Savannah had visitors yesterday afternoon... JAS (from up the road) and her daughter, along with their two dogs, Bella and Fritz. They were bearing gifts for Savannah... Fritz's pillow-bed and a basket of his old puppy toys, and packages of puppy treats.
Bella is a tiny Chihuahua and has been the Doggie Diva around here since JAS adopted her a couple of years ago. I think that little dog has a larger wardrobe than most country dogs, and she wears everything well and looks impossibly cute because of her petite size. Fritz is an American Eskimo breed, white and fluffy and regal.... and he will soon be moving to Germany with JAS's daughter and new husband. Being that J's daughter L can't possibly pack everything for the move across the Atlantic, she has been generously gifting out Fritz's overstock of doggie supplies.
I think Savannah was more pleased with the visit from Bella and Fritz than she was with the toy basket and the pillow-bed. Thankfully, all three of these dogs have gotten along quite well, except for the tiniest of a 'Woof!' from Bella, which lets everyone know that she was here first and is the Queen of the Doggie Divas. Little Bella is so much a Queen that she has come to our Waldorf Wednesday tea parties from time to time, always in a different outfit to fit the occasion or the weather. Bella also has her own Facebook page, to chronicle her fashion choices and her activities. I have not mentioned Facebook to Savannah... it's more than enough keeping up with her Blog.
Sweet Pea has relinquished his King Of The House title, in favor of sharing his home with Savannah. Thankfully, both 'old cat' and 'new puppy' have come to terms with one another. Savannah wants to play with the cat, but Sweet Pea has made it clear that he's not here to play, he's just here to be a cat and that's that.
Since the day we found Sweet Pea in our barn, he's been a sweet and loving cat, not just to us but to everyone he has come to know. Sweet Pea is like a Romeo-cat... he cuddles up in my arms and puts his head under my chin and he hugs my neck and shoulders with his front paws. He will sit on my husband's lap during baseball and football games, perfectly content to just sit there and be held like the King he is. In exchange for the lap-time, Sweet Pea gives out pleasant purrs filled with contentment. I am thrilled that the 'puppy invasion' hasn't changed Sweet Pea's personality.
Sweet Pea's kingdom is mainly the TV room and the attached bathroom. Our TV room was actually a second master bedroom in this house, so that room and bath are both quite big. I've used that room for the cats ever since we moved into this house... it has lots of windows for them to look out of and it's more than comfortable. It's really a cat-room that happens to have our TV in it, with comfy furniture for us, as well as cat-sized chairs and pillows for the cats. Plus, when we have company or I just need to keep the cat (or cats) contained, it's very easy to just close the door and know they're safe.
None of the cats have had free run of this entire house.... which keeps the living room and dining room cat-hair-free, as well as the upstairs rooms.... and it has been a time-saver for me because I never have to go up and down the stairs wondering where the cats are. Basically, the cats are allowed run of the TV room, the breakfast room, and the kitchen. They don't know the rest of the house exists. (Or maybe they do know but have stopped caring because they know they're not allowed to explore all of the other rooms.) Sweet Pea has been an inside cat since we found him, and he's the only inside cat that we have now, so it was very important for him to come to a peaceful co-existence with Savannah.
The two outside cats (Gatsby and Mickey) have already learned that Savannah is here to stay and they've stopped hissing at her and usually follow us half-way up the road when I take Savannah for a walk. Savannah, bless her puppy heart, seems to know now that these cats are part of her new family and she's friendly and gentle with them all.
When we first brought Savannah home, I put a wicker magazine table on the threshold between the TV room and the breakfast room. That allowed puppy and cat to see one another but not touch one another. Both were curious, the puppy more so than the cat... and if Savannah got too curious too soon, it was easy just to close the door so Sweet Pea felt safe in his room.
There's a double-door in the TV room that is screened, and on the nice days when it isn't blasting hot, I open that door and put a little table near the screen so Sweet Pea can sit there and watch the yard and the porch and feel the fresh air coming through the screen. That little table has always been one of Sweet Pea's favorite spots. This morning as Sweet Pea was sitting on his table and looking out at the birds, Savannah walked up there and felt the breeze coming through the screen, and then she just rested her puppy head on the edge of the table. And there they were, both Sweet Pea and Savannah, watching the world through the screen door and feeling the air. I wanted to go up to Savannah and tell her what a great great puppy she was, but I didn't want to disturb their moment.
Happy, happy puppy-and-cat day!
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