Update on the Furry Ones

Everything is going much better this week.  Duncan is back to the Starvin' Marvin routine.  Our vet called Friday night to see how he was doing.  We love our vet!!!  This is not the first time he's called after seeing Duncan or Savannah to find out how things are going.  When Savannah was first diagnosed with her funky lung disease, he gave us his home and cell phone numbers in case anything happened.  His office is not convenient, but there is no way we'd go anywhere else with our animals.

So Duncan is fine.  Patches is still sleeping by the bed.  We have a puppy gate by the bed which loosely keeps Patches by the side of the bed and not at the foot of it.  He could easily knock it down, but he doesn't know it.  I have to say it's really cute because now the cats are comfortable sleeping on the bed again, and Patches is very curious as to what they are doing.  Any loud jumping or hissing, and Patches pops up, paws on the side of the bed, ears perked up and smiling with a "HEY!  What's going on!?  What are you doing."  OFF! OFF! We moan, poking him until he gets down.  I have a feeling he pops up more often than we know as last weekend, I looked over and he was queitly there, paws on the bed.  Dave was already asleep and unaware of a curious puppy right by his head.

I'm also not taking Patches running anymore.  Our last run two weeks ago was a battle of wills and he won.  I don't think he misses it b/c he's not all that anxious when I take off running with out him.  And, overall, things are getting better with the cats.  Scarlett is standing up to him and forcing a place for her near us.  Yesterday was funny when Patches thought she was too close to his bone and began to herd her away.  She was having none of that.  She stood on her hind legs and did a series of thwackawhackawhackas with her paws in the general direction of his head.  Patches is such a sweet, gentle dog.  He was so surprised and sad when she did that.  He gets this total hang dog look when he thinks someone doesn't like him.  Even if that someone is Scarlett.

He also gets that look when he's caught raiding the litter box, too, so it doesn't get much sympathy from me.  Dogs have an odd sense of what a treat is.  And apparently, the litter box is a veritable treasure chest.  I was at the computer Sunday and I looked over to see Patches with his head in the box.  PATCHES!  He withdraws his head, a litter bound clump of cat pee gently held in his mouth.  DROP IT! DROP IT! DROPIT!  He hangs his head and beats a retreat to the dining room.  I find the pee dropped in the hall (GOOD DOG!) and I proceed to clean the litter of his moist nose.  I never thought I'd be used to wiping a dog's nose.  All the time. 

Scarlett's asleep by the computer.  Patches is asleep by my feet.  Duncan is not straying too far from the food dish. 

All is well with the furry ones. 

8:14:16 AM