Observations
When cats develop a new, strange behavior...at least in our home...it typically involves something like an obsession with knocking willow tree figurines off of every surface possible or sitting in bathtubs and popping out from behind the shower curtain to scare anyone who dares to use the toilet (Luna). Caesar goes nuts over specific spots where he MUST sleep. If there is anything in his way, he will use his entire body weight to inch it over & off of "his spot" and will (as a last resort) sleep on top of objects blocking his way. The key here is that these behaviors are....not super disruptive to everyday life. They do build up from time to time and annoy me, but they aren't anything I have to jump on immediately.
Now...Parker.
So when puppies develop new behaviors....in my short 2 week experience...they tend to involve much more disruptive things...like HOWLING when either Matthew or I leave the room and he can't follow because he is either on the leash or in his crate. I realize this is typical for a puppy who has been abandoned/neglected before....but this isn't even when he is left alone in a room. Parker seems to feel that I, Matt, and he should be all 3 together every waking moment. If one of us disappears from sight it is like HIS FAMILY IS BEING RIPPED APART FOREVER. And he makes his anguish known to everyone in the neighborhood. Other fun puppy stuff = attempting to eat cell phones, our ADT Security system sign, the plastic bottoms on our outdoor solar lights, and rugs.... while refusing his chewy toys. Darn dog...he is too cute for his own good. I know this because when he attempts (thankfully without success YET) to chew/eat these things, my 1st thought is "Oh puppy! That could hurt you!" instead of "There goes another $$$ down the drain." I wonder if that is what the hubby is thinking? ;)
Another thing I've noticed...agility. This week Caesar and Luna started back up with their laps around the living room. They stopped for awhile being overly cautious of where Parker was...but they are back to playing, chasing each other over top of the couch and around the kitchen table and back down the hall. They fly thru the house probably 20 times a day or more and nothing changes except the occasional throw pillow or blanket ruffled. When Parker makes his rounds through the living room, kitchen, hallway...it is quite different. It's like watching a hippo on rollerblades. Or perhaps a race horse on some serious drugs. His paws fail him when he hits the kitchen and foyer floors. He slams on the breaks and slides head-first into the barstools, chairs, front door...his water dish. He never seems to remember to heed the non-carpeted areas...ever. And even if he did, he would still have those corners...which he takes too fast and often bumps into.
Among our circle of friends...there has always been the whole cat/dog debate. Most of our friends have always been dog-lovers who fierecely protect their view that dogs are better pets than cats. I don't know that I can agree...but I also don't disagree. Caesar and Luna definitely gave us more independence. Their being in our home rarely made house-cleaning any harder or more involved. They are relatively easy, clever, and very loveable pets. They have never chewed up our cell phones. That being said...Parker has kept me more active in the past two weeks than I have been since...college? Yea, I think so. Also, Parker is always...ALWAYS estatic to see us. Much as I love my cats....it does something to my heart when I see Parker's tail thumping, wagging so hard that his whole backend sways with it.
I suppose some people aren't totally cat people or totally dog people. I love them both for very different reasons. And I can't say which one is the better type of pet...give me a few more years with Parker and maybe I can come up with a verdict.
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