Dog and cat have had an interesting relationship. When she came home with me, Poppy was the same height and weight as Oliver. She behaved as puppies do, assuming the play position while Oliver sat back and observed the audacious pup through narrowed eyes. If Poppy became too rambunctious, he'd wallop her with a velvet paw, claws sheathed. Poppy would back off for a few seconds and try again only to receive the same response from Oliver. Eventually she'd get bored or frustrated with the uninterested and decidedly aloof creature and run off to take up the game with Jimmy. You could almost hear Oliver snicker as he sauntered, unscathed, into another room.
At six months, Poppy weighs about thirty two pounds and is nearly eighteen inches at the shoulder. As she's grown in size, she has yet to grow in her understanding about the difference between herself and Oliver. Needless to say while pup and cat are no longer equals, she still tries to engage him in play. Oliver has a great deal of tolerance for her pouncing on, pinning him to the grass, carpet or couch, but only for a brief time. He really doesn't appreciate being trapped by a creature three times his size. Amazingly, I've never seen him use his claws to defend himself against her playful overtures. He simply yowls loudly enough to startle Pops and high tails it to the top of his cat tree, safely out of reach.
Poppy and I have been working hard at "stay" and "leave it" when Oliver enters the room. As long as I'm around, she does fairly well and is gradually improving. However, the minute I turn my back she forgets the lesson and gives chase. It will take time and tie downs, I'm sure. Meanwhile, only vigilance will help.
Last night Poppy and Oliver finally had a moment of play in which she didn't dominate and he wasn't the only one being chewed. I sure wish there had been a video camera handy. John and I were mightily amused as we watched Oliver and Poppy square off...
Oliver displayed his chutzpah as cat and pup engaged in a stare-down. They were sitting about a foot apart, gazes locked when Oliver began to slowly lean back on his haunches with tail a-twitch, flattening his ears. Then he sprang, wrapped himself around Poppy's left leg, and proceeded to bite her left shoulder several times in rapid succession. Poppy was so surprised by the unexpected attack that she didn't respond for several seconds. Suddenly the game was on. They grabbed hold of each other in an odd embrace and rolled around on the floor for about three minutes with Pops on top first. Oliver changed the rules by wrapping his forelegs around her neck as he gnawed on her ear for a change. It was a surprisingly long engagement and John and I were laughing so hard we didn't see exactly how the game ended. It must have been a lesson in mutual respect because later in the evening the pair were peacefully ensconced on our sofa. That hasn't happened before!
Is it a stalemate or legitimate peace? I want to believe that it's a hopeful sign for my energetic pup and the cat who thinks he's one of the pack, and that there's hope for me to become the good caretaker they all deserve. I'll let you know in a couple of weeks.
