Happy Animals Instead of Sad Ones.

When I was a kid I used to follow the Triple Crown races. I could quote the Derby winners almost from the race's inception. That all changed when the filly Ruffian broke down during a match race and had to be put down. I really lost interest in racing after that. So nowadays I'm not even all that aware that the Triple Crown races are being run unless they make the news. And unfortunately this weekend's race made the news.

So rather than talk of that, let's focus on my own critters. Rosie, the dog, and Ratty, the cat. People are not sure what to make of this picture. As much as I tell them Ratty is enjoying the attention no matter how much Rosie torments him people don't believe me. Ratty ADORES dogs. He tormented our last dog, George, for the last two years or so of his life (by tormented I mean he kept licking George and rubbing against him, much to George's distaste) and wandered the house yowling like a lost soul for months after he died. One of our reasons for getting another dog was in part to shut up the cat.

It is very different having a puppy in the house after years with an elderly dog. Now the tables are turned as Rosie tries to torment the cat. But who is tormenting who? Ratty just likes the attention. Rosie keeps grabbing his paws and holding them in her mouth. But no matter how hard she chews on the cat, Ratty rarely seems to mind.

In fact, two or three times a day Rosie comes up and stuffs her nose under the cat while he's sleeping in a chair. Ratty ends up grabbing Rosie's head and obsessively licks her for minutes at a stretch. These two still don't fully get each other, but they keep trying to communicate with one another.

Below is a link to one such encounter. Rosie keeps grabbing Ratty's paws and holding them in her mouth, while Ratty tries to groom her. It only stops when Rosie hears my husband's car pull up and runs out of the house to greet him. Who is tormenting who? I leave it to you to decide...