Now if I told you that my brother routinely chases my cat around the house, you’d think he was torturing the poor creature. Except that this cat frequently turns around and chases him around the house. It’s hilarious! The cat makes all these little noises - not meows, little chirps. He’s the only cat I’ve seen where, if you run at him flailing your arms and screaming, he runs towards you. He’s not a very nervous cat - Cory brought out this little remote-control car of his (very small, the size of a mouse)… well, Tessa tucked her tail and ran away (woo, scary rottweiler), and the cat ended up chasing it (and being chased) all over the kitchen. Cory was running the toy into the cat’s feet and chasing him all over, Joey just kept coming back for more and just “dancing” back and forth to avoid getting hit. He’s hilarious!

Yesterday when I came home from Walmart I looked around the house for Joey, but couldn’t find him straight off. I did see the other kitties outside the in rain, though. I felt bad for them, so I went out and brought Tuffy in, sat him on the dining room table. As I turned back around to get Angel, I heard “Meeoowww!”

“My!” I said, “What a great meow! I didn’t know you sounded like that, Tuffy.” I continued out and got Angel and brought him in.

Both cats trotted off, Tuffy to his corner and Angel who knows where. Then I heard again, “Meeoowwww.” I looked at Tuffy, who was laying in the corner. That wasn’t him!

“Jo?” I said, looking around.

“Meow!”

“Jo! Where are you??” I could hear him, somewhere in the dining room, but I couldn’t see him anywhere. Mom walked in then and I am walking around the dining room, listening. “Joey’s in here, somewhere, but I don’t know where! I can hear him.”

“Meow!”

I looked behind the curtain at the sliding glass windows, looking up and down, he sounded so close. And then I see… eyes, from behind the curio cabnet. He had fallen behind it, and couldn’t get out. “Meow! Meeoowww!” he said.

“Joey! Oh, poor Jo!” I quickly called mom over, and she pulled the (very heavy) cabinet over enough that Joey could squeeze out.

The cabinet is now flat against the wall, not at an angle in the corner, so he can’t fall back there agian.

Today at the dog park we arrived at the same time as Willow and her owner, who I had previously met in the spring - Willow was the one young dog, a Golden Retriever, who Oreo got along with. Well Tessa took an immediately liking to her as well. Willow is only 11 months now, so her and Tessa were having a ball running around tackling each other. They’d wrestle and chase and were happy happy. Even Oreo took off running after them one time, jostling Tessa as she ran - it was great to see her get involved! But of course the rest of the time Oreo would just grumble and bitch when they got too close. She’s such an old biddy.

I have Oreo sleeping on my bed, Tessa laying on the floor beside me, and Joey purring on the back of the couch behind me. I feel so very blessed.

I’m still trying to tell if Tessa is particularily attached to me or if it is a coincidence. Cory has been home all day, and Tessa has been in my room the entire time - even when I locked her out for a little bit while I was eating, she layed outside the door. It might possibly be because Oreo is often here, as she is now - but during the day Oreo’s usually sleeping in the basement or on a couch in the living room. But Tessa’s always right here with me. Well, that first night I was home mom gleefully said, “The dog trainer is home!” Maybe Tessa’s picking up on that - at least with moderately submissive dogs I do well! She’s just such a sweetheart, though. Except for catching her secretly ripping into a cat toy… lol

Today Joey saw a fly buzzing around either in or outside the window in my room. My dad was visiting, sitting on my couch, and pointed this out. We watched as Joey’s head moved side-to-side to watch it, then he jumped up onto the relatively small windowsill to chase it. “He’s going to fall,” dad said.
“I hope he doesn’t fall in his food dish,” I said.
Ker-thump.

He missed the food dish.
And landed directly into his water dish. Water was running all over my desk and he had his poor rear end stuck in the bowl as he clung with his front paws to the window sill. lol

He was fine. Just a little wet.

Today was day three of introductions between Angel and Joey. Cory refused to help (lard-butt), but my cousin helped. She just sat in my room with Joey, while I got Angel on the other side of the door and tried to set him at ease. He doesn’t actually like food very much at all, so I’m basically just sitting him down and petting and massaging him, which he loves. I cracked open the door and elicited another nervous hiss from Angel, who then backed up a foot and layed down. He seems okay with that, just watching. Joey just peeked out curiously. Later tonight I found Angel laying at the top of the stairs looking down the hall as if waiting to see what would emerge from my bedroom, lol.

