Why You Don’t Mix Cats and Puppies

Why You Don’t Mix Cats and Puppies

As I was getting close to finishing yesterday’s blog, my oldest son called to ask a favor. As you read more of these blogs, you will get to know my sons. Both have strong ideas of right and wrong, and want to help their friends out. Joseph agreed to house a friend’s two dogs for a week while his friend was in L.A. for a wedding. The dogs are chihuahuas, small and adorable, to Joseph and me. NOT to the resident king and queen feline Rulers of the Household! The dogs, Pink and Bear, came running into the front door. Krab, our one year old Black Egyptian Princess, immediately ran out of the room, expanding as she flew by. (I’m not kidding!) Her tail grew to twice its usual dimensions and her body did the same. Actually, it was her fur, and that was the instinctive reaction to a sudden, unwanted intruder. Boo-Bear, our usual “little gentleman”, heard the commotion and had a very similar reaction.

Once the dogs were inside, we decided to try blocking the bottom of the stairs with the child safety gate. That didn’t work, because the dogs could squeeze through the slats of the gate, so I took some box tops and rested them against the gate. When I got back home, the dogs had managed to get into the living room. What shocked me was that they were still alive, since they were in the same two rooms as the cats.

My usual sleeping arrangements were quickly re-thought. Instead of Boo spending the night in Travis’ room alone, he was there with Krab until they both cried to be let out. The dogs slept with me — literally! They snugged up to my side all night long, and for a while, I had Pink very firmly lodged against my neck and chin. This would have been fine if it had not been so hot.

Boo usually stays alone in Travis’ room because he tends to overdo the playing with Krab, and he bites her, thinking he is playing. Krab usually stays alone downstairs during the night, and both cats have access to litter boxes as they need them.

When I got up, it was earlier than usual for a Sunday morning, because I thought it would take longer than it did to prepare Travis’ room for the dogs to stay in. I took some old shower curtains I had stored away and opened them up on the bed and open floor area. This was a good thing, because as soon as the dogs came into the room on the shower curtain, one piddled. I then added a large wad of paper towels and clorox wipes to the “it will happen” preparations, and brought up their bowls of food and water.

After Mass, I played with the dogs for a while (and cleaned up some more piddle and a couple of “presents” they had left behind).

Now to the part where cats and puppies don’t mix: the resident king and queen felines “own the house”. We are allowed to reside there only to serve their creature comforts and clean out the litter boxes. Add two cute puppies to the mix and the resident felines become extremely possessive. Boo has resumed “marking” my lower legs as he winds around them, “caressing” me with his fur. I wound up separating cats and dogs all evening long, to the point where cat claws got sunk into my neck, shoulder and the back of my arm. As I was preparing my choir music, I put my hand into cat and dog faces to keep them well apart from each other. I stuck my finger into two cats’ faces to warn them to retract their claws (they did). When the cats would (very cautiously) slink by, the dogs would growl and bark (Pink barked). Boo hissed. Krab also hissed.

For the next week (and hopefully, no longer), the cats will not have their usual access to Travis’ bedroom; the dogs will not leave Travis’ room unless it is to spend the night in my room. (I dread the thought of being at work, and the dogs barking with no human warning to stop.)

The reason Joseph could not keep the dogs at his apartment was that his landlord became angry that he allowed the dogs to stay in a “no pets allowed” unit, and threatened to evict Joseph. In order to keep him from being kicked out, and the dogs not having a safe place to stay, I agreed to house them for the week.

Well, Pink has started to bark and Bear is crying. I have to go play with them, calm them, fill the water bowl and clean up their accidents.

Here’s hoping I keep what’s left of my sanity! Have a great week!