The other day a cat-loving friend said to me "as long as you're not neglecting your cats!" and it stuck. I feel bad. I think I have been neglecting my cats. Splitting my soul between two cats -- who are very accustomed to us, who know their way around the house like the back of their paws, who have been with us 6 and 10 years respectively and who get along like a husband and wife -- and a new puppy who's learning it all for the first time and testing her limits, who can't really be left alone for too long, who needs constant interaction while we're home, has been really emotionally difficult. I feel like the cats are feeling neglected too - Sasha has started demanding attention vocally, which is great. At least she's letting us know what she needs. Loki on the other hand is having a rough time of it. The dog is relentless with him. She wants to play constantly, and rough. It's exactly like Loki's got his very own Kato.
(Incidentally, that is one of the funniest scenes of any movie ever. It's a masterpiece of slapstick).
Anyway, he's losing weight. We're all losing weight (well except for Sasha). My pants are all falling off of me. Even my underwear's sorta too big these days. If I think of it, it's a radical lifestyle change. I don't think I've spent this much time outside any winter of my life. We go for a walk every night, snow or shine. When we're in the house, we run up and down the hallways, and as soon as we sit down to watch t.v., Rosie immediately has to be somewhere else - likely outside peeing - so we get up constantly. Remember that gym membership I bought about a month and a half ago? That was a bit of a waste of money. If anyone out there hates going to the gym but needs to lose weight, my advice is to get a large-breed puppy. You walk constantly, picking them up is work (she's now 20 lbs), and they leave you very little time to eat.
Good things about Rosie: she's toilet trained, pretty much. She's not a picky eater (ha!). She loves veggies. She's learning not to go near Sasha, who lets her have it whenever she gets close. She loooooves going on new adventures. When we're off-site, she listens like a trooper. She sits when told, and comes when called. She's learning basic hand signals. She hasn't bitten me on the face in like three days. She smells good. Her adult fur has come in, and it's wavy. She's well-socialized, eager to meet new people and kids. She is ok on a leash. She's ok in the car, in her little crate (for now). She sleeps about 5 hours straight. She is the cutest dog that ever lived.
Bad things about Rosie: She sleeps only 5 hours straight. She harrasses Loki and has torn his ear. She bites our arms and has periods where she will bite anything in front of her, and flesh and hair are preferred. She chews bark and houseplants, and the floors are filthy. She barks at the cats incessantly. She selectively listens when we tell her to get off the couch. She runs upstairs at any given opportunity. She is bossy on her leash, carrying it in her mouth most of the time, which just gets her front paws all tangled up. Sometimes she sits down on the road and refuses to walk anywhere. She chews my knitting so the sweater I'm making will be for next winter. She eats rocks.
We started Puppy kindergarten the other day and holy crap is that ever cute. 7 puppies all playing together, leashes all tangled up - it's total chaos. The good thing is that the instructor seems to think that Rosie's great. She's impressed with how she sits on command, and how well-socialized she is. She hasn't seen Rosie's bad side just yet so I'm still worried, but at least she wasn't kicked out of the first class, like my friend's (admittedly too old and too large and much too hyper) puppy was.
So, in conclusion, I respectfully submit the following:
CATS:
- Soft, snuggly
- Shed cat hair
- Claws hurt when applied to skin
- Bite infrequently
- Have destroyed corner of the couch and all deck railing posts
- Purr
- Eat cat food
- Can jump easily from/to high surfaces
- Can sit on our laps for hours
- Sleep on the bed
- When afraid, sleep in the basement
- Poo in the litter box
- Let out throughout the day, as needed, freely. Come when called at dinnertime.
- Occasionally get into fights with wild animals and are injured
- Hate the car
- Cannot travel, go camping, etc. (see previous item)
- Uninterested in toys such as balls, frisbees, other interactive things beyond the cat dancer
- Get high on catnip
- Meat eaters
- Whine for food
- Easily overweight - weight difficult to lose
- Hate water
- Affectionate on their terms (well, Loki is. Sasha's always good to go)
- Sasha not interested in strangers, friends, parties, etc. Anti-social.
DOG:
- Snuggly, bony, soft fur
- Shed dog hair and drool
- Claws hurt but are rarely applied to skin
- Bites frequently
- Will destroy anything if left to her own devices
- Bark sharply. Doesn't purr when pleased
- Eats everything in front of her
- Slams body into any barrier in front of her, loudly
- Can sit on our laps for a short while, before starting to bite
- Sleeps on the futon and in her crate
- When afraid, walks between my feet
- Poos all over the deck and yard, preferably 4 feet up a snowbank
- Let out every hour to pee while we're home. Always on a leash
- Gets into fights with Loki. So far not gravely injured
- Is ok with the car
- Will come absolutely everywhere, except on planes, with us
- Interested in anything interactive, be it a ball or my bathrobe
- High on life
- Everything eater. Favourite snacks include peppers, celery and apples
- Sits patiently while waiting for food
- Slender - very active. Losing weight will not be an issue for years
- Is ok with water, though hasn't experienced it yet. Will be a swimmer
- Always affectionate, always happy to see us, follows us around the house.
- Loves everyone. Wants to meet the world.
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