Nowadays, the cat snuggles up under covers as quickly as the dog does. Maybe even with him.
But shhhhhhh - don’t tell them I said that.
She has descended from cat throne to soft, dog-like behavior.
She’s dropped the cat-itude.
She’s evolved into a dog.
Just when I was looking for a lap basset on Petfinders, the lap basset appeared.
And the Dennis the Menace doxie has become a little less Dennis. A little softer. More grown up.
I used to think there was a war going on for my attention, but now it’s more like detente. Fragile, hesitant teamwork. Like long-warring parties coming together to pass some really important legislation for the first time. Creating social change, where both sides beat the odds. Overcoming some long time Hatfield and McCoy thing. People stuck between two sides- nobody winning.
Here, the two “dogs” don’t totally trust each other, but are actually trying to work together - and meet in the middle.
Figuring out that working together, they both get what they want – they just don’t exclude the other partner. They may make some critter concessions, but on the grand scale, nothing worth quibbling over.
Maybe this is a long, ugly custody battle over me, that just took a positive turn?
The cat, unlike the dog, is a much more political animal.
She’s into power and isn’t always soft and fuzzy – or is, but usually with purpose. She likes being Alpha. She likes being on top. Lap cat.
The dog just wants to be there. Lap dog. He wants to be #1. More love, more attention, more adventure. More road trips and surfing with mom.
Doodle bumbles in, tries to take over my lap, and the house, and the pack. He thought he was Alpha too.
There’s an absence of clear power without someone in charge.
It’s the two party system. Dog vs. Cat. Neither in charge. Neither has veto power.
But they both flex themselves, when it’s really important.
Sometimes I feel like I am the prize. Sometimes, a citizen stuck between two warring political parties. A kid two parents are fighting over.
And when the dog and the cat drop their drive to be Alpha, #1 - they blend into one. One species. Curled up, yin and yang.
Everyone wins. No one’s in charge. Just the three of us as one.
Being in charge is so over rated. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for each other.
This wasn't possible, not for this cat and this dog, with a full pack of dogs in the house.
Elvis, my dearly departed Alpha Basset, was always in charge. He loved the cat - they were one. No war for top dog between them. Everyone got along. Elvis was king, without even trying - with all of us in the pack.
Now that Elvis is gone, Doodle the doxie wanted so badly to assume Alpha and earn all that love and trust. But he hasn’t earned the cat cred that Elvis had.
Dude, his basset brother (RIP,) gave up on Alpha long ago. He was top dog in surf dog contests. He competed - and won - against other dogs, but never his own pack.
