Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[riley702]

I am so sorry. I would be hysterical if anything happened to my babies, let alone THAT. Crying with you.

[harrie]

Sandman87, that's just awful. I'm just so sorry.

[Sandman87]

Thanks to all of you for the kind thoughts. I'm still a little numb from the enormity of it all.  It occurred to me today that there are only two human beings that I have spent more hours of my life with than I did with my cat. He was just always there.

 

33kaitykaity, there's little point in calling animal control out to our part of the county, unless it's for something that's living on one's property (a skunk burrow, for instance). It's heavily wooded with no paved roads, right next to BLM land, so there's no way they could catch it. Instead I have warned all the neighbors within a mile of my house and given them a description of the dog. Many of them raise chickens or other small livestock (along with bigger animals), some of them have small children, and all of them have dogs that could be seriously hurt. Ranchers don't fool around when it comes to dangerous animals, so the dog will be shot if it shows up again.

[33kaitykaity]

33kaitykaity, there's little point in calling animal control out to our part of the county, unless it's for something that's living on one's property (a skunk burrow, for instance). It's heavily wooded with no paved roads, right next to BLM land, so there's no way they could catch it. Instead I have warned all the neighbors within a mile of my house and given them a description of the dog. Many of them raise chickens or other small livestock (along with bigger animals), some of them have small children, and all of them have dogs that could be seriously hurt. Ranchers don't fool around when it comes to dangerous animals, so the dog will be shot if it shows up again.

I am rural, too, so I understand.  I was just thinking of this story where the dog attacks a boy and a cat defends the boy from the dog.  That dog was euthanized after the ten-day hold.    

 

I was just thinking if County has the report on file and something else happens, they'll have the grounds to go out and collect the dog and then euthanize it after the mandatory ten-day hold.  But I agree, it's good on you that you have warned your neighbors so that, again, if the dog shows up, someone will kill it.  

 

Again, I'm so, so sorry for your loss.  

 

ETA:  I hope you will let us know if/when one of your neighbors takes care of this for you.  

Edited March 4, 2016 by 33kaitykaity

[bosawks]

I'm sorry for your loss Sandman87.  Words can't convey how awful that must have been.

[Maharincess]

Oh Sandman, I'm so sorry.

[Babalu]

Sandman - I read your post with horror, and I'm so very sorry. The "love of my life," Babalu (whence my name) also quacked; we always said he was bilingual and spoke both cat and duck. Love to Bellgrove and Peanut and Carl and Babalu and our other beloved companions.

[33kaitykaity]

I visited the local animal shelter today, donated the leftovers of Peanut's food stash.  One of their dedicated, fantastic volunteers tried to talk me into adopting this beautiful 13-year-old girl.  I just couldn't.  I hope that someone does.  Charlotte gave me several minutes of just the most fantastic kitty love.  I really needed that.  

 

Edited March 27, 2016 by 33kaitykaity

[riley702]

Give yourself time, and if you change your mind... PS - she's gorgeous!

[Maharincess]

She is gorgeous. She looks so much like my old cat Snowball. Snowy was the sweetest girl, she never wanted to play, even as a kitten all she wanted was to be on your lap cuddling.

It's so sad seeing seniors like this beauty in the shelters.

33kaitykaity, have you ever read "A Dog's Last Will and Testament"? It applies to cats as well. I think it's beautiful. It really helped me after I lost my Harley.

Edited March 28, 2016 by Maharincess

[DeLurker]

33kaitykaity - she is beautiful!  Maybe you should think about doing a little volunteer work with the shelter - give you a regular kitty fix and help socialize the cats so their chances of adoption are higher.

 

Just heard an NPR (?) report on how important a good photo is for getting a pet in a shelter or rescue adopted since there are so many sites that use photos.  It reduced the amount of time an animal was in the shelter drastically - I think they said having a good photo cut the shelter time to adoption by more than 1/2.  If that photo is any indication, you captured both her rather regal appearance with a heartwarming friendliness.  I'd send it to them to use.

[33kaitykaity]

33kaitykaity - she is beautiful!  Maybe you should think about doing a little volunteer work with the shelter - give you a regular kitty fix and help socialize the cats so their chances of adoption are higher.

