Almost perfect: Hubby studying Powerpoint lectures, I'm next to him doing multiple-choice questions with Hiro sleeping at our feet and Kitty napping at a corner. . .all four of us on the same bed. Ahh, what peace, what harmony, the whole family, the “pack” together.
However, just earlier that day, I recall the scene of Hiro dancing ecstatically around Kitty inviting her to play, while Kitty, a grounded statue of calm suddenly break into a hissing fit followed by the rise of a sharp-clawed paw perfected for gauging puppy eyes. Hiro cowers back in such pitiful fear that I had to scoop him up and make sure his black marble eyes were still intact. All day long, I was chasing the cat away from dog food and chastising the puppy for eating cat food. Yes, I’ve got two animals who shows a great deal more interest in each other’s food than their own. In midst of trying to housetrain Hiro, my trusted litterbox-using cat has decided she’s going to pee on carpet, too! In midst of chaos, I am armed with gallons of Nature’s Miracle enzymatic cleaner, bags of doggy treats, and a floorful of chewy dog toys all in the hope of successfully raising a puppy. It’s been a challenge, no doubt. And on top of it all, I’m careful to pay Ms. Kitty extra attention to let her know she’s still special and loved. At least she’s already established her dominance over the puppy after just a few fearsome swats. I admire my cat as she walks with confidence, with a regal slowness befitting a seasoned and rightful queen. The puppy will dart side to side, back and forth, and then halt in his tracks to let the cat pass by.
Everything is new to Hiro, which makes puppyhood all the more refreshing and challenging. I remember the first time he heard my stomach growl, he stopped abruptly in his play and looked at me quizzically. And the day he discovered his own bark. It was a weak sound at first but now it’s a powerful resonance that sometime surprises me as it comes from a mop-headed and teddybear-faced three-pounder. He has decided barking is fine way of communicating with us. Ha, but no, little one! There are so many things to beat out of a dog’s nature before he can be accepted as a “good” pet, it’s a wonder that dogs ever became domesticated and civilized housemates to humans. Cats are much more of a natural fit for house-living. Almost from day one, cats will fit seamlessly into our lives as they come already litterbox-trained a la mode instinct, self-cleaning and odor-free, capable of independent play and has minimal destructive behavior which can be easily controlled with a scratching post from Petsmart. A dog, on the other hand, must discard much of his unacceptable doggy-ness and assiduously re-learn a set of house rules before he’s a free-roaming full-privileged member of the family. To be a good cat owner, one just have to love the cat, and everything else will either come naturally or one will be taught by the cat. To successfully own a dog, however, one better have an arsenal of patience, leadership skills and a hobby degree in canine psychology! It seems to be totally against a dog’s nature to limit his peeing and pooping activity to one area and one area only. Human feet, especially when moving, are chew toys to be reckoned with for a puppy. And unless I establish myself as the “head”, the puppy will attempt to become the “alpha dog” over me by humping my leg and with other deeply ingrained but socially unacceptable canine gestures. It was my fear that I got the dominant puppy of the litter, and I’ve done my darnest to assert my alpha-ness. As I clean up dog poo, prepare dog food, give dog treats, bathe my puppy, and engage in puppy play on all fours, I can’t help but wonder, hmm, who is really the master here? But enriched my life my animals have.
Everything is new to Hiro, which makes puppyhood all the more refreshing and challenging. I remember the first time he heard my stomach growl, he stopped abruptly in his play and looked at me quizzically. And the day he discovered his own bark. It was a weak sound at first but now it’s a powerful resonance that sometime surprises me as it comes from a mop-headed and teddybear-faced three-pounder. He has decided barking is fine way of communicating with us. Ha, but no, little one! There are so many things to beat out of a dog’s nature before he can be accepted as a “good” pet, it’s a wonder that dogs ever became domesticated and civilized housemates to humans. Cats are much more of a natural fit for house-living. Almost from day one, cats will fit seamlessly into our lives as they come already litterbox-trained a la mode instinct, self-cleaning and odor-free, capable of independent play and has minimal destructive behavior which can be easily controlled with a scratching post from Petsmart. A dog, on the other hand, must discard much of his unacceptable doggy-ness and assiduously re-learn a set of house rules before he’s a free-roaming full-privileged member of the family. To be a good cat owner, one just have to love the cat, and everything else will either come naturally or one will be taught by the cat. To successfully own a dog, however, one better have an arsenal of patience, leadership skills and a hobby degree in canine psychology! It seems to be totally against a dog’s nature to limit his peeing and pooping activity to one area and one area only. Human feet, especially when moving, are chew toys to be reckoned with for a puppy. And unless I establish myself as the “head”, the puppy will attempt to become the “alpha dog” over me by humping my leg and with other deeply ingrained but socially unacceptable canine gestures. It was my fear that I got the dominant puppy of the litter, and I’ve done my darnest to assert my alpha-ness. As I clean up dog poo, prepare dog food, give dog treats, bathe my puppy, and engage in puppy play on all fours, I can’t help but wonder, hmm, who is really the master here? But enriched my life my animals have.
1 comments:
cute pics
Post a Comment