Day Two Hundred Ninety Four

Abys and Bullys and Bunnies, Oh My!

I have observed distinct similarities between Bullmastiffs and Abyssinian cats:

1) Both love food and consider it all theirs.

In the case of the Abys, I carefully divide all food into six equal amounts. Both Dash and Boo! stand in front of me while I am doling out the food and must taste the contents of each bowl to make sure I am not giving better food to somebody else. They also like to lick the sauce or gravy from each bowl before anybody else can get to it.

This picture is the best illustration of the Rags'
frustration when Dash and Boo! eat their food.

Jack and Rooney have devised a method by which they can tell if all things are equal. I'm sure they can count. They also have super hearing when it comes to the sound of certain bags being opened, the apple corer, cheese slicer and food scooper. They can also read our minds as to whether or not we are going to share with them whatever it is we're eating.

2) Both exhibit uncanny timing.

Jack waits until I have finished all my chores - almost always related to them - and have settled into my chair - usually with a heating pad on my back - to saunter to the back door and want to go out. Ignoring him is pointless because he will either scrape his nails across the metal door sill or jump and just open the door himself.

I don't want to go out right now.
I'm waiting till you sit down.

This last part turns into a whole thing with the cats running out. It just happened. I have spent the entire morning tending to their needs. I finally finished with the last bit which was to clean the yard before the lawn guys get here. I got all of the cats inside and sat down at the computer to finally write when I heard the sound of nails scraping against metal. He knew my back was turned and couldn't see his big old self standing at the door, so he went straight for the "nails on blackboard." Of course, when I opened the door, Dash had to run out. He has gotten very adept at scooting between legs. I should enter him in a cat agility event...

The Abys have also perfected the running into a room where they aren't supposed to go. And the, Oh, you're leaving, so we'll just dart into the bedroom and under the bed where you can't catch us.

3) Both can form a habit from just one experience.

Rooney has been sleeping with us. We let her onto the bed once and now it has become a nightly routine. Last night, I got up to go to the bathroom and when I returned, she was sprawled out on my side of the bed. I can't move her massive self when she's awake, but there she was, snoring away and immovable, like a boulder that had been dumped on the bed. I had nowhere to go, so I went to the treat container and waved a cookie in front of her nose until she finally woke up. That was the only way I could think of to move her fat butt. As soon as the space was cleared I jumped into bed, pulled up the covers and ignored her staring at me like I had a lot of nerve to take up her space.

Boo! has now made the morning wake-up Mom a daily routine. She waits until Andy comes back into the room with his coffee to take a shower, then she darts in between his legs undetected. From there she jumps onto the bed and proceeds to wake me by rubbing her face all over mine. I have to admit it is a much better wake up call than an alarm clock.

And last, but not least:

4) Both Bullys and Abys will love you to death.

In spite of all the ways they make work for me and can drive me to distraction, the love they exhibit is worth all the aggravation.
(I am trying to concentrate on this blog but behind me I hear a mysterious grating sound. I should investigate...)

Mystery solved. I dragged the rabbit hutch inside last night because the temperature was dropping into the 30's. Boo! thinks this is great fun and reaches into the cage to harass Roxy, pull out her toys and mess up her food. Roxy doesn't seem to mind. To be fair, Boo! did give Roxy her special mouse in exchange for some of the pinecones Roxy won't eat. Oh, speaking of those, it is so much fun to step on a tiny pinecone in your bare feet. Kinda like stepping on a stone covered in spikes. 

Where was I? Oh, yes,  love.  In their own way, all of them show love and gratitude for the love we give them. It all works together. I even think Boo! has figured out she's the Class Clown. Wouldn't you figure the Universe would send a little creature into my life who works for the laughs?