 

Just heard an NPR (?) report on how important a good photo is for getting a pet in a shelter or rescue adopted since there are so many sites that use photos.  It reduced the amount of time an animal was in the shelter drastically - I think they said having a good photo cut the shelter time to adoption by more than 1/2.  If that photo is any indication, you captured both her rather regal appearance with a heartwarming friendliness.  I'd send it to them to use.

I actually cadged that photo from their web site. They do a great job of showcasing their kitties.  

https://multcopets.org/adoptable/cats

[harrie]

Wow, Charlotte is striking, 33kaitykaity.  I'll be honest - I was kind of hoping that was your hand playing patty-cake with her, and that maybe there was some bonding going on.  I don't mean to pressure, and realize everyone works on their own timetable.  

 

Since you enjoyed the kitty time, I like DeLurker's idea of volunteering to work with cats.  I'm irrationally crazy about horses but can't afford one, so I volunteered at a horse rescue for about 10 years.  It was a great experience in that I got to work and play with horses (and do good at the same time) on a regular basis.  

[Sandman87]

My mom's cat has been filling in for my departed Big Guy for the last month. She's been acting like she needs reassurance, so I guess she misses him too. She's been a lot more "vocal" recently, and I put that in quotes because much of the time there's no sound when she meows. It's not that she's mute, just that she's frequently too lazy to follow through with it completely.

 

She loves attention, and likes to play "tag" if I'm ignoring her. All I have to do is sit near her for a minute before she'll start gently poking at my hand. Give her a quick scratch behind the ears, go back to ignoring her, get another poke. She'll play that game all night long.

 

She finds the camera flash annoying, as you can see here.

 

 

33kaitykaity, for a second it looked to me like the cat in your picture had hands, and was getting ready to kung-fu the camera.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Sandman87

[riley702]

I had always heard the "silent meow" was either a sign of affection, like the "slow blink", and/or a very cute plea for something. Lucy does it when she wants me to prop the door open so she can people-watch my neighbors in the hallway. But this article suggests the meow isn't silent at all - just too high-pitched for us to hear.

 

http://pets.thenest.com/reasons-cats-make-silent-meows-11272.html

Edited March 29, 2016 by riley702

[Demented Daisy]

Sorry to disrupt the discussion, but can anyone recommend a good, sturdy brand of dog toys?  I just gave Leia a brand new Kong teddy bear and she ripped the head off in less than 5 minutes.  I have never seen such a small dog be so destructive.  Everything we give her, she dismantles.  I assume it's because she's bored, but she shows no interest in playing with anything that isn't a stuffed animal.  I have tried to give her puzzles but she ignores them.  I've tried playing with her but she won't play.  She's the first Beagle I've ever met that has zero interest in playing fetch.  If we try to wrestle with her, she just lays there.

 

My husband takes her for walks in the evening, but....  You know those pictures of cats in harnesses getting dragged across the floor?  That's what she does.  She's very, very good at passive resistance.  I mean, it's better than aggressive, of course, but it can be frustrating.  When he gets her to the door, she finally stands up and walks out, thankfully.

 

Obviously, I'm not doing enough, but I'm at a loss about what else I can do.  I'm thinking of building her an agility course, but we have a fairly small backyard....

 

Have I mentioned that Luke is the most easygoing dog I've ever had?  I wonder if he makes it easy to take care of him because he knows that Leia is so difficult?  ;-)

[bosawks]

I find Tuffys brand to be pretty good, you might lose an ear or two but the overall toy is the longest lasting one I've come across and Alli is a toy girl!

[Demented Daisy]

Here's a photo of the carnage.

 

[Maharincess]

My Kaylee never had any interest in dog toys, she liked stuffed animals too but she would destroy them in no time. One day I was cleaning my closet and had a box of stuff I was going to throw away. Kaylee dug into the box and pulled out an old Boyd's Bear that belonged to my daughter when she was a kid. After almost 3 years of biting it chewing on it and playing with it, that damn bear is still in one piece. She is so hard on that bear but after all this time there's not so much as a hole in it anywhere.

Sorry, I know that doesn't help you much.

Can somebody please tell me why my 4 year old cat still hasn't calmed down?! At 4 years old she's still in the annoying kitten stage and its driving me crazy. At around 1 am every damn night she tears up and down the stairs and runs laps for an hour or more. I play with her a lot to try to burn some of her energy but nothing is working. She gets into everything and still attacks your feet when you walk across the floor.

