Hair of the dog, vol 01

It is Hair of the Dog Thursday and my pack leader ‘s begging, wheedling, and cajoling has been sidetracked by life.   If my community has also been distracted this week, I have to pull out my favorite story out about CATS.  Actually,  the only cat I really liked.

indy2

Once in a generation, a feline comes along that leaves a lasting impression on not just one family member, but an entire neighborhood block.   I’m thinking of my late mother’s feline, our Indy.  This cat was subjected to mild ridicule by my family as he was an almost painfully thin, one-eyed, very independent cat.  The kids would occasionally recall for their friends and guests the cat featured in the book and movie, PET SEMETERY.  As long as I can remember Indy was blind in one eye. But that never stopped him.

Indy was one of the most unflappable cats.  He did not take crap from dogs or feral cats,  putting me, then a playful growing puppy, in his place.    The family also cared for my late gramma’s dog, Nubbie, at the same time, which was the one dog that Indy not just tolerated, but actually would curl up together. Indy and Nubbie against the world.  Perhaps because they both were elderly, scrawny, and cantankerous at times. nubby2

Indy took himself on walks in the neighborhood. Literally.  On walks, with the man’s canine pals, Happy and Sydney, there always was an escort.  Around the neighborhood block but across the street – in line with dogs and man,  went Indy.   “I would call out to him, and he would look at me and then go in the other direction”, the man said.  My neighbors all knew him too.   It was odd because he came to live with us as an inside cat.   Between  rattlesnakes,  scorpions, coyotes and other Arizona hazards where my late granma lived,  cats did not venture outside. But he thrived in El Cajon.  He watched for traffic on our street.  He never ventured across unless it was safe to do so.   He caught and mice and gophers; perhaps it was the cold dead eye that made the prey freeze. But he always helped himself to cat food set out for him.

– Dexter

Guest Bloggers Wanted!

In the tried and true SHAMELESS BEGGING fashion as mentored by EVERYONE HAS THE BEST TITLES ,   I am asking for submissions to be a guest on my blog!

  • dog stories
  • funny stories
  • unbelievable images
  • funny videos
  • observations as a dog-person

Add a few details about you,  how you got started and what your blog is about.

Disclaimer: I will post it exactly as written

I only ask:

  1.  no politics, even if your local or federal representative is a mangy cur – we don’t disparage our canine friends that way!
  2.  as I am a “recovering Sailor”, please,  no cussing.
  3.  nothing your mama would scold you for saying.

Send me a link to your post at notdonner9@gmail.com

I will publish future Guest Posts on Thursdays.

 

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4 Comments

  1. I have also only ever liked two cats. Our dog was happy to chase them out of our garden so long as they didn’t stop and fight back. I remember a cat hiding in our bushes and taking a swipe at a neighbour’s doberman, who had happened to walk by. The funny thing was, after that, the dog would almost cross the street rather than go by our house.,

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for sharing this! With the exception of the feral cat my sister had when we were kids – i still carry the scar where it tried to blind me – i haven’t gone out of my way to adopt them. But for gopher catching… maybe

      Liked by 1 person

  2. I was just remembering I used to dream about our dog long after he had gone. Our dog was part beagle and once he got a scent, he would forget everything else. We would then hide from him and watch him come looking for us. He hated thunder and lighning, made me wonder how they used to survive in the wild.

    Liked by 1 person

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