What's going on in there?
Often in winter, when there are no potted plants out on the living room window sill, he'll climb up and watch us, hoping (against hope) that we'll let him into the house. We can't let him in because Callie doesn't leave him alone. After nearly seven years together, the dog will still not tolerate the cat. Lest you think us heartless, Bert does get to come inside every morning for a couple of hours to hang out while Callie snoozes upstairs in the loft.
Oooo, shiny objects! Actually, Bert has never shown any interest in the tree or the ornaments.
While he's outside, Bert will move between the living room window and the deck doors, watching, waiting, before he finally gives up and heads out again. He does this almost every day. I know he's looking forward to summer when one of us will sit outside and he can climb up on a lap to snooze.
I could never rest easy knowing, Callie notwithstanding, that there was a pussycat outside waiting to come in, especially in inclement and cold weather. As long as it was out there it would dominate my mind to the exclusion of practically all else. What the solution is I've no idea, other than to lock the dog in another room - which itself would give rise to another sequence of dilemmas. Such is life!
ReplyDeleteHappy NY, Walt, to ALL those chez toi.
Interesting election you have coming up later in year. Let's hope that the result will be one that doesn't question your country's membership of the E.U. As a proud and incorrigible 'Remoaner' and 'Remainiac' (labels I'm proud to wear) I'm going to be so envious of you if that's the way it turns out - though Dieu help us if the scarier thing actually happens and Madame LeP gets in!
I agree...poor Bert...I thought he was let in now? he's looking in cause he wants to be with y'all (or to be warm) If he gave Callie a good swipe across the nose I'll bet she's leave him alone for a bit.
ReplyDeleteBertie is fun to see. We've always had dogs that were mean to our cats also, but we found a system much like you have. So it goes.
ReplyDeleteI especially like that last photo, with Bertie and the tree :) I'll bet you haven't had a moment's regret about getting those nice sliders up there!
ReplyDeleteLife is so unfair. Callie is rewarded for her actions and Bert is denied human companionship and made to stay outside all night in the bitter cold. Poor little Bert. My heart aches for him.
ReplyDeleteraybeard, Bert is an outdoor cat and has been for most of his life. But he's not completely on his own. He has free access to the garage and utility room where his bed and little cat hut are, along with his dry kibble and water. He also likes to hunker down in the laundry basket when it's filled with clothes.
ReplyDeletemelinda, we've held out hope that Callie would lose interest, but even with the occasional nose swipe she won't stop pursuing the cat. Such is life!
evelyn, it's a pain to have to keep them separate all the time, but we're used to it now.
judy, those doors have made a huge difference!
paul, don't worry, Bert is not out in the cold unless he wants to be! See my response to Raybeard above. He's got his indoor space at night, it's just not with us.
He's habitually adorable and that Callie is quite the diva.
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