Thursday, December 20, 2012

We Bought a Zoo?

I don't know if we really bought a zoo, but we have inherited one.  By default.

We have 2 cats:  Pluto and Skittles.  Their many exploits have been published on this blog and on Facebook.  In August, Swim Girl brought her cat, The Squirt, home with her.  You will recall that there was enormous opposition from the two and that resulted in using feline pheremone diffusers to help calm them all down.  Skittles still hisses at Swim Girl, but the knock down, drag out fights have ended.  There is just hissing and spitting and chasing.

Just when we were getting used to being a TCH (Three Cat Household), we got a phone call from Alaska Girl.  She needed to move home.  With her dog.  Her 60 pound dog.  The one who chases bears up trees.  And chases moose.  And lynx.  And anything with fur.  Anywhere.  No matter what is in his way.  Like, oh, say tables and chairs.  Sigh.

We are now a TCHplusOD (Three Cat Household plus One Dog).  His name is Rachmaninoff or Rach (pronounced Rock) for short.  He is a Karelian Bear Dog .  Now if you go to this link and read about this dog, you will see that he needs several HOURS of exercise a day.  WTF?  We don't have several hours to work a dog.  Nor do we have the acres of land that they prefer.

Rach is a beautiful, well behaved dog.  Unless he thinks there is a squirrel or a rabbit around.  Or a cat.  Or maybe, three cats.  He will stop at nothing to get at what he thinks he needs to get.  If there is a rabbit outside and it hops away, he quickly races to a different window to follow the rabbit's progress.

The same general principal works with the cats.  The only problem with all of this is that he has a complete disregard for things like furniture, Christmas trees, plants, people, windows, screens, shelves full of glassware; you know, anything.  He jumped the couch in the first few seconds that he was in our home.

Pluto and Skittles now reside in the basement.  They are allowed out when Rach is gone.  The Squirt can come out too.  She now chases Pluto, but Skittles still owns her.  Rach has a screw in thing with a chain in the yard.  He still gets loose sometimes.  He has a Husky buddy across the street and they wrestle around at least once a day.  Then he comes home with Husky goober all over his neck.  Yecch.  Alaska Girl takes him to the dog park at least once a day.  We all try to walk him.  He is completely obsessed with the squirrels around here.  Basically it is like a dog with OCD.  Gives a new meaning to the phrase, "Squirrel!"

Despite all of this, I am happy to report that our yard is bear, moose and lynx free.




This is the King of the Couch.  His main position for guarding us from the fierce creatures in our yard.


 Ears up!  High alert!


Such a pretty boy!


The Squirt is attacking my tree!  Brat.


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