I heard the faint jingle of dog tags and looked up to see Ray stealthily get down off of the couch and head towards Moonie who was sitting with her back to him, oblivious to his movement. Ray tiptoed toward the cat, his head down, ears deployed in full dumbo mode. I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want to make any sudden movement which would alarm Moonie and set her racing for the stairs. I stayed still, ready to spring into action if need be.
Ray slowly walked up to Moonie, nudged her with his nose, then pulled his head back and waited for her reaction (which is usually an instantaneous and dramatic flight). Startled, Moonie turned to see the dog at her side, his head easily as big as her entire self, then took a slow step away and casually trotted to the foot of the stairs. Hugo ran from the bottom of the stairs up to the landing then stopped there and waited to see what would happen.
"Go to bed, Ray," I said.
Ray moseyed on over to his bed and curled up.
I celebrated the minor victory for about half an hour until Ray ruined his good-dogginess by getting out of bed every ten minutes or so to search for the cats while we ate dinner. They're on to him though. They laid low, watching him from the couch until he settled down.
Progress.
Little steps one at a time can lead to big leaps of progress!!
ReplyDeleteOur Moe cat hid behind the dryer the first three years I lived with Mark. Moe finally realized I wasn't leaving, came out from behind the dryer, and decided I wasn't so bad after all (although he always kept an eye on me to make sure I wasn't going to try to eat him). Moonie and Ray are making progress... 2 years down, 1 to go!
ReplyDeleteHave to ask...What are rumbledethumps?? and how does one go about eating them?? As for Moonie..Way to keep your cool kitty, You'll teach the dog yet.
ReplyDeletewe have made great progress here with the kittens and Conor and now feel fairly sure no harm is intended by the dog to the kitties, but they definitely tease him, almost as if they realise he can't actually see them.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Rumbledethumps is potatoes boiled with savoy cabbage and green onions, then mashed up with some butter, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese. You can eat it this way or put it in a dish and bake it for a bit (topped with a little more cheese). Quite tasty. (It was a side dish)
ReplyDeleteNiki - I know what you mean about being concerned with Conor's intentions. I've been worried about that with Ray too. Especially since everything tends to go right in his mouth. I know Ray just wants to chase Moonie but she's such a fragile little cat that it wouldn't take much to hurt her. I've decided to intervene as little as possible and just hope they can work it all out.