I’ve always been a cat person, and my spouse converted soon after we got together. Our dog is a cat person too, since he grew up with cats. Ever since Emily died in August, Indi has been lonely and bored. He started acting like a very old dog. We’re apparently boring, depressing people for a dog to own unless he has a cat around to spice things up, and he’d known and loved Emily all his life. Well, things got spiced up again yesterday, but good.
Meet Tara, named for the Goddess Tara, revered in Tibetan Buddhism as well as in Celtic lore. Cats are supposed to be worshiped, right? Tara thinks so.
In the second photo she’s making friends. Any time she ventures near her new doggy friend she receives a great big juicy kiss on the face, which of course any cat should be delighted to receive. Especially if she just finished washing the last kiss off her face. Indi also loves to get swatted in the face. I think Emily taught him to see that as fun, as a former owner had Emily de-clawed. Indi realized earlier today that Tara comes fully loaded, though she only swats when she’s playing.
We were a little concerned about the introduction, since lately Indi’s become enthusiastic about chasing strange cats out of his back yard. But when his new kitten was introduced as a member of the pack, he happily reverted to baby sitter. Tara took to him with no hissing, having been born into a home with dogs. She knows the drill. Avoid doggy kisses by cruising behind furniture and darting under beds. Especially after the doggy has just taken a long drink of water. (Very drippy business.) Indi is getting old, which you can tell by all that white fur on his face where it used to be mahogany. But having a kitten around has put a smile on all our faces and zest in our steps. (Handy when there’s a kitten darting about underfoot.)
1.
Adorable, adorable! Gave me a smile. Thanks.
Comment by Reenie — May 17, 2008 @ 6:51 pm
2.
Hate to be repetitive, but adorable is the word! Surprising how even animals feel better when they have a friend.
Comment by susan — May 18, 2008 @ 1:50 am
3.
Omigosh, no wonder Indi is in love. Who could resist all that fur and bounce and terminal cuteness?
Comment by Sarah — May 20, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
4.
Awww, so cute. I love dog/cat photos. They usually get along.
Comment by creechman — May 24, 2008 @ 2:46 am
5.
Bonnie is sitting here next to me and nearly swooned to see your sweet new kitty’s picture. She is dying to get a kitten of her own, but as she is moving to Japan, this is not in the cards. Love the story of the ‘fully loaded’ kitten.
Comment by violetismycolor — May 24, 2008 @ 8:58 pm
6.
She is indeed adorable, sweet, all goodness and purrs. That’s the “good” Tara. Then there’s evil, scary, demonic Tara, who can strike fear into a dog 90 times her size. Kittens have their dark sides for sure, and I had forgotten about that. If I pick her up when she’s been tearing around, I find that she actually radiates heat. She really is a fireball! Then, just when I’ve resigned myself to her tornado-like electro-destructo-madness, she nods off and falls asleep.
Every now and then, I get a glimpse of the cat she’ll be when she’s all grown up, and that little glimpse makes me realize the “good” and “scary” will merge into a beautiful and even tempered grownup cat, and we’ll be happy to live with her for many years.
Comment by Barbara — May 25, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
7.
Today I finally realized that when Tara starts playing really rough and acting a little crazy and mean . . . she’s hungry! She always has food in her dish, but she plays and plays, and forgets to stop and eat. So today I started reminding her where her food is whenever she acts up really scary awful. She eats, and then everything is okay. Sweet kitty again. She doesn’t have a split personality after all, just hungry baby tantrums. It was so much easier, I’m sure, when mommy carried lunch around with her.
I’m so used to elderly cats it isn’t funny. But I’m having loads of fun with her.
Comment by Barbara — May 26, 2008 @ 3:20 pm
8.
This cat is such a sweet fluffy thing. What is the breed?
Comment by Adult Ühler — July 4, 2008 @ 6:30 am