ASHLAND —
Gracie is the new puppy at my daughter’s household, a Chauhau-dauschund mix that weighs just over six pounds now and won’t get much bigger. She is quite a change from the last dog they had, a black lab mix, but she’s quite sure she’s as big as any other canine in the neighborhood.
My Maggie is quite the opposite. At 40-something pounds, with Sheltie fur that makes her look even bigger, she is afraid of “big dogs” — as in cocker spaniels and some terriers. So when my daughter brought Gracie to visit the other day, I thought we might have a problem.
They’ve met before, of course, which has pretty much come down to one dog wanting to play and the other refusing with a growl or bark. But they were fine with each other on Gracie’s last visit.
The cats, however, about had a nervous breakdown. Bitsy, the smartest of the two half-grown kittens, headed upstairs and stayed there.
Batman, who is as big as Gracie and probably weighs more, was not at all sure about this brown bouncy thing. Gracie was in a mood for excitement. She played hide and seek around the cedar chest that doubles as a coffee table in the living room and jumped and barked to get Batman to engage in play, all to no avail.
Batman was fascinated but afraid. Bouncy and barky is something new and while she is curious, she also tends to err on the side of caution.
Not so with Tabby, my part-Siamese grown feline. Tabby comfortably believes that she rules the world and everything in it. If we underlings fail to obey, she knows a swipe of the claws or a bite on the ankle of her unsuspecting victim gets the message across.
She sat beneath the rocking chair in the living room watching as Gracie jumped, hopped and made us laugh. Unlike the wide-eyed Batman, who eventually did the scared stretch and hissed at the poor little dog, she didn’t seem fazed by Gracie at all. If anything, she seemed amused — or at least as amused as Tabby lets herself become.
After Batman retreated to a place of safety, Gracie began checking out the humans. She particularly doted on my son, who had come for Sunday dinner and was eating on the couch.
“Down, Gracie!” has yet to be effective, given her tender puppy age, but enough times of being pushed off onto the floor convinced her to find entertainment elsewhere.
I’m not sure Gracie knew Tabby was under the chair when she headed that way. She had spotted a foam curler that one of the cats had found some where and despite my daughter’s orders to leave it alone, kept trying to claim it for her own.
That process brought her within a whisker of Tabby, who maintained her stony presence. But once Gracie noticed the big cat, she made up her mind that she had a playmate.
Tabby, who is more of a spectator than a participant, found Gracie’s antics amusing. Not, of course, as much as we did; the room filled with laughter as the tiny dog practically begged for Tabby to notice her.
And then Gracie made her big mistake. She bounced into Tabby’s personal space.
As the Queen of Everything, Tabby did not take it well. But one serious hiss took care of the situation. Gracie retreated; Tabby offered as close to a Cheshire Cat grin as I’ve ever seen.
And I’m pretty sure Batman had found a pen and was taking notes.
CATHIE SHAFFER can be reached at cathieshaffer@zoominternet.net
Columns
Mixing things up at my house
- Columns
-
-
Carrie Stambaugh: Summer fun with sunscreen: 05/24/13
Summer vacation season is upon us. Many families across the area, including my own, are already counting down the minutes until their beach vacations. I admit, thoughts of white sand and blue-green waves, cold beer and raw oysters have been dominating my day dreams for the last few weeks.
-
Mark Maynard: Now they know about little Opie: 5/23/13
We became dog owners again on Wednesday, a red-haired little poodle who is supposed to be no bigger than 6 to 8 pounds at full growth.
-
John Cannon: After 2 years, planned vacation finally taken: 05/22/13
It was a trip to Minneapolis that my wife and I had been planning for more than two years. But since our journey to Minnesota was a leisurely one, we took our time for side trips: a Cincinnati Reds game; a visit to the graves of my parents, paternal grandparents and an aunt and uncle in a small cemetery near Jeffersonville, Ohio; a mini-family reunion at my niece’s home near New Holland, Ohio; a drive to Warsaw, Ind., to help my wife climb her family tree on her father’s side.
-
Here’s one more trip to remember
Oh, it sounded like such a great idea at the time.
-
Flashbacks revive memories of tragedy
I remember the day like it was yesterday — Dec. 15, 1967, a few minutes before 5 p.m. in Ironton.
-
Tim Preston: Diet shock in a can; big-burger challenge; business for breakfast: 05/19/13
I’m no fan of diet drinks or drinks in cans, although I suspect I am a convert when it comes to Diet Ale 8 after sipping down a couple of cans a new friend left at the office for me.
-
05/19/2013 — Lee Ward: Dog bringing unwanted gifts into house
Manny, my male dog, might be getting senile.
-
Many changes coming soon for couponers
Couponing is experiencing some pretty heavy changes. CVS has new rules.
-
RONNIE ELLIS: Fallout from scandals remains to be seen
Scandals like those roiling Washington often look more or less nefarious as time and facts unfold. After all, what at first looked like a third-rate burglary turned into Watergate.
-
Mark Maynard: It's time for another 14-name salute
Yesterday was one of those roll-down-the-windows-and-let-the-cool-air-blow-through-the car days.
- More Columns Headlines
-
Carrie Stambaugh: Summer fun with sunscreen: 05/24/13
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness
"Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season
SeaWorld: Penguins Are Coolest Thing in Florida
Obama Renews Call to Close Gitmo
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
