There are so many things to rant about, the criminal negligence of the BC government being one. But there are enough rants in my inbox and news feed that I do not want to add to them, rather go for something that brings at least a small amount of relief from it all. This is the ongoing story of the friendship between Bonya and Lucky.
We have three cats which I blogged about one year ago. Bonya, Tigritsa, and Vovo. We also have one dog, Lucky, who is now about 27 months old and whose beginnings I have blogged about here Getting Lucky, and here Further Adventures of Lucky. Lots of pictures on these blogs.
The cats have good reason to fear dogs as our dog Volk, who died of congestive heart failure at age 13 last January, was a cat killer. Yet Bonya took to Lucky right off. I wrote this about him.
Bonya has a soft heart. When our German Shepherd showed up last October as a wee starving sick puppy, Bonya worried about him and would check on him every hour or two. Once Lucky got well and went into the dog yard with Volk, Bonya would still worry. He goes with Tanya (only outside the fence) when she takes the dogs their food to make sure Lucky is OK. Lucky looks for him too. They touch noses through the fence and Lucky even brought his toys to show Bonya.
The paternalistic friendship continues. Bonya is a bit afraid of Lucky because he is so big and aggressive though he just wants to play. If they are in the house yard together, Bonya will not run from him but will only put up with so much sniffing and pushing. One day he put the run on Lucky which made me laugh.
Bonya goes with us morning and night when we go to feed Lucky. He sits outside the fence and watches, then wanders off. He will also stroll along the fence in the abandoned lot next door from time to time. I was out playing ball with Lucky when it was almost dark and Bonya came along, ducked under the brush pile next door, watched us for half an hour, then came over to the fence for a kiss through the bars.
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| Black and white dot is Lucky under the brush pile |
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| Visiting in Lucky's room while sheltering from the rain |
Awwwww, Bonya is a sweetie!
ReplyDeleteHe really is.
DeleteI grew up with cats and German Shepherds. Jedda was particularly fond of kittens. She would pick them up and carry them round. Depending how she picked them up there would be a head emerging from her mouth, or a leg, or just a tail. When she had enough she would put them down - soggy but unharmed. The kittens ran up her britches, slept on her, and if they felt like it, shared her food. And she would step back and wait until they had their fill...
ReplyDeleteThat would have been so sweet to watch.
DeleteLucky would love to play with our cats but their habits are ingrained. If we got some kittens it would be different, especially if he was a bit older and calmed done somewhat
Shepherds are especially intelligent dogs. I love them.
ReplyDeletethe Ol'Buzzard
Lucky is smarter than I am, I think. Wish I were a better trainer.
DeleteI think dogs who live with cats are more well rounded than dogs with no feline buddies. and vice a versa. Maggie, our dog, ignores Peanut the cat when we are looking. But when we aren't, they play until we turn our eyes back in their direction.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cute. They are "embarrassed" to be seen as friends. I agree that we need to work on Lucky and our cats so they at least can peacefully coexist in the same room.
DeleteWe had a healer at one time and 2 cats all was great friends. I like now to get pup, that would end up about 30 pounds. Now we have on cat with blind eye.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
Life without pets to love and love you is kind of empty, I think. Hope you find a dog you like.
DeleteAs to the BC government... pah. Decades of warnings, and now all they do is weasel around and try to dodge the blame. Cats are much better human beings.
ReplyDeleteBonya made me go, "Awwww..." :-) Fluffy black and white cats must share some special gene that gives them their sweet personalities. Bonya looks like a reincarnation of one of our cats: Fuzz, a fluffy black and white cuddler who loved everyone and everything. He cheerfully tolerated a kitten climbing all over him and suckling on his toes, and even allowed my niece, a toddler at the time, to drag him around with her arms locked under his armpits, his front legs stuck stiffly out at right angles and hind legs and tail precariously dangling. And any visitors who sat down at our place immediately had a lap-cat... whether they wanted one or not. I miss our old boys.
You may be right that the fluffy black and white cats share personalities. Your Fuss cat could be Bonya's twin as you describe him. When Dasha was a toddler, Bonya followed her around, cuddled with her on the couch and endured being hauled around the same way.
DeleteLife without pets is kind of dull but would pets be safe where you live? Maybe big dogs. But cats would be prey to eagles and other carnivores. Not foxes though, they don't bother cats.
I'd be afraid to let cats roam around here. We have two pairs of bald eagles and a pair of golden eagles nesting in our vicinity, and their favourite tree looks down on our yard. Very cool for us to watch, but not cat-friendly.
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