Bait

I went to the cat room to feed the cats. Hugo came over to get petted. I heard the jingle of dog tags and turned to see Ray enter the room behind me. Hugo nervously retreated a few feet. I made Ray sit and told him to stay. I reached to pet Hugo, telling him what a good, brave boy he was, then reached to pet Ray and told him he was a good boy also. Ray sat very upright, ears deployed in Dumbo mode, looking ultra alert. I sat and petted one, then the other. My attention wandered for a brief moment and Ray stood and made a quick movement in Hugo's direction. I grabbed him and made him sit, then layed him out on his side, pressing his head to the floor. His head was resting on Moonie's "birdie" on a stick, I could see him relax. I continued to talk to Ray and Hugo trying to keep an assertive, positive, calm frame of mind (yes, I've been watching the dog whisperer again).

I grabbed Hugo and pulled him over to me to try to get him a bit closer to Ray. My nervous Nellie struggled briefly, I told him to sit and stay, then realized I was talking to a cat and laughed at myself. I was hanging around the hound dog waaaaaay too much.

While I was struggling to control my cat, I glanced briefly at Ray to make sure he wasn't ready to pounce again. Ray had lifted his head from the floor and was 'looking' in our direction. Grasped in his mouth was Moonie's "birdie." He had a look on his face like "Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Come and get your birdie." I wasn't sure if he was trying to tempt Hugo to come and play or tempt him to come and get eaten.

I laughed out loud, wishing I had my camera, and let Hugo go. He beat feet to under the bed where he flopped over and pretended to not care that there was a dog in his room. I tried to coax him out, but Hugo was convinced I was firmly in the enemy camp and trying to kill him and stayed put. I gave up, got my hound to his feet, and exited the cat room hooking the hook firmly in the eye as we left the room.