Boston Monday

We had guests for dinner last night.  Our son and grandpuppy came over for meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  I've mentioned Boston in blogs before, but this is his first solo effort.   

First of all I should mention what he does to the cats.  Tugby has met Boston before, and since he spent time in a pet store before he lived with us, is familiar with the concept "dog".  He also knows Boston personally.   Until Huck arrived, Tugby appeared to be totally uninterested in Boston, despite Chester's poor opinion of the dog.  He wandered around the house, touched noses, and never seemed to care.  Unfortunately, Huck had never met a dog before Boston came to visit, and he tends to freak out first and ask questions later.  The first time Boston came over, Huck flew through my plants in the dining room window and broke a planter en route.  This was not Boston's fault, because he belongs to two cats in his own home and is under the illusion that all cats will love him once they have been introduced.  He truly believes that he speaks cat fluently.

Huck's fright has been communicated to Tugby, who now disappears when Boston comes over and then reappears casually an hour or two later, pretending he hadn't noticed that there was a dog in the house.  On Sunday, Huck spent the entire visit pretending to be a snowman, safely out of reach on my shelves.  This is the second time they've been together and it went well over all because Huck did finally get brave enough to leave his perch.  I'm hoping that as they become accustomed to each other Huck will get used to seeing Boston around, and relax a bit more.  I am not expecting friendship and cuddling.  However, eventually we will get another dog, and both cats will have to come to terms with their new reality.  Of course summer will present a new challenge because Boston loves to romp around outside, and we don't really want outdoor cats.

We gave Boston a bone, which he chewed quite happily in the backyard.  He has found a new favourite place in our cedar hedge where he can hide and enjoy his treat in peace.  I guess it's warmer in there as well.  In any case, his short fur doesn't seem to be a deterrent to spending time outside in the snow.  He loves to run all over checking out any new smells, visiting with Bridget, the schnauzer behind us, and barking at any dogs passing on the street.


It always takes Boston a while to adjust to visiting us.  It's hard for him to settle until he's checked out the premises and tracked any new smells down.  Since he's a beagle-hound cross, the messages from his nose outweigh any negative feedback he gets from us, until he's finished sniffing.  He has finally learned his kitchen manners and likes to supervise dinner from underfoot, but at least he isn't trying to climb on counters and grab food any more.  He stays on a chair in the living room until we've finished eating and then rushes in to see if anything has fallen off a plate in transit, or if his grandparents have saved him a treat.  Since we do spoil our grandpuppy, it's probably just as well we don't have any human babies to fuss over right now.