Do Cats and Dogs Get Along?

From the time we began watching Tom and Jerry on TV, we believed cats and dogs were enemies.  Sometimes, that's the case.  Other times, it's not.

Dusty, who passed away earlier this year at age 14, loved to torment Delaney, a lab/pointer mix with a very sweet temperament.  When I brought Delaney home at age 8 weeks, he weighed 10 pounds, half of what Dusty weighed.  "The Boys," as I called them, used to wrestle and play and, once Delaney got bigger than Dusty, he never got too rough.  Dusty, on the other hand, being a typical cat, could be real nasty.  Probably because of the "little guy" syndrome.  He'd ambush Delaney from time to time, nipping Delaney's legs and running.  But, with a lab's disposition, Delaney simply tolerated Mr. Kitty's hijinx.

Fate got its revenge on Dusty in the form of Charlotte.  Charlotte is our German Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix and she LOVES kitties.  Same scoop with her when we brought her home from the animal shelter:  10 pounds versus Dusty's 20 pounds.  She wasn't as intimidated by Dusty as Delaney was and, as she got older, enjoyed walking up to Dusty and giving him a big kiss.  He, of course, really hated all the gloppy, dog drool and would immediately bathe himself after each display of affection.

Charlotte gives kisses to Grace, who still hasn't gotten used to all the noisy affection.  We're working on that.

More later...

Do you have any cat/dog stories to share?  We'd love to hear them.

Laurie's cat, Webster

Webster is one of those special critters who needs a Mommy with a really big heart – and he found it with Laurie. His Daddy adopted him at 4 weeks old, and after 5 years together could no longer care for him. He spent quite a long time searching for the right home for Webster. Because “Webby” is shy and prefers not to be around other animals and lots of people, his Daddy knew that his forever home had to meet certain criteria. Extra special kudos to Webster’s old Daddy and his new Mommy, and to everyone else who adopts a hard-to-place animal or one with special needs.

Because of all the love and attention lavished on him by both families (and all the time and patience given when needed), Webster handled his second cross-country move with barely a hiccup. He’s also making new people-friends much faster than he used to.

P.S. Webby is my grandkitty and I’m proud to have him as a member of the family.

Update from Grace

Let me tell you, my new forever home is crazy!

First of all, there's that stupid dog, Charlotte.  She's got this long, black nose that she's always poking under the couch where I sleep.  All she wants to do is kiss me--yuck!  I liked it better when she chased me.  (Mom took this picture with her cell phone when I was on the run--it's blurry because I was moving so fast!)

Then there's this big white thing in one of the rooms.  Dad calls it a Sammy-bird.  It talks, talks, talks, all the time.  It does say, "Hi, Mom," which my new mom really likes, so maybe I shouldn't be so worried.

The black dog, Delaney, pretty much leaves me alone, so he's cool.  And the black cat, Max, is okay too.  Sometimes he chases me, and I think he's playing, but sometimes it's scary cuz he's so much bigger than me.  My new dad got on the scale with me on Sunday and told my mom that I weigh 4 pounds; they said Max weighs 14 pounds.  Last night, when I was snuggled in bed between them (isn't that the best spot in the house?), my mom said I'm a chow-hound and I probably gained some weight.

I gave them a big surprise this morning.  Instead of sleeping under the couch in the living room last night, I slept under their bed!  It shocked the heck out of Charlotte, too, when she stuck her nose under the bedspread and I bopped her on the nose.  (Then again, maybe it was my growl that scared her.  She always backs off when I grow1.)

All in all, things are pretty good.  Can't wait for Mom to come home so I can sit with her on the couch.

Sandy, Bridget's dog

Sandy is a very lovable dog.  She is a Husky/Lab mix that can become slightly overexcited at some points but I couldn't live without her all the same. She was eight months old when we adopted her on St. Patrick's Day, three days after my birthday.  She is incredibly good with children, no matter what they do. She has never bitten anything but bugs and a mouse (which I think is incredibly helpful).   I love Sandy and, again, could not live without her. I hope everyone else loves their pets as much as I love Sandy.

[Note from Blog Hostess: This article was written and submitted by Bridget, a 10 year-old who lives in Rhode Island. I made two spelling corrections and rephrased one sentence for clarity; otherwise, her note appears exactly as she submitted it.]

TUCKER: Edith Azzopardi's most recently adopted pet

I've known Edie Azzopardi my entire life.  She's surrounded herself with animals since childhood, when her orange tabby, Morris, permitted her to dress him up in doll's clothing and parade him around the neighborhood in her doll carriage.  She and her family have adopted dogs, cats, and--if memory serves me correctly--things like guinea pigs and reptiles.  Oh, and Puff, the ring-necked turtle dove.  Edie's husband, Ed, brought Puff home on his shoulder one day from Rockaway Beach.  Puff lived for years and years, at least 20, I'm thinking.  (Edie, correct me if my memory is wrong.)  Thanks to the Azzopardi family for rescuing Tucker and all their other animals, including Patches, the dog. 

Grace and Two Buddies from AniMeals

Here's a picture of our new kitty, Grace, along with two of her former roommates.  We adopted her from AniMeals yesterday.  For those of you who received the New Baby e-mail from me, you'll be happy to know she's decided to quit hiding in the basement.  Instead, she's lying under a table in the living room.

She gets along fine with Max, our black male cat, and pretty much ignores Delaney, the black lab mix.  She does NOT like Charlotte, however, which seems to be a common occurrence among animals and people alike.  [Sigh]  Charlotte (who is pictured below) is a sweet but VERY exuberant German Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix.  Grace goes into growl mode whenever Charlotte gets near.  (At least she's stopped running and Charlotte has stopped chasing!)

So, our numbers have evened out:  two humans, two dogs, and two cats.  The critters are evenly divided male/female (as are the humans) and by color:  two black and two marmalade.  Say a prayer that Charlotte backs off and allows Grace some room to settle in.  More later...

Welcome to - Forever Friends

I have always loved animals and, looking back on all the pets who've shared my home, the most loving and memorable are those I rescued either from either homelessness or illness.  Not that pedigreed animals purchased from breeders aren't wonderful and loving--but most of them are promised loving homes.  The throwaway ones, the ones who follow me around like a shadow (pound-puppy Charlotte), or who climb into my lap each evening for a snuggle (rescued Rottie Tyson), or who obey my every command (pound-puppy Delaney) have special places in my heart because they weren't really throw-aways and they're infinitely grateful that I had the insight to recognize their wonderfulness when other people could not.

So many animals are tossed away - especially kitties - because of issues stemming from the people who own them rather than from their own personalities or innate qualities.

This blog is dedicated to the following:

• The animals, themselves
• The heroes who save them
• Tips and advice from professionals and experienced pet owners
• Pleas for help from those struggling with pet challenges
• Our FFs (the forever friends who live with us now)
• Our BFFs (the forever friends who will always live in our memories)

We welcome your contributions to this blog and hope you'll help us spread the word about all the animals--especially dogs and cats--who need their own FFs and forever homes.  Visit the WOOF!  WOOF! section on the right sidebar to learn about how to make your contribution to the blog.

(My BFFs - Top left:  our pound-puppy, the late Tyson; adopted from an animal control shelter in Rhode Island after a teenager abandoned the 1 1/2 year old guy in an apartment.  Middle right:  the late Patience - not a pound puppy, but a girl with several medical issues.  Bottom left:  the late Dusty, adopted from a shelter in Massachusetts at 4 weeks old.)