There can only be one; the animal that is at the very top of the food chain, a relentless menace to all those quivering below in the competition for food. This creature is deadly, terrifying and eats anything in its path.
WTF? It’s not me! I mean, it *could* be me, but it’s not me.
Don’t look at me! It’s definitely not me. It scares me.
You’d be forgiven for thinking it might be Piper – after all, you’ve got good reason to suspect her:
But it’s not her either. She’s hiding from it, in fact.
And it’s not Dexter. He learned to mask his presence from it a long time ago.
I’m not under there. I’m not even here. Just smile and everything will be fine.
Maybe it’s Race.
OM NOM NOM NOM!
Go closer, see if he eats you, then we’ll know.
Speaking of Race, with a little bit of work, he’s finally got his ball on.
There was, of course, a bit of a learning curve …
But now he’s totally down with the game!
Up and down, that is.
He’s now the resident puppy fetch machine, because Dex is not allowed to play ball anymore. Last week we were playing Dumbball and Dex went all wobbly on me, just like Piper does. That was scary :( It was not very hot outside, but he ran a lot and with a lot of intensity. Because Intense is his middle (and first, and last) name.
So now his Dumbball activities are limited to very short sessions. Phooey. On the plus side, Dexter started his Big Boy Agility Classes two weeks ago and he is doing simply MARVELOUS! The Sadist doesn’t have any beginner classes available (because the barn is fully booked) so now I bring him into Tweed’s class and I split the time between them – because Tweed is old and also fully trained, and needs way less class time. This means Dex is running Masters level courses, but at 16″ only and no weaves, so don’t yell at me. He is already showing me that he’s faster than my slow witted handling, and knows all the contact equipment. In fact last night he did the teeter 4 times in a row he liked it so much :) And unlike Piper, he is quite happy to work at a distance – which is awesome, because as he speeds up it’s going to be painfully clear to me that I do not have a hope in hell of being anywhere near him on the course!
He’s going to be a star!
Last night I also taught Race how to jump rather than limbo under the bar. This gave him some confidence and now I can’t keep him on the ground ;-)
Anyway. Back to the mysterious Apex Predator of Food Lady’s Farm.
It’s always lurking out there, somewhere …
Waiting to STRIKE!
And steal your cookies!
MINE!
MINE!
MINE!!
No wonder he’s so rotund!!
In other news, the deskunking remedy did nothing at all for the cat-pee-in-dog-beds situation. The beds are now soaking in Nature’s Miracle in plastic bags on the deck … we’ll see if this one works! Otherwise, I’m going to have to make brand new beds … out of DONUT!!
Pamela says
Rotund? Doesn’t cookie stealing burn calories?
Amy says
Nature’s Miracle is what I used to get rid of animal pee and it worked perfectly. My cat peed and pooped on my bed when he was mad at me one time. After one GOOD scrubbing with Nature’s Miracle, there was NO smell left. I’m sure it will work on the dog beds.
As for Woo… I think we need to see some Flamboyance. We haven’t seen that in a long time. I would even settle for Twoo’s Flambe =)
Emma says
Nature’s Miracle should work with the cat pee…the only thing I’ve found that it *doesn’t* work on is getting ferret stink out of a very expensive Sherpa carrier.
Adrienne says
Woo! It’s the Woo! :-o Quick, run and hide! No — wait, then I can’t *see* him. Oh phooey, I guess I’ll just lurk aroud a corner and catch him in the act without him catching me.
:-)
RuthB says
Note: if you already wash something in detergent before you try Nature’s Miracle or other enzyme stuff, the enzyme stuff is never going to be effective. My own very successful(!) experience with cat marking, of walls, furniture, dog beds, etc., entailed being extremely methodical, cleaning all walls and furniture up to 8-10 inches high w/Nature’s Miracle or other enzyme cleanser, then spraying that same area, all around the house, including the dog crates, with cat pheremone spray Feliway. I tried and tried with dog beds, but was unsuccesful, ultimately, so I threw them out. Used Feliway plug-in diffusers in the whole house for about a year, and didn’t need it after that. Made sure to de-stress the 2 kittycats lives as much as possible. They became indoor kitties, so didn’t have to defend the territory which the catdoor made vulnerable to intruders. They were middle-aged so okay with staying inside. I still had one relatively manageable mark spot near the front door for the years that they lived. All this is easier if you have a small place. While I know 2 families who ended up having their cats euthanized for marking, I also know a border-collie owning family whose cat stopped marking completely after being prescribed an antidepressant. Luckily their Rx is pretty inexpensive.
Virginia says
I should have known it was Woo. I suspected Piper. ;)
RuthB says
I meant to add that when I got new dog beds, I treated them completely and thoroughly with the Feliway spray before using them, and didn’t have problems.
Jennifer says
Love the snap of the airborne ball, hovering over Race’s back . He’s obviously wondering where the heck it’s gone but it looks like he’s learning ball skills fast.
His personality is showing more in your photographs and his markings are gorgeous. We’re sure you find a great home for him.
PS Also love the snaps of the chubby one!
MalaysianFan says
I think RuthB has hit on an important point… Maybe Twoo isn’t the only member of your household who’s really stressed by the stream of foster dogs passing through. It sounds like Donut is also feeling threatened, and you’d mentioned that Dexter had already been pushing her limits. Many people who rescue strays say that their pet cats also boycott the litterbox when they feel crowded or overwhelmed. It’s unfortunate she’s picked such an expensive way to show her unhappiness! :-(
Ruth says
Aww your dogs are so cute (to look at anyway, cause you make them sound a little mean!). Soryy to hear about Dex’s wobblyness.
Rebecca says
I am loving all the advice you are getting re: the cat pee issue. We don’t even use dog beds anymore for the most part, because the cats just kept peeing on them. Using Feliway… duh, why didn’t I think of that? We even have a huge jug of Nature’s Miracle I just haven’t opened yet in the closet!
Lyanne (aka Catfiend) says
I wish I could help with the Donut situation: my boy cat, Bradley (rip June 4 2010) was with me for over a year with no issues, then upon my inheriting a third girl cat, he started to spray all over the place. It got so bad that he would look straight at me and then spray…of course I know he was trying to tell me something but I have no idea what. I tried taping up foil all around, feliway, prozac…. nada. finally I started to shut him up in the spare bedroom whenever he was indoors unsupervised and that is what I think worked. He did not spray in ‘his’ room. And it provided him with his own little “Bradley’s Safe Place” where no girl kitties could take his spot in the sun, etc.
Ann says
Those kitties that live in my house didn’t like me one bit at first. I still think they should be chased at times. It keeps them on their toes! But one did start peeing in the basement. Mom used every type of enzyme she could find and thinks Urine-Off worked pretty well. Dad put her on kitty Prozac. That kitty hasn’t been peeing there anymore and I’m beginning to think she actually likes me (a little).
I can’t wait to start agility! It looks like so much fun.
Sage