return to top

Sir Alfie Kneads-A-Lot:The Chronicles of an Orange Love Bug

Cats and dogs~different perspectives*

Dear Diary: Life is so unfair!

I knock myself out to please the leader of my pack. Day in and day out, I follow his lead; sit when I'm told to sit; eat when he lets me eat; sleep where he tells me to sleep; and go to the bathroom when he's ready to take me for a walk.

And what do I ask for in return? Just to be able to shower affection and attention on my Leader, and to receive praise (and a few belly rubs) for a job well done. But my housemate, the cat, has absolutely no responsibilities in our pack, and gets treated as if she's Top Dog. This is all very confusing ... maybe the Cat is the true pack leader.

When the cat first arrived, I was overjoyed! The leader spends only a few hours every day with me. He spends the rest of the time with the other pack members. Hey, that's all right – I know my place in the hierarchy of things. They play with me too, and occasionally give me treats, so I'm not complaining.

Then one of the lesser members of the pack brings home this quiet little fur ball they called alternatively "The Cat" or "Whiskers." I thought the Leader was bringing me a toy, but whenever I approached, it reared back and made an ugly hissing noise. When I got real close, it batted me in the nose with its paw. Some toy!

It finally dawned on me that this was a new member of the pack. I wanted to make sure she knew her place in our little society, so I ate her food, drank her water and chased her around the house and up the bookcase. I was feeling pretty good about myself, so I sat there, barking my victory to her.

Guess what happened next, dear diary ...

I was reprimanded! The pack leader scolded me while I was barking at the cat. I made the connection between barking and the cat – this wasn't the first time I was scolded for barking too much. But it became clear that they weren't too thrilled with me chasing the cat all over the house either.

So I ate her food and then played in the sand. What fun! Then the pack leader stopped me. Another scolding. It slowly dawned me: my place is below the cat!! How did this happen? I don't know my weights and measures, but I'm obviously bigger, AND I have seniority.

I began to notice other oddities. The cat jumps on the couch at will. She ignores the higher pack members when they call for her, and approach them when they don't call. She only comes running when she hears the can opener. She jumps on laps and goes to sleep. The day I tried that, the boy yelped and I received a reprimand.

She walks around all high and mighty, leaping on furniture; I even caught her scratching the sofa. When she wants to do nature's business, she doesn't walk to the door and whine – she struts over to a sand-filled box.

Come to think of it, Diary, she hates most everything I like: constant attention; car rides (she screams like a banshee!); fetch; walking on a leash and belly rubs. I thought I was included on that list of dislikes, but one day when I was napping on my bed, she sidled up next to me, and began making a curious, yet not displeasing buzzing noise.

And sometimes she approaches me to play, although she doesn't know how to invite me politely. Maybe there's hope for us yet, Diary. All I have to do is know my place in the pack.


Dear Diary:

He's at it again. The barking. That constant barking during my daily naps. I don't know what I dislike most about that dog – the barking, the foreign scent everywhere, his freakish need for approval and attention ... and the baffling desire to eat my food and play in my litter box.

Just what is he trying to prove?

Perhaps I should start at the beginning. I adopted a family recently. As I explored my new home I picked up an awfully un-catlike scent everywhere. Naturally, I set about changing the scent to my own to let would-be interlopers know this land has been claimed.

But every time I went on kitty patrol, I picked up that scent again. Well, after a few days, I discovered what the smell was. A dog! My family hid him like a dirty little secret, no doubt afraid of my reaction. I suppose they wanted to ease me by introducing the dog gradually.

I stumbled upon him by accident when the door was accidentally left open. He came into my room and tried to greet me with that big snout of his, but I bravely batted him with my paw and ran away. The lumbering giant took after me, and I nimbly avoided him by climbing my tree.

He sat looking up at me, barking impotently, but I wasn't about to climb down. After awhile, I realized I was frustrating him because there was just no way he could make it up the tree. I showed him my disdain by yawning nonchalantly. Unfortunately, my food bowl and litter box were left behind. He retaliated against me by eating my food and desecrating my box.

