Smitten By A Sweet Kitten

cat and dog

It is always a good day for Jessie when her walk coincides with her pal Butchie’s. Butchie is a huge Newfoundland-Bernaise cross, who has mostly rebuffed my sweet goldendoodle’s advances for most of her nine years. But my girl doesn’t give up easily (even though I try to tell my canine daughter that it could serve her well to play a little hard-to-get). Jessie wags her long tail with abandon and tries to get into Butchie’s face whenever they cross on the sidewalk. albeit not as crazily as she used to when she was a younger dog.

Two days ago Jessie and I had a typical encounter with Butchie and his human. Jessie was frisky, and Butchie snubbed her. As we were walking away, I hear Butchie’s human say, “C’mon Snowball.” Confused, I ask whether that is a nickname I hadn’t heard before.

Snowball is not Butchie’s nickname. Snowball is a kitten that Butchie’s human bought for him, and who had hidden under the parked car because she was afraid of Jessie. “Snowball has given old Butchie a new lease on life,” the human explained. Butchie is raising this kitten, sleeps with her, and even grooms her. Snowball trails behind Butchie and his human on their daily walks. They are inseparable.

Both Jessie and Butchie are showing their years unfortunately. Jessie just had major surgery for a ruptured ligament (the second one in the space of a year) and is slowing down. She is getting increasingly stubborn too. I used to be able to lead the way to where I wanted to walk; now she puts all her weight on her back haunches and refuses to budge if I go in the “wrong” direction. Butchie had an operation for cancer a little while ago, and at 200 pounds (I’m guessing) was never the spryest dog on the street. He was also turning into a grumpy old mutt. But now Butchie has a renewed spring in his step.

Butchie is smitten by a sweet young kitten while my old girl gets relegated farther and farther down the bench.

Life is cruel.

Photo credit:Flickr/reader of the pack

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