NOW I NEED A PENSIEVE PART II

I knew solving Orphée's aggression issues would not be easy even if I had a Pensieve.

There has been definite progress but we are by no means there (there being a point in time where neither Artie nor I have to keep an eye on Orphée when he is around Annie). Trying to sort out the why, where and when of Orphée's unacceptable behavior requires quite a bit of effort on our part but we're doing it.

There's been some success but Annie is still wary of Orphée, hesitating to walk past him, run in his presence and detouring through another doorway into a different room depending on where he's lying. So where's the progress you wonder? They are sharing my bed, the couch even the recliner with Annie sleeping on the seat and Orphée resting on the back.

The area of contention has been narrowed down to Annie's bursts of unexpected running about the house which seem to really anger Orphée. Curiously, her barking sometimes scares him but the result generally is a deer-in-the-headlights look to his face never any aggression.

Besides Annie's bursts of running, Orphée goes on alert at mealtimes, keeping a sharp eye on Annie almost trying to herd her away from the area where his dishes are.  This is very odd to me since he showed no signs of aggression towards the other cats when he was outside.  Food is definitely the issue since we've moved his eating location from the floor to the top of a 2-draw cabinet. Now I'm trying to locate a much higher out-of-the-way place for his food in an attempt to change this behavior.

In the meantime, how do I get a 42 lb. dog to stop running away from a 15 lb. cat? Damned if I know. My guess is this is going to take some work. Dumbledore where are you when I need you? If only I could borrow your Pensieve...

NOW I NEED A PENSIEVE...

I have to confess I'm a Harry Potter fan - working in children's publishing does that to you. Lately not only do I feel I need a Time Turner but I find myself wishing for a Pensieve as well. 

Harry Potter Wiki defines a Pensieve as "...an object used to review memories. It has the appearance of a shallow stone basin, into which are carved runes and strange symbols. It is filled with a silvery substance that appears to be a cloud-like liquid/gas; the collected memories of people who have siphoned their recollections into it. Memories can then be viewed from a non-participant, third-person point of view."

Dumbledore certainly made good use of his Pensieve; I would make good use of mine. Such a magical object would allow me to retrieve Orphee and Annie's memories allowing me a third-party view of the incident that derailed all the progress we made in dog-cat relations sending our peaceful household careening like a runaway Hogwarts Express.

There, in the depths of memory swirled in the Pensieve, I would understand why Annie is running away from Orphee.  A senario to explain why Annie won't walk past him or go into a room he's in would surface from the mist and I would finally understand.  

It all began last weekend when Artie and I took a break from our chores to go for brunch. We decided to leave Annie and Orphee in the same apartment instead of relegating him to the front hallway. We went locally, gone for less than an hour. Later that evening we noticed the dynamics of their relationship had changed for the worse. 

Now Orphee is aggressive - staring at Annie, blocking her path and practically stalking her. Both of us caught him swiping and hissing at her. We reprimanded him and the behavior has improved somewhat but not completely.

Diligence and a watchful eye will help me put an end to this bullying- and plenty of patience.

A SIMPLE TO DO LIST FOR SUMMER

Summer is fast approaching and here is a general check list of items to address for our pets health, safety and well-being: 

• Make sure your pet is spayed or neutered to prevent unwanted litters of puppies or kittens.
• When adopting a new puppy, enroll in training classes to head off behavioral issues.
• Learn how to prevent dog bites and how to train your pet not to bite.
• Educate children on how to interact with dogs and cats.
• Teach children not to tease dogs and cats or chase strays and ferals.
• If your pet does have behavioral problems realize they can be health-related. A complete annual medical exam conducted by your veterinarian will prevent such issues or resolve them quickly.
• Make sure collars are in good shape with up-to-date identification tags to enable your pet's return if lost.
• Consider a microchip as an extra measure of protection.
• Develop and implement a plan that includes your pet's needs in the event of a natural disaster.
• Put together a pet first aid kit for emergencies. 
• Designate a family member or friend to take care of your pet in the event of a personal medical emergency until you are able to resume responsibility for your pet.
• Have your pet included in your will. Set aside money for their care and designate a caretaker willing to care for your pet for the remainder of your pet's life.

Following this simple list will give you peace of mind and provide a good measure of security, safety and care for your pets, family and friends.