I don't understand his behavior, Diary, or why my family puts up with him. He hardly sleeps a wink and always wants to play. Sure, I was like that as a kitten, but you have to grow up sometimes.

As the months passed, it became clear the dog just wasn't learning the art of subtlety. He doesn't understand there is a time and place for everything. When someone calls for me, why rush? What's so important I have to run? And the incessant begging. Where's his dignity? If you see something you want, just show a little more affection and purr a little louder to remind the family you're there.

Well, I decided to make the dog my pet project. I try to set an example of how to hunt and chase, the proper times and places to take a nap and that he has his food and I have mine. I think I'm beginning to rub off on him. The other day, I caught the dog taking a midday nap. I was so proud I couldn't resist joining him. Now, we have a routine. We take one nap a day together, eat, then he chases me until I get tired of the game and tease him by climbing out of his reach. I've even grown accustomed to his scent.

He still reverts to form on occasion, though. When he's excited, the dog just can't help jumping, running and, worst of all, that barking. Oh well, Diary. We'll just take it one day at a time ...

Copied without permission from petplace.com cause I am a cat and I do what I please! OH! And just for the record? I do like belly rubs!
Enjoy!
Head-butts
Alfie

Purring for a Miracle

I know many of you know and love sweet Muppet. She has gone through so much. She is a fighter and a survivor.
She is an absolute sweetheart
The latest news so bad but I refuse to accept it. She is only 2 years
old. She has so much living to do.
Please read her diary here
Her MRI will be read by a 3rd vet. 3 is the lucky charm!!
I believe and hope!
Let's all purr for this adorable girl.
this picture if you like

With so much love and hope in my heart~
Alfie

My new brother~Peter J

My mom found us the sweetest little guy. (He is much smaller and shorter than TB or me. He is has long silky fur and big green eyes.
The vet estimates him to be a year old. I guess we will be celebrating
his birthday on his gotcha day.
Tomorrow it will be one week that he has joined us.
( I apologize on behalf of my mom for not doing his bio yet)
so I will tell you a bit about him.
He was found on the streets of a Montreal suburb. People had seen him
for two months before it occurred to someone to call a rescue society.
The lady showed up with a trap but guess what? It was not necessary.
He practically jumped into her arms.
He was skinny, matted, unfixed but obviously he knew humans and needed to be loved.
He was fixed and tested and all that and ready for adoption when mom
met him April 4th
Mom fell in love with him the second she saw him.
He snuggled ( he was actually hugging her)against her shoulder and purred his head off. The foster home where he had been living there was another cat who was more like me (ALPHA) and that was fine with him.
He was brought into the house by my mom's friend. ( I don't know
who she thinks she was fooling!!!) and made comfy in the bathroom.
Teddy and I were very very curious.
As you have seen his first photo he made himself at home in the sink.
Not for long. We all started whining and whining.
Peter J cried the entire night. Nobody slept much except grandpa who
is quite deaf. MOL
By the next afternoon mom was willing to see what would happen if we met. I hissed once, just so he would know who is the boss. He kept quiet.
Then Teddy and I are started hissing each other. I have no idea why.
Pretty silly, I guess since we love each other.
Slowly we got friendlier and friendlier. There was no more hissing.
Last night (also captured in a photo) he washed Teddy's head.
This morning he started to wrestle with me and I gave out a little yelp.
(my mom calls me a drama queen.)
You know what he did? He hid underneath the dresser.
Oh Noes!
Can you say Peter J The Dust Mop?! MOL
He would not come out.
Not even for Greenies!!
Greenies??!!
Mom sat down on the floor and talked to him for 5 minutes. Finally
he came out and climbed into mom's lap.
Then he came over to me and kissed me.
Now I am a bit ashamed of myself... He is a good bro and I will try to be
the same.
Love is the answer
Always
Alfie