Not much has changed with the Bertie/Callie situation, I'm afraid. The dog still tenses up whenever she sees the cat and wants to chase him. She'll sit and stay if one of us is there to control her, but left on her own she will try to bite Bertie's head off. He takes in all in stride. He's swiped at her a couple of times (we saw a little scratch on her nose the other day) but so far it hasn't deterred her.
But his little country life seems to be fine. He has two comfy places to sleep inside, separated from the dog. He eats regularly and well. The fights with the neighborhood cats have all but ended; I suspect the cats have worked out their territorial issues. And sometimes Bertie stays out all night prowling and hunting and doing whatever else hip cats do at night. But most times he comes home before we go to bed and we keep him indoors overnight.
We got him a new collar the other day and one of those little capsules that contains a paper with his name and phone number on it. The cat collar is made with elastic so he can wriggle out of it should he get hung up on something. He accepted the collar readily even though he's been without one for months.
I keep hoping that somehow the dog will accept the cat in the house. Winter is on its way and it gets cold in the garage. The utility room is warmer, though, so we'll likely move his bed in there soon.
It's kind of unusual for animal animosity to last so long.
ReplyDeleteWell, that good old Bertie looks mighty fine sitting there in the sun. :) Poor nervous Callie. It is commendable (sp?) that she holds her self control when you're there :)
ReplyDeleteJudy
What a great picture! I keep hoping our family dog will decide to accept my son's gerbils and mouse as part of the family but he just looks at them and licks his lips, alas.
ReplyDeleteSuch a handsome boy!
ReplyDeleteWith the two inside at night this winter Callie and Bertie may just work it out, just like the cats in the neighborhood did eventually. It took a battle or two or three but eventually the territories were settled upon. Maybe that's what Callie needs too...who knows? My vet says, "you have to think like a dog..." Um... ok, Dr.!
Bertie is definitely one Hip cat :)
ReplyDeletestarman, not so unusual for humans, lol!
ReplyDeletejudy, she's basically a good dog.
kristi, tasty morsels! ;)
suzanne, Callie is a sheep dog, a herder, so she just wants to chase anything that moves.
evol, you know it!
My new rescue kitty Meeps looks just like your cat only Meeps is smaller. How fun. Meeps says she'd like to come with me to France to meet her long lost chat cousin!
ReplyDeleteV
virginia, she'd certainly be welcome!
ReplyDelete