I've had a LOT of cats in my life and every one of them had calmed down and grew out of the kitten phase around 1 or 2 years old. Trixie is almost 4 and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

She's also still really tiny, she's about the size of a big kitten, I think I got myself a weird alien cat who will never grow up!

Edited March 30, 2016 by Maharincess

[DeLurker]

My niece just sent me pictures of her new dog - a cream chow chow.  It is impossibly cute!

[EyewatchTV211]

Sorry to disrupt the discussion, but can anyone recommend a good, sturdy brand of dog toys?  I just gave Leia a brand new Kong teddy bear and she ripped the head off in less than 5 minutes.  I have never seen such a small dog be so destructive.  Everything we give her, she dismantles.  I assume it's because she's bored, but she shows no interest in playing with anything that isn't a stuffed animal.  I have tried to give her puzzles but she ignores them.  I've tried playing with her but she won't play.  She's the first Beagle I've ever met that has zero interest in playing fetch.  If we try to wrestle with her, she just lays there.

 

My husband takes her for walks in the evening, but....  You know those pictures of cats in harnesses getting dragged across the floor?  That's what she does.  She's very, very good at passive resistance.  I mean, it's better than aggressive, of course, but it can be frustrating.  When he gets her to the door, she finally stands up and walks out, thankfully.

 

Obviously, I'm not doing enough, but I'm at a loss about what else I can do.  I'm thinking of building her an agility course, but we have a fairly small backyard....

 

Have I mentioned that Luke is the most easygoing dog I've ever had?  I wonder if he makes it easy to take care of him because he knows that Leia is so difficult?  ;-)

My little 15 pound mutt is the same way.

 

I find some of the hard nylabone-type bones to be good and a favorite of hers, like this one: http://www.indestructibledog.com/collections/chew-toys/products /double-action-chew

or http://www.petsmart.com/dog/toys/nylabone-dura-chew-plus-dog-toy-zid36-11107/cat-36-catid-100021?var_id=36-11107&_t=pfm%3Dcategory

The outsides get a bit worn when she chews a lot, but she can't destroy the whole thing

We have something like this. She doesn't really care for it, but it's very strong and your dog might like it: http://www.petsmart.com/dog/toys/tuffy-junior-gear-dog-toy-squeaker-zid36-5247144/cat-36-catid-100021?_t=pfm%3Dcategory

We have a ball similar to this from Homegoods. Can't tell if it's the same material. Ours is very thick and pretty heavy - I am amazed she can carry it. But she tore apart a weaker ball that was similar, so she needed the toughness: http://www.petsmart.com/dog/toys/puppies-r-us-trade-knot-ball-dog-toy-color-varies--zid36-5230045/cat-36-catid-100021?_t=pfm%3Dcategory

This is a hard treat ball: http://www.petsmart.com/dog/toys/toys-r-us-ball-treat-dispenser-dog-toy-color-varies--zid36-10671/cat-36-catid-100021?var_id=36-10671&_t=pfm%3Dcategory

This has amazingly lasted: http://www.petsmart.com/dog/toys/toys-r-us-double-ring-dog-toy-zid36-10661/cat-36-catid-100021?var_id=36-10661&_t=pfm%3Dcategory

We also have a heavy duty rope toy thicker than this one (at least 2x thicker). She was able to shred apart everything else. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FVXELM/ref=asc_df_B004FVXELM4227940?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=merbethomgarbhg-20&linkCode=df0&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B004FVXELM&ascsubtag=6348866

 

Stuffed / plush toys rarely survive. Those that have I think were lucky, though they still have holes or torn off ears, etc.

Edited March 30, 2016 by VMepicgrl

[P2C2E]

This is the only thing we've found that our lab won't destroy. It's hollow in the middle so we put in treats or peanut butter. Our mutt also loves it too, although he's not nearly as destructive as she is.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008B67DC8/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1459319337&sr=8-2π=SY200_QL40&keywords=bionic+dog+toys&dpPl=1&dpID=412uQcCzupL&ref=plSrch

[Demented Daisy]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

 

This is a hard treat ball:

 

 

Loki had one of those for years.  He loved it so.  I think we still have it, but I don't know if I can bring myself to give it to Leia.

[bosawks]

Mine doesn't really like the harder, sturdier toys.  She's a plush toy dilettante all the way.....

