Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Friends & neighbors



Stella and I walk twice a day. One of those walks is usually outside of our neighborhood, I try to schedule it between errands or work so I'm not just burning gas to walk the dog. The second walk is through our neighborhood. Over time, like all dedicated dog walkers, we've learned where all the dogs and cats live. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would know the names and locations of so many dogs. It just isn't something I ever thought of before. About half a mile away from the house, there's a place in one of our walks that I refer to as the cat house. There's a dog that chases us every time we walk by. It comes high-balling up the driveway and out into the street with us, barking like mad. I might actually be frightened by the whole scene were it not for the fact that this dog is the size of a hamster. Stella just stops and stares. When it gets within five or six feet of us it turns and runs and I always think of an episode of the Dog Whisperer where Cesar says (I'm paraphrasing): "If these pit bulls were not well-balanced, this little dog would be an appetizer."

Regarding the photo above, I may have mentioned it once before, but when we go outside first thing in the morning, we ALL go out. It's like a little parade down the street. The pit bull, the tail-free cat and me. Gigi doesn't have a leash of course, she just chooses to follow us out and then back in again for breakfast. Occasionally, she'll get distracted by one thing or another and stop but she always catches up and comes back in for breakfast with us. I may have to get one of the neighbors to videotape it sometime. It makes that first scoop of poop in the morning a lot more tolerable.

p.s. We took possession of a mother cat and three kittens a couple of days ago. The hell they were living in was indescribable without the use of raging epithets. I'll post some pictures but meanwhile, if you all know anyone in or around Nashville who is looking for a new best friend, please don't hesitate to comment below. Me and Stella will deliver it to your door.

4 comments:

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

You absolutely MUST get the neighbor to video!

When I was a letter carrier, I got to know the dogs on my route better than most of the customers. I had a 10 mile walking route and carried ALOT of milkbones for my buddies!

Susan Rose said...

Gigi looks like a spunky cat. I'm glad Stella has her for those days when she's home alone. (Or does Gigi have Stella?)

Congrats on the new little cat family! Good for you! Stray animals really need our help. I'm feeding a feral Mama cat right now. She's progressed from being a walking skeleton to a beautiful feline that is now able to enjoy her life.

Two Pitties in the City said...

I guess I never really realized it before, but we do know most of the dogs on our walks. Especially the ones that come lunging out from behind gates. It's great you were able to help the stray cat; it seems like there are a lot of cats being abandoned this time of year.

Beverly said...

What a GREAT picture of Stella and Gigi! How about some pix of the refugees?