Monday, January 12, 2009

On kissing Cats

It never ceases to amaze me that Mindy is so beloved by the feline world. She's such a sweet dog, one who had been abused, discarded, just thrown away. She was such a sweet puppy, but hungry, mangy and starved for love. So, we fed her, treated her, and gave her affection in copious amounts. The other dogs, Shelties Ripley and Duffy took to her with no problem. We never had any serious doubts about them, but we worried that the cats, Pye and Ariel, would find her too rambunctious to put up with for long. They mainly ignored her for the first few weeks. Whichever room she would locate them in they would vacate immediately. Then she had her operation, the stroke which blinded her and it was like the cats suddenly had an overwhelming need to shower her with affection. Where ever Mindy went, they would follow, sometimes "herding" her where they thought she needed to be rather than where she wanted to be.
When we were living at the old house, she only had the back yard, which was fenced in. The outside cats never went into it, probably because Ripley, the little female Sheltie, would have no part of them. She tolerated the indoor cats because she had no choice. She drew the line at socializing with the outdoor group. When we moved here, there was much more room to roam in, there was no fence and there were lots of cats..a couple of ours,but most we had no clue as to ownership. They just adopted us and thanked us for providing food. Imagine our surprise when we first noticed that these cats would all gather around, following along with her, running ahead, playing with her. Herding her. We were amazed.
Well, we have two little guys, (Sonny and Cher) Russian Blues for whom we are looking for homes. They have been raised inside and are just wild about Mindy. Cher will sit in Mac's lap and as soon as Mindy approaches, she wraps her little paws around her face as if to say "good morning". Mac says their day doesn't start until they've annoyed the dog. I say the dog's day hasn't started until she's kissed a cat.

55 comments:

Jeff B said...

Ha, that's cute! Sounds like one big happy family.

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

What a touching post. Animals can teach us 'superior' beings a lesson or two on caring. Crikey you have a real menagerie there!

larkswing said...

Ahh Mindy the sweet pooch and how cute about the cats! That is neat!

Terri Steffes said...

I don't think my day has started unless I have kissed a cat. Cute post!

Lee said...

My Dottie and Ladygrey used to act like that. They were best buds. How wonderful that your cat community has gathered around her to keep her safe and loved.

Hugs!
Lee

Vee said...

You really do have quite the menagerie down there! I love reading about the furbabies antics. Mindy sounds like a sweet love...so sweet that even the cats know it.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

How sweet! I would love to see those cats taking care of Mindy....
Hugs,
Penny

Lib said...

Hi Sandi,
Now how cute is that:o)
We feed alot of cats every a.m. I don't understand how anyone could set animals out!
Hope youre feeling better and have a great wk.
Blessins',Lib

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

What a lovely post Sandi. Can just imagine the cats shepherding Mindy and looking after her. They can be such sensitive souls. I love them. A x

Sally said...

How sweet is that! :)

Justabeachkat said...

Awwww...how cute is that?! I grew up thinking dogs and cats just couldn't be friends. Boy was I wrong? Years ago we had a dog (Monty) and a cat (Mr. Randi). They were best buddies. It was so much fun to watch them together.

Hugs!
Kat

Akelamalu said...

Aw how lovely that the cats look after Mindy. :)

® ♫ The Brit ♪ ® said...

Hi Sandi,
I have 3 little doggie-babies of my own and they really are my children!
I loved your wonderful post!
Animals never cease to amaze me with their unconditional love, dedication and adoration.... the human race could learn so much just from watching them! X

CatHerder said...

My day doesnt start until i kiss all of my kitties as well! great post! :-)

Maggie May said...

Quite a menagerie you have there but Mindy does sound as though he has a happy life being herded around by all the cats and they also sound very sweet. What an affectionate bunch! does the heart good!

Anonymous said...

That's very sweet. And whatever the truth of it, I like your version better!

Animals know when one of their number is sick, or just below par. Sometimes they'll turn on them, but sometimes they'll show surprising compassion.

Anonymous said...

My pooches don't seem to mind my Mom and Dad's cats, even though the cats are three times their size. The cats, however, are not too thrilled with the dogs, and generally make themselves scarce.

imbeingheldhostage said...

That is so sweet!

Finding Pam said...

That is such a precious story about your pets. I love that the cats help Mindy by guiding her with their eyes.

Thank you for taking up the challenge of adopting and caring for abandoned pets.

Kari (GrannySkywalker) said...

Sonny and Cher??? I love it!!

Sissy

careysue said...

We have 4 cats and a puppy, they are so tolerant of the puppy it's amazing.

Years ago my trainer, (of horses) her horse was 18 at the time and blind, she had 25 head of horses and 1 horse would take care of her blind horse and lead him to the barn every night for feeding. It was precious.

That's what I call unconditional love!

Janice said...

Oh my day wouldn't be complete without a kiss from my girls! Our two cats hate each other, but each has a favorite dog to play with. Mindy would be so lost without her cat friends to help her around. I think animals must have a language of their own.

Anonymous said...

THAT just put a huge smile on my face! :)

Jeni said...