[sacrebleu]

Hey all!

New to this thread, as I'm a new dog owner, and I'm looking for some advice. I've adopted a wonderful shar pei/lab mix. He was diagnosed as heartworm positive (they let me know before the adoption) so now he's had his treatment and is on exercise restriction.

 

He's started to demonstrate some bad behaviors (I know its because he has so much unused energy due to the restrictions) mainly he gets very mouthy/nippy. My arms are covered with bruises- I'm reading everything I can about training dogs not to nip-- but the "distract them with a toy" seems like rewarding him for biting me.

 

He is otherwise such a good, loving pup. Has anyone been through this with a dog/have advice? I probably should have gone with him to obedience classes before the heartworm treatment-- but hindsight is 20/20.

[bosawks]

I wish I could help but all my retriever issues I solved by exercising.

I did hide things around the house for her to find after surgery but I think that was just a short term solution to a short term problem.

[DeLurker]

How old is he?  Because that might have a fair amount to do with getting mouthy.

 

Labs are pretty mouthy from what I understand - mine never was*, but I had coworkers who had table legs and drywall (on the walls!) chewed up.  But part of that I think was basic puppyhood and being cooped up for longer than they should have been.  My co-worker walk/ran/played with them before work to get them tired out, but it was just too many hours between energy outlets.

 

* My lab was definitely my dog and totally loyal to me. The only things she ever chewed up were my ex's - a very expensive pair of sunglasses and pricey sneaks.  But even then, it was an exception.  And it made him totally paranoid why the dog only chewed up his stuff.

[Maharincess]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

Loki had one of those for years. He loved it so. I think we still have it, but I don't know if I can bring myself to give it to Leia.

I understand completely, there are a few special things that belonged to my late Border Collie Harley that I just can't bring myself to give to Kaylee. She uses his doggy table and his bed but some things are put up because I just can't picture another dog using them.

This may sound ridiculous but it works: if he bites or mouths you, yelp like a dog when he does it. I make the same sound a dog would make if it was being bitten and it really works. I do the same thing with my cat, she's a love biter and she bites hard sometimes. I just kind of squealed like a cat when she did it and she stopped doing it pretty quickly after that.

DeLurker, from what you've said here about your ex, I would have chewed his shoes up too, and maybe his leg while I was at it.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Maharincess

[EyewatchTV211]

In addition to the yelping like a dog thing (which is dog instinct), sacrebleu, I would still go with having appropriate chew toys. Dogs aren't like humans where they have memories for what they did wrong and associate things as rewards for the bad behavior. Despite all the fun videos of dogs seeming to show guilt, experts say those are dogs responding to how the humans are acting, not actual guilt. But back to the chew toys - if you do not allow your dog to bite you and remove yourself from the situation and allow the dog to chew toys whenever he/she likes, the dog will learn that chewing toys will result in good things and will see that nothing good really happens from biting a person. The dog thinks, "Oh, I can't chew this. Cool, I CAN chew this." Also, dog toys are another form of exercise, even though it doesn't seem like it so much to us humans. Mental stimulation and play works.

 

And as others have said, age is also a factor. Puppies tend to be biters and usually just grow out of it, although providing them with appropriate chew objects helps. My dog enjoyed chewing on furniture legs, but she did eventually just grow out of it.

 

Otherwise, you can always consult with the vet or a trainer for suggestions until you can do actual formal training or return to exercise.

Edited April 1, 2016 by VMepicgrl

[DeLurker]

I understand completely, there are a few special things that belonged to my late Border Collie Harley that I just can't bring myself to give to Kaylee. She uses his doggy table and his bed but some things are put up because I just can't picture another dog using them.

<snip>

DeLurker, from what you've said here about your ex, I would have chewed his shoes up too, and maybe his leg while I was at it.

That's so sweet about Harley's things.  I haven't been in that position and I get misty even thinking about it.

 

Yeah, the ex was some piece of work...although I suspect he'd get his ass handed to him if you ever got a hold of him.  That makes me smile :<)

[sacrebleu]

Thanks everyone. Sergeant is about 18 months-- and obviously had some training (he's made it two weeks at my place with just one accident that first week) He recognizes that his walks are short-- and heads back home with very little fuss. He's excellent on a leash-- but I guess no one ever corrected his mouthiness.

