Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Puppy vs. Kitty

Our dog isn't the insatiable gourmand that Pilar used to be, but he's a happy-go-lucky bundle of energy with a boundless enthusiasm for life. He gives kisses, he offers his paw, and he is always looking for pets. He's a big puppy.

Our neighbor has a friendly kitty (an oxymoron that is rare, but not completely fictional). Kitty meows hello, Kitty nuzzles affectionately, Kitty asks for belly rubs. Kitty and Puppy should have been friends.

It really looked like it was going to happen. At first, Puppy was excited about a new friend. Puppy and Kitty touched noses. Tails were wagged, butts were sniffed. Then Puppy asked to play.

Puppy play is rowdy. It is chest bumping, grappling, chasing, and full-contact. Puppy jumped around, Puppy thumped the ground with his paws, Puppy raced off and came charging back, doing huge loops around the yard. Kitty didn't know what to make of it at first.

Then, on his last lap around the yard, Puppy was introduced to the concept of Kitty play. Racing heedless and carefree, tongue hanging out and mouth grinning wide, Puppy was ambushed by a gray rocket that launched from the bushes by the back stairs. It was great fun for Kitty, and no one was hurt, but Puppy wasn't very fond of it. Since then, he races for the safety of our house every time Kitty comes over to say hello.

2 comments:

  1. LOL My cats used to do that to our Old English Sheep Dog but she was so much larger than they were it was more like they were hopping on for a ride instead of trying to attack her to play. My one cat used to lie down between her front paws and grab her face. She pretty much suffered through it all very patiently and when she got tired of it she licked the cats face and the cat would get grossed out and go clean his face.

    Cats and dogs are great fun to watch. :)

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  2. Pets can do a pretty good job of making life better. I can imagine that getting licked by a sheepdog would be a pretty slimy experience, though!

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