Lily and Sophie had a visitor of a different color last week. Remi, my Australian shepherd granddog came into the house for a visit. Generally, she waits outside and the cats simply stare at her through the screen door. She’s such a gentle creature, that when she meets a small dog or cat, she crouches or lays down so she doesn’t tower over her new playmate. And that’s what she does when she’s on the other side of the screen door from Lily. (Sophie always watches the dog from an undisclosed hidey spot.)
This day, we invited Remi in and I was surprised at the cats’ demeanor. Lily chose a spot in the living room where she stayed the entire time Remi was here. Sophie also came into the living room and sat out in the open. Neither of them approached the large dog, but they sure were interested in observing her. And Remi never once made eye contact with either cat. She walked wide around them and mostly laid near Lily, but without actually connecting with her. It was an interesting dynamic to watch. It appeared to me that Lily was totally in charge and confident in that power. But she never took her eyes off the dog and she was careful to be in a place where she had a clear escape route.
Here, we’re trying to get both the cat and the dog in the same frame. Remi (the dog) felt trapped and seemed a bit worried about what that ferocious cat might do. But Lily wasn’t concerned. She kept a wary eye on the much larger animal, though.
And both cats seemed to feel less threatened by Remi than they appear with just about any human visitor. No, we don’t plan to get a dog.