 

I reached out to an old H.S. friend I was FB friends with (she does agility training with her dog and always posts videos) she suggested some smart toys to engage him. A bunch of them arrived last night.

 

He loved the Kong wobbly treat-dispensing thing-- I also got an Ottossan Dog Tornado-- and he really seemed to enjoy that. (She suggested that I feed him his regular meals that way. He's very food motivated, but I don't want him to gain too much weight while on restriction.)

 

Hopefully, we'll make it through the next 2 weeks with a minimum of bruises. 

Edited April 1, 2016 by sacrebleu

[EyewatchTV211]

Sounds like you have a good plan.

 

Just in case anyone ever needs other advice, this website has free helpful resources for working with a lot of different behaviors. They're dog trainers in MD, but they have a lot of things on their website. Just go to the Behavior Issues tab.

http://yourdogsfriend.org/

[Jaded]

I was looking for dry pet food storage. I have a cat but it could be storage for dry dog food or even grains too. I've read in some places that it's good to keep the cat food in the bag it comes in so I wanted to find something to store the bag of food in so it wouldn't go stale as quickly. I saw a dry bag on Amazon but it was $15 for all sizes even the smallest that would hold 8 lbs. It's just me an I was looking for something that wouldn't add a lot of weight. The plastic container reviews mention air getting in through hinge areas.
 

Here's the dry bag I mentioned above.
 

http://www.amazon.com/Outward-Kyjen-2685-Container-Solution/dp/B00EDA20EW

[Sandman87]

For dry cat food storage I've been using one of those big fluorescent orange 5 gallon "Homer" buckets from Home Depot. They only cost about $3, have a carrying handle, and come with a lid that seals the whole thing up tight. I generally just drop the entire bag of cat food into it, then scoop out what I need.

[DeLurker]

Be careful where you store it.  Years ago when I was away at college, my parents had gotten some plastic container to store the dog's food in.  Somehow, where they stored it turned out to get too warm and ultimately the food started to make the dog sick.  But being a dog, she ate it anyway although as little as possible.  Luckily, my brother came over and they asked him to feed the dog.  He immediately figured out the problem.

 

I am assuming cats would be a bit quicker to turn their nose up at some food that had gone amiss.

[riley702]

I have a metal can with a tight-fitting lid that I got years ago as a promo from Iams? Eukanuba? Holds about a 12 lb bag and works nicely.

[Maharincess]

I just have a set of plastic drawers under my counter in my kitchen that I keep my dog and cat food in. I dump the cat food in the middle drawer, the dog food in the big drawer on the bottom and treats for both go in the top drawer.

I keep scoops in the drawers and just soop it out when its time to eat.

I've never had a problem with doing it that way.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Maharincess

[EyewatchTV211]

I was at Petsmart earlier and was reminded of a relatively strong type of plush toy. Kong's Knots are decent because inside the plush is a rope toy.

[bosawks]

Does everyone have a huge soft spot for something their pet does?  I have this huge affection for Alli's borderline uncontrollable tongue when she's happy.  It makes me laugh every.single.time.

 

[FlyingEgret]

Does everyone have a huge soft spot for something their pet does?  I have this huge affection for Alli's borderline uncontrollable tongue when she's happy.  It makes me laugh every.single.time.

 

 

How could she not be happy - look how dirty she is!  You can't get that dirty without having a lot of fun - she is lucky to have adopted you

[Jaded]

This is my furry person. I've had him for a little over 2 1/2 months. He's 3 yrs old (what the shelter said) and is name is Captain. The reasoning behind the name should be evident. ;) I was going to try and name him something else but he already was starting to respond to the name when I got him and he turns his head and looks at me when I say it now. Not sure if he knows his name or if he's responding to the tone. Either way I love him and I think we enjoy each others company. (The stars in the pic are covering up a spot on the floor I hate)

[DeLurker]

Awwww...he's so cute!  And his collar has a bell - my cat's does too.

 

I wouldn't be able to not greet him every morning without busting out the theme song to Captain Kangaroo...

 

Good morning, Captain

Won't you come on out

and play....

 

Poor cat would wish he were deaf if subject to my singing.

[Jaded]

Ha ha!

Yes, his collar has a bell but he can still sneak around and scare me or get into things without it making noise. That's how he got outside after I had him for about a month and I tried luring him in with canned cat food but that didn't work. So I sat in a chair that's by the front door for about 10 minutes and then gave him another chance to come in and he took me up on it that time. I'm just glad he didn't want to spend much time out there and that he stayed on the porch the whole time he was out.

