could have been the most miserable on record, but here is a creature who loves me unconditionally, is happy to see me and lifts my spirits. The cat, on the other hand, leisurely strolls out and mews his greeting and continues on his way. If he is feeling generous, he might strop himself along my pant leg, depositing as much hair as possible, to acknowledge my existence then carry on his way.

Dogs by nature are social, communal creatures. In order to be healthy and happy they must be a part of a pack. When other dogs are not available, they will incorporate other creatures in to that pack, such as humans and cats. The reason that dogs and humans get along so well is that we are a pack species too.

We live in a pack society, the family. We are surrounded by others of our kind and live in a societal structure. Someone will always be socially dominant and socially submissive to us, as humans, we term it in a much prettier vocabulary.

Cats too are social, but their society is a far more rigid environment. That is not to say that they can not adapt to the environment that they are in. Cats just like their space. They don’t need to be around people all the time. When we adopted our cat, his nickname became Fang. His method of attention getting was to take a chunk out of whatever appendage was nearby, often drawing blood. But through patience and lots and lots of love he evolved into a pack oriented animal. He still wants us to think that he could care less. But when all is said and done he likes playing with the , loves having his chin scratched, and loves the treats that only I can provide him. My opposable thumbs are useful for something.

I am someone who loves both dogs and cats and expect them both to get along. So the cat and dog have reached and accord. They tolerate each other, because I won’t have it any other way. Though, at times, I’m not so sure the cat isn’t contemplating putting a contract out on me.

The funny thing is in this pack that I have created, the dog, the cat and I have all adopted traits from one another. The dog bats his toys around like a cat, the cat sleeps sprawled like a dog, and I find myself singing in cat to the cat. When one of us is away we miss them. That is what a family is all about. There might be differences in how we think and act, but in the end family is family, no matter what the species.