For anyone who has a cat, does your day really start before you give that cat some loving and get a little bit back from it too?
That's pretty neat though how the catt look after the dog. See, they really are loving creatures after all, aren't they?

Mickle in NZ said...

This is so lovely to read. Mindy is one lucky doglet.

My rescue cat picks up when I'm unwell. His close affection is usually welcome - except when it is hot and humid, but even then I don't dare push him away. After all he has the claws.

Happy hellos and pats to all your dogs and cats

RiverPoet said...

What a wonderful story! I love that the cats pitched in and helped out their dog "neighbor" who couldn't see. I love the way animals think, so much more "higher order" than most humans. Animals don't think about what it will take away from their own time, individuality, and earning potential if they stop to help a friend.

Thanks for sharing this with us, and if I were not already overrun with animals, I'd take those Russian Blues off your hands. I have a little Russian Blue mix, CC, who is the love of my life.

Peace - D

Cheffie-Mom said...

Sounds like they are best buds. (:

Tessa said...

Oh, I can just picture it. And what a lovely picture it is too!

cheshire wife said...

It is so good that they all get on so well.

Donna said...

Awwwww....sweet story sweetie! I use to kiss my cat too...hughugs

Tara said...

Sandi
This is a great pet story!

Unknown said...

Hi Sandi,

That's such a cute story. Animals have a special place in our hearts and lives.

Jeanne said...

Aww that is so sweet Sandi. Hey my day doesn't start till I kiss a cat and Oliver never misses an opportunity to give me a through kissing either.

Aunt Julie said...

Kitties always know when someone's hurting. Your 2 are no exception, it seems. Don't you think Mindy will miss Sonny & Cher when they're gone?

myonlyphoto said...

Sandy wow what a beautiful story, and who said animals don't have hearts, sometimes probably bigger than ours, lol. Thanks for sharing this story, heartfelt. Anna :)

Leon1234 said...

I freaking love your banner! That is awesome...

Jamie Dawn said...

I like the visual image I have of those cats herding Mindy here and there.
I'm so glad you've given Mindy such a happy life.
:-)

NeereAnDear said...

I have no doubt that animals ... no matter what... cat ...dog .... know when another animal is sick or has problems

My daughters cats were like yours... when I came to visit with my American Bull dog Pepper... they would run... hide under the bed.. or do whatever they could to get away from her... however... when she came down with cancer ... and we came to live with my daughter for that rough month before she passed those animals stuck to her like glue...

They are precious arent they?

HUGS

JO

SandyCarlson said...

I like the way you look at things. Sonny and Cher sound like my kind of pals. Mindy sounds like a dream dog.

Morgan Mandel said...

Good for you, taking care of so many animals. We have our hands full just with one dog, Rascal, who lives up to her name!

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
http://www.morganmandel.com
http://twitter.com/morganmandel

Jules~ said...

Awe! How sweet is that?
There is sure alot more to how animals relate than they are usually given credit for.
I love this post!

ancient one said...

Hi... been a little while since I was here... love your header.. enjoyed your doctor's visit.. wish I could think of something to say in the office... I always think of the smart things I should have said, after I get back home...I spend right much time in the doctor's office.. but not for me... I take my mother to all her appointments...

Sure am glad you stopped smoking... sorry it took the open chest to stop it... same thing with my daddy... mama was stronger... when she made up her mind to quit.. she just did it...I think I'm more like my dad... not as strong as mom...but I have never smoked (allergies)

Loved reading about your cats and dog. Cat kisses??

Deb said...

We should all start our day with a kiss! Enjoy your day!

The Muse said...

what a wonderful read, this day...i love the Lord's creatures and glad they have found you :)

i beati said...

sympatico

Woman in a Window said...

Everybody keeping watch over each other. Now that's family.

And Sandi, thanks for coming by my place so often (via David's) and being so supportive. It's much appreciated!
erin

Sandy said...

I loved this post!

Sandy McTier Designs said...

What a sweet post Miss Sandi! I'm such a cat lover - hubby and boys are not so we don't have one:(
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Blessings,
Sandy

tlchang said...

Animals are amazing things, aren't they? I'm always amazed at how well they can interact (have you seen the youtube video on the dog and elephant buddies? Very sweet).

Thanks for the good wishes. Here's hoping for a fabulous 2009.

RBK's Realm said...

What a heartwarming post! Animals certainly can teach us humans many lessons of compassion and caring.

Hilary said...

That's just beautiful. Animals never fail to amaze me, and touch my heart.

david mcmahon said...

Looking forward to your next post, Sandi

Debby said...

Oh, what a sweet story. My dog is a stray. I found him 5 years ago. The thing is that I've never had a more grateful animal, protective, and loving. Everyone always says how lucky Buck was that I stopped and picked him up. My response is always the same..."No. I'm the lucky one."

Diva's Thoughts said...

Strays break my heart. I love this story.

ceecee said...

Nothing in the world could be better to me than to start the day by kissing a cat! Not even a donut, not even chocolate - my breakfast of choice! Thank you for your visit. Delighted to meet you!
Catherine