Most weekend Caturdays are restful. However, this past Saturdays Caturday was fraught with chaos, starting around o'dark thirty.
The Girls, my Mom and Daughter retired AKC Champions, came to me supposedly potty-pad trained this past Feburary. They have had many accidents. I prefer they be outside potty trained anyway, so we are potty training--the thing I didn't want to have to do, and a major reason I choose older dogs rather than a puppy. Yet here I am--potty trainning a 5 year old and her four year old daughter.
During the past few months we have become more consistant with using the potty pads, which have made their way closer and closer to the back door. We like progress. Soon the potty pads will be outside and no longer needed. Actually, they are only needed now when I am away from home too long, or when The Girls don't wake me for the occasional overnight potty break. If we continue to avoid accidents, the plan is to finish out our current supply, and be done with potty pads altogether.
Sometime between midnight and daybreak, the girls woke me with their restlessness. Usually restlessness is a pretty good indicator of a need, so outside we went. This time the restlessness was actually the Intruder Alert.
The din they made could have awakened the residents of the local cemetery. As it were, our closest neighbors were the ones awakened.
Following The Girls outside I found the intruder pinned to the fence near the bird feeders. It seems the Opposum likes to clean up the fallen bird seed.
The Girls couldn't be more different personality-wise. Kennzie, the Mama, is my chill, pleaser pup--except when she gets riled by the squirrels, or feeds into KatiE's teenage hyper-micromanagement of the neighborhood yards. KatiE is not content to just terrorize the squirrels in our yard--no, she must bark at the squirrels in the neighbors yards, and neighbors neighbors yards--and the yards across the field. Thankfully she has started to acclimate to the birds that dine at our feeders. Most days. I'm hoping acclimating to the squirrels will not be far behind. But frankly it's a long shot.
During our early morning Critter Brawl, I had to place myself physically between the opposum and The Girls, to get them to settle down. From now on, I will flick the outside light a few times, and open the door a little slower. Hopefully this will give the opposum time to make himself scarce.
After the sun came up, we returned outside for breakfast. I enjoy our weekend breakfasts. They are pleasent and relaxing.
Most of the time.
This particular Caturday Moggy decided, since The Girls were busy ensuring the opposum hadn't returned, he would snack on their ignored breakies. KatiE was having None. Of. That. Even though she wasn't eating anything herself, she growled a warning each time Moggy so much as looked at her bowl.
Moggy is fed inside on a raised counter so he can eat in peace. After KatiEs warning growls he decided to go inside to check out his bowl. Afterward he saunterd off to roam the neighborhood.
During KatiE's barkfest, Kennzie, my chill Mama pup, surprised me when she spied a squirrel daring to step paw into our yard and took off at breakneck speed, barking all the way, to the far corner.
KatiE was torn: micromanage Moggy or The Squirrel? After a few false starts, and back-and-forth races, she finally decided to follow her Mama's lead wholeheartedly.
After the fracas at the far corner of the yard died down, but before The Girls lost interest in watching for the return of the squirrel, Moggy returned. Via the same corner. The Girls have finally started to listen to me--but only a little--and they curtailed their barking at Moggy fairly quickly--quickly for them anyway. But the left-side next door neighbors dogs acted like Moggy was Charles Manson, Jeffery Dahmer, and Ted Bundy all rolled into one.
The neighbors dogs are very well trained and follow his comand instantly. Mine, not so much. I didn't even hear him quiet his dogs. But I know he did because they quieted sooner than they normally do when they see Moggy.
Moggy kept his eyes trained on me and walked steady. He's learning. When he walks fast, or runs, The Girls give chase, splitting in order to corner him. I fear for him during those times he faces their pack mentality.
Much to my relief Moggy made it to the safety of the patio. Only after he climbed up into the spare chair next to me did I breathe easy.
Just before the Texas heat took its toll on us, the new puppy to our right tumbled out his doggie door.
You guessed it.
The morning peace was broken yet again. But it was the last time.
Only because the morning would be over in less than thirty minutes.
Besides we weren't staying outside any longer.
More importantly, at least to Moggy, now that the morning chaos had subsided, His Royal Highness was meowing for additional cat food, and I, his humble servant was expected to provide.
As I gathered up my breakfast dishes, phone, camera, extra dogfood, dog and kittie treats, book, sunscreen, hat, fly and mosquito sprays, and other "must haves" Moggy decided he needed a drink.
Moggy kept his eyes trained on me and walked steady. He's learning. When he walks fast, or runs, The Girls give chase, splitting in order to corner him. I fear for him during those times he faces their pack mentality.
Much to my relief Moggy made it to the safety of the patio. Only after he climbed up into the spare chair next to me did I breathe easy.
Just before the Texas heat took its toll on us, the new puppy to our right tumbled out his doggie door.
You guessed it.
The morning peace was broken yet again. But it was the last time.
Only because the morning would be over in less than thirty minutes.
Besides we weren't staying outside any longer.
More importantly, at least to Moggy, now that the morning chaos had subsided, His Royal Highness was meowing for additional cat food, and I, his humble servant was expected to provide.
As I gathered up my breakfast dishes, phone, camera, extra dogfood, dog and kittie treats, book, sunscreen, hat, fly and mosquito sprays, and other "must haves" Moggy decided he needed a drink.
Not a problem, I have several water bowls set out for Moggy and The Girls. As he lapped the water, KatiE started growling at him again. Then the slight breeze shifted.
Moggy felt a light sprinkle from the solar birdbath fountain. I know because I was on the receiving end of the sprinkles as well.
I watched him think it through.
The splashes came from the solar fountain in the birdbath. That meant water is in the birdbath. The birdbath bowl is above the height of both Dogs. Hummmm...
And then he lept.
The birdbath crashed to the patio, spilling the river rock stepping stones for the smaller birds, the solar fountain, and the water all over the patio. The larger flamingo-riding gnome was not affected; however, the mini-gnome's cactus home was overturned. And Moggy shot off towards the open back door and the safety of inside.
Amid the chaos, in spite of the chaos, and even because of the chaos, everyday is Caturday at our zoo.
Except when it's also The Dog Days...
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