Guard Cat, en garde!
It's been a while since I showed you any photos of Clachat, but here's one taken a few weeks ago. This is Clachat with her arch nemesis, Lady. Lady is the chien of our gardienne and a very friendly, sweet dog despite her sometimes fierce-looking visage. She's safe around the children and only barks on occasion. Mostly, she's a typical family dog: eager to please and dying to jump and play with anyone who'll take the time.
Lady's favorite occupation in the shared courtyard seems to be teasing Clachat... who absolutely cannot tolerate the presence of another furry creature on HER turf. (In fairness, she WAS here first.) The dog trots up to our door, front paws on the step, eagerly looking for her "ami", at which point Clachat takes a flying leap off the kitchen counter, slamming herself with full force into the glass doors, standing up on her hind legs as she arches her flexible back and hisses like the four horseman of the apocalypse are out there. The dog may go away, but she's always coming back for more. Bit of a masochist, this dog.
You can tell that Clachat really thinks she's scaring this dog. Sometimes, she'll flatten herself to the ground to "hide" from the dog at the bottom edge of the all-glass door (like the dog can't see her?); she's like a lion stalking an antelope on Wild Kingdom. And in her own mind, Clachat is a lioness -- never mind that she runs and hides every time one of the boys makes a loud noise. It totally cracks me up, watching her turn jungle cat around the dog. This goes on daily, and typically two or three times in a day, depending on how often the gardienne is around. Sometimes, if I'm really bored and the weather isn't too cold, I'll open the front door and let the cat have the chance to actually chase the dog. The dog kind of chases her back, but never seems inclined to attack her no matter what Clachat does.
I figure that at nearly 10 years old, this cat needs all the exercise she can get. And clearly, this is some kind of sick love-hate thing between them. A chacun son gout, yes?
FYI... I'm still seeking a good, loving home for Clachat, by the way. We had backed off of the search for some months, but now we are definitely going to be moving some time between now and end of June (and probably sooner than June) as the house will be sold (yes, there is a buyer) and we're moving into a smaller place. If you, or someone you know, would be prepared to offer a home to Clachat, I don't think you'll be sorry. I know I've complained about her a lot (and sometimes she still pisses me off) but after two years with her, she's gotten attached to me as her primary caretaker. I really wish the circumstances were different because I don't like the idea of uprooting an older animal, but I'd SO much rather see her with someone who'll care for her than in a shelter. I am still committed to ONLY giving her to a NO KILL shelter, and ONLY as a last resort if we can't find someone to take her -- so if you feel inclined to tell me what a monster I am for even THINKING of a shelter, give it a rest, OK? I'm happy about the possibility of having to do it, but there may be no other option. And no, having her put down is NOT an option; she's not that old and she's still healthy -- judging by how fast she moves every time she sees this dog!
