That Darn Cat

Just sayin'... the cat that was once this sweet little long suffering sweetheart is now the spawn of Satan who attacks anything and everything that moves... including my feet in the middle of the night under the covers!  Ouch!  So out he goes... honestly, I mentioned many times that I'm not really a cat person... I like them well enough, but I don't like to see a cat on the counters after digging around in their toilet.  So since this cat seems to have springs on his feet and climb the curtains, couch, beds, and even people's legs, I think he is really ready for the life of adventure that only outdoors could give him.  I'm putting his litter box in the garage and his food.  I'm leaving a space for him to come in from the weather so he has a refuge, but I think the kids need to play with him inside and put him out when done.... much longer and I'm afraid he's going to get used to living in the conditioned air.  Am I backward to have my 100 pound dog inside and my two pound cat out?  

In other exciting news, we were supposed to dog sit my Sister-in-law's dog, Wilson this weekend.  He's a Bichon (and truly, I love dogs, just not always little dogs....) anyway, this particular dog has never liked me very much because he barks insanely at me every time I come into their home and I always pull the dog-whisperer stuff on him (you know, one finger touch, SHHH.)  Anyway, I had him for all of four hours before he RAN AWAY.  I don't mean that he got lost or wandered off when no one was looking, like you know, a NORMAL dog... I mean RAN for his life as fast as he could the first time the door was cracked open.  Seriously, like, looking over his shoulder as he bolted for his life, running in every direction, z-formation, looking-over-his-shoulder-to-see-if-the-wolf-was-behind-him, just flat-out-sprinting anywhere-but-my-house running away.  Anyway, I do LOVE dogs, as you all know, and I LOVE my niece (and my sister-in-law too, of course) so this was a combination for total trauma at my house for a better part of the day yesterday.  I did NOT want to face my niece and tell her I lost her dog.  And this dog is the most pitiful thing you've ever seen.  When my SIL leaves, he sits on the couch and cries like a baby until she returns... he can't live without her.  He's like a total dependent or something.  It's bizarre the way he LOVES her.  He left about 2 PM and we spent the better part of the day (after I finally lost sight of him) driving around looking for him, calling his name, and squeaking his little toy out the sunroof window.  (You really should have seen me SPRINTING through yards after this dog as fast as I could run, I haven't run that fast in probably... well, ever, maybe.)  Anyway, finally, I gave up.  My sister-in-law called me last night at 9 SOBBING saying, "It's okay, it's not your fault."  sniff sniff... I felt like a total JERK for losing her baby.  (Did I mention that she is on the beach for vacation and my hubby decided to call and tell her we'd lost her dog?  Personally, I wanted to go down to the Humane Society and just put another white poodle dog in the kennel and act like I knew nothing about why he was acting strange, but DH blew that option within an hour of the disappearance. :)  Anyway, if there is one lesson I learned from growing up on the farm, it's that animals have a pretty good record of finding their way home (my Grandfather used to tell stories about a cat he tried to dump that beat him back home by swimming the river where he had to go take the bridge on horseback when he was a kid... but that's another story.)  Anyway, I did the best I could to find the dog and at the end of the night I decided to just leave their garage door slightly cracked, put his kennel and food in the garage, and hope he found his way home. About 7 this morning, my SIL called to say that her neighbor had spotted the little devil and he did, indeed, make it home in the night.  Covered in beggars lice, cockle burrs and filthy, but safe and sound.  Phew!  I guess Thanksgiving dinner will be alot more friendly this year than it might have been.  Never a dull moment around here.  

Question of the day:

Did you know that when a dog accepts your authority or your affection he has an INVOLUNTARY reaction of licking his lips and swallowing?  Don't believe me?  Try it with your pup, he may sit on command, but if he doesn't lick, he hasn't accepted that you are his alpha... when he internalizes your praise (rubbing, sweet talk, etc.) or authority he will involuntarily lick his lips and swallow.  Very interesting!  Now go rub on your puppy!   And thank God I'm not your dog-sitter.  hehehe