I wish I had some way of leaving the door open a crack to let them just watch each other - I think it would be really good for them to have a non-stressful period to do that. Unfortunately that’s not really available in a house with two curious dogs wandering around - I have to lock them both in a room while I do this or else they both nose around and upset the kitties.

But I think it’s progress simply to have Angel laying down while in eyesight of Joey, instead of lunging and hissing. I am still confident he will do well with this introduction and they can become friends.

Tuffy now, I have no idea how he’ll react, if at all, but he almost never comes inside anymore - and he avoids all the other animals, period. I tried doing an introduction at the door like Angel, but he wouldn’t even stay still in the hallway, he ran downstairs. All the other animals make him nervous. Poor old man.

I am really not understanding Angel. He is showing NO signs of… well, anything. Joey was out exploring the house a little today and ended up in the dining room by the sliding glass door - where on the other side Angel was laying there. They saw each other. Joey crouched down in a kind of frightened look, not sure what to do - but didn’t leave. Angel sauntered over to the glass and sat there, looking at me. No reaction to Joey at all.

So then I put Joey in his carrier and put him in the living room, I cracked open the door. Angel sniffed around, then meowed to be let in. I opened the door. Angel walked in, sniffed the carrier… and then walked off downstairs.

What the hell?

I am absolutely amazed and so pleased with how Oreo and Joey are progressing. Joey hissed at her only once that first day, and now Joey will even sniff noses with her! He still isn’t quite sure and moves away a little nervously, but from a cat who would hiss and claw at the sight of dogs, this is amazing. Oreo is so perfect for getting him used to dogs. She’s so well-behaved. And she loves cats - she hates other dogs, but was raised with cats. She sniffs him with her tail wagging and gives me this pitiful look when he walks away. You should see them, it’s amazing.

Oreo, she’s so much more grey than she was when I left. She’s getting grey hairs around her eyes and the inside of her ears is all grey. Her muzzle has always been grey/white, so it’s hard to tell there. She’s slowing down, definitely, but I don’t know how much of it is because of the puppy. I mean, she eats slower now, but I have deep suspicions that is a pack-order thing - that the dominant dog eats slowly to show that she’s not afraid of anyone stealing her food. Tessa wolfs hers down in two seconds, crazy dog. But even though Oreo is slowing down, she still has spunk and energy - last night dad and I were on the couch in the living room talking, and Oreo was laying on the ground. Suddenly she rolled onto her back and started wiggling around, kicking her legs in the air and making funny noises. It was hilarious! Just a spunky moment, I guess.

Oh, and Den says Zeeke is behaving so well. He said it’s like another dog - he came home from the vet (kennel) and just laid down on his couch and chewed on a bone for a few hours. Den is really sick, so maybe Zeeke picks up on that, or maybe the time apart has Zeeke really thankful for being there - or maybe it’s because the cat and I left. Either way, we don’t expect it to be very long-lived, but I’m sure Den appreciates it right now. Good boy, Zeeke!

I am flat out exhausted, but just wanted to say that Joey made it through the flights just fine - and he was actually rather quiet for most of the flights. He didn’t like being carried around and definitely did not appreciate the turbulance we went through, and yowled quite vocally to express his displeasure, but it all went well.

The pets here look good, though a bit bedraggled. Does no one brush them? Bah. We’ve only really let Joey meet Oreo - the others have been kept out. Oreo’s such a doll, she just went up wagging her tail, Joey watched warily and then hissed, which caused Oreo to walk dejectedly away. That was it. I expect it’ll only get better.

Cory did have the bright idea on seeing how Angel would react - the outcome is “not well.” Angel tried to launch himself at the hiding Joey (never seen that before, not from that cat), and Cory withstood a clawed arm because of it (and I told him it served him rights). So that introduction is going to have to be taken much much more slowly.

As I write, Joey has walked into the bedroom where Oreo is sleeping on the bed. I knew they’d be good together.

Cory just sent me a recent picture of Tessa. He said she’s 40lbs already! Can you imagine?? I can bet Oreo looks so tiny next to her already, and Tess is only what, 6 months old? She’s such a little sweetheart! I can’t wait to see my little niece again.