The Dashster!

I beg and beg for people to share a story or two on my blog, to give me a break once in a while.  After all, I don't want anyone to click on and miss me for a day.  :)  ha.  Sure.................  but I never get anyone to post for me!  :(  (OK, maybe a few a very long time ago)  Every once in a while I get a personal note from an adopter of mine (and immediately become fearful before reading it, I am thinking they want to return the cat!), and I thought...  hmmm... this is interesting, and I would love to share!  You may or may not have suggestions for Carrie, but nevertheless, its a great update on our little man Dasher aka Bogart aka Bogie.  :)

YOGA POSE?

w/GARBO - Be nice!

(CAPTION???)

There could be some great captions on these pictures!  :)

"Hi there! How is everything? Things are going well here. Last night was a big milestone because Garbo and I were on the couch and Bogie was in the chair, and he climbed over onto the couch with us and curled up next to Garbo so their little butts were touching. They stayed that way for a while, switching positions on occasion. Once their faces were only inches apart and he would look at her and start to raise his paw, but I would gently tell him No and push his paw back down. So I was super happy about it all, until later that night we were getting ready for bed and our routine is to send Garbo upstairs ahead of him and then she goes right in our bed and he plays upstairs while I wash up. Well, she went running through the house to get upstairs and he chased her, with me running behind yelling NO and he came up behind her on the stairs and attacked her. I think he only swatted her but it scared her so she cried out. I was able to grab him and pull him away from her but it was a tense situation.

I think I've concluded that the only time he shows any aggression toward her is when there is food involved. We still have his room set up with everything in it because he goes in there at night, and a couple times in the past Garbo wandered into his room and he hissed at her and tried to swat her. We really watch them closely so she doesn't go in there much anymore, but last night he hadn't eaten all his wet food so his dish was still on the floor in his room and I wonder if he felt she was going to go after it so he was trying to stop her. Most other times they can interact pretty calmly together with us supervising, and once in a while he might walk up to her and raise his paw at her but I correct him and he stops. The aggression only comes out when there is food nearby.

I can completely understand his food guarding since he was fending for himself out there on the streets. I imagine this is something others have had to deal with that have adopted from you. Do you have any tips for me to help him get over this aggression? I feel like he's figured out Garbo is not a threat in any other way, except for the food. I plan to put a gate across his door so that during the day Garbo has no access, but in the future I don't plan to keep everything in that room so I want both of them to be able to freely walk around the house without feeling like the other is going to go after food. I am definitely not going to let it sit out all day if he doesn't finish it within a reasonable amount of time.

Aside from this little issue, he is so much fun. He LOVES his little foam balls and will chase after one and then bring it back to me and drop it at my feet so I can throw it again, just like a dog! And he likes to play hide and seek with me. If I walk toward him he will flee in the other direction, and I will ignore him and then he slowly comes back and all I have to do is take a step toward him and he dashes off again. And he loves hiding between the shower curtain and the tub. He actually climbed the shower curtain last week while I was in the shower and was staring at me from over the curtain rod. Of course I scolded him to get down because I don't need my curtain rod to come crashing down or my nice shower curtain shredded! He can definitely be a little troublemaker at times. He keeps us on our toes, but we do love him!"

Thanks Carrie!  I sure do appreciate you allowing me to share this with my friends!  Speaking of Carrie, she is living my dream, and also began her own blog recently.  She's a great writer, and I hope she continues with her stories of life on the farm.  :)  She's a real country girl!  Here is her link! http://www.parkwinhillhomestead.com/

For today, It was a quiet morning out there - except for a very odd sound I heard at my last location... from a distance, I could hear an animal, and all I could picture was a raccoon, or something, killing a kitten.  I have a very vivid imagination.  Although I did not see the very sick boy on Central, I did see George on Garson as he came limping to me from across the field.  He is really a good boy.

Lets continue to market our little boys Popcorn and Simon, and our little girl Melody.   Melody goes in for her spay tomorrow.  And tomorrow, I will be (hopefully!) Trap, Neuter and Return two kitties!..  Wish me luck.  No more homeless babies!!!

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”