I'll start singing "Captain of the high seas... (insert some silly made up lyrics here)" so that probably annoys him enough. Here's a pic of a kicker that was filled with catnip that I found for him online. I'm not sure how long the catnip stays active in toys like this though.

[harrie]

Captain is lovely, Jaded.  And thank you for taking a black cat; they're known for getting a raw deal in adoption circles around here (and so I presume around other places, but maybe I'm wrong).  I hope you and he have many happy years ahead of you. 

 

Bosawks, I am always amazed at how happy Ali looks. Maybe it's a Lab thing, but she always looks like she's having a great time.  But then, she is, because she's with you.

[Jaded]

I love black cats especially since the first cat I had in 1st/2nd grade was one named Blackie. 

I'm not sure of Captain's history except that the no kill shelter he came from got him from the country shelter. He's really sweet but can lash out with bites or scratches suddenly and likes to attack my hands when I try to reach for something in the set of drawers next to my recliner in the den, when I just put my hand on the armrest where he's also laying and even sometimes petting him. It gets uncomfortable not being able to put my arm down on the armrest for so long because of him being here. I try moving him and he comes right back. 

He also has his claws out all the time like he doesn't realize he's doing it like just laying his paw on me so if he goes to move it I get light scratches. I'm thinking of putting bitter apple or something on my arms so when he tries to bite them for no reason he'll get such a bad taste that it will make him not want to do it anymore. I guess I'm wondering if anyone knows of anything else to try to help with this situation.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Jaded

[riley702]

Nail caps?

[Kate the Great]

This is my nearly five-year-old Nessa. She's half-heeler, quarter Lab, quarter boxer, and loves everyone, especially if they provide chin rests. I adopted her at two and a half a few Christmases ago, and she is the smartest dog in the world (of course!). Special interests include: greeting everyone on a walk, wanting to be the neighbor kids' BFF, posing for photos, having a mega-crush on her "granddad" (my father), and pining after the newly reappeared ice cream truck.

 

 

I'll take a picture of my 16-year-old kitty when she wakes up! She sleeps a lot, and is on lots of medicines, but is still able to tell the dog to "Back off, kid," which is always entertaining. Luckily Nessa is submissive where kitty's concerned.

[harrie]

Kate the Great, Nessa is very pretty - and what a mix of breeds!  She has such a sweet expression.

 

I don't know what it is with cats, but all of ours ruled the dogs with whom they lived - which, as you point out, is usually a good thing. 

[Kate the Great]

Thanks! Yeah, she was advertised on Craigslist as a 30-lb. 'beagle mix,' but doesn't look beagle-y at all. Everyone guessed everything from Rottweiler (because of the coloring) to collie to German shepherd and back, so I had her DNA tested the second Christmas I had her, and Lancashire heeler, Lab, and boxer are the matches. I'm not sure how, considering Lancashires are rare, but apparently that's what it is most likely to be (and she does look like a giant-sized version of them, if you Google.)

 

She has heeler smarts, boxer bounce, and Lab friendliness, so as long as you are prepared for high energy (and I was, as my parents have Chesapeake Bay retrievers), she's a good girl all around. And yup. My kitty (Mookey, domestic shorthair), I'd had since she was five, so she was already well-established as queen of the roost when Nessa came. Fortunately, she's declawed on the front paws (not my doing, and I would never, as it's amputation, but she was before I got her), so she can smack the dog around if the dog gets to be too much for her, and I don't have to worry.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Kate the Great

[riley702]

I'll take a picture of my 16-year-old kitty when she wakes up! She sleeps a lot, and is on lots of medicines, but is still able to tell the dog to "Back off, kid," which is always entertaining. Luckily Nessa is submissive where kitty's concerned.

 

 

I don't know what it is with cats, but all of ours ruled the dogs with whom they lived - which, as you point out, is usually a good thing. 

 

Like this? One of my favorite childhood memories was our mama cat, Midnight, "riding" a dog across the front yard after it had gotten too close to her kittens. It was squawling like it was being killed! When it got to the road, she hopped down and casually sauntered back to her kittens. I saw this vid a while ago and it seems apropos - and hilarious. :D