Cats and Dogs - Pedro's Run

by Beverley, Napier, New Zealand

I've just been reading in the newsgroup how people love good cat and dog stories and it reminded me of one. BO (before Ollie) we were owned by Rum Tum, a large black cat and a black and white chihuahua dog called Pedro. They were the funniest combination I have ever seen. The dog was smaller than the cat but was definitely the boss when it came to food. But in certain areas the cat ruled.

The dog slept in the kitchen. I let him out in the morning for his leg lifting rituals and then went back to bed. Shortly he thundered down the hall and onto John, kissing, peeing slightly and generally 'doing him over'. I let Rum Tum in the window beside my bed. After the greetings were over Pedro liked to thunder back down the hall at full tilt and out the cat door to sniff around the back yard.

One morning I noticed that Pedro was fidgeting on the end of the bed. It was as if he was trying to get up courage for his thundering run down the hall-way. This went on every morning - it was as if the dog was entering into the ''valley of the shadow of death".

I could find no reason for his behaviour - then all was revealed. The cat knew about the dog's 'run' and sneaked off down the hall and hid behind the bathroom door. I had seen the cat lurking behind the door but hadn't connected it with anything. Then one morning I happened to witness the 'run'. As the dog went past the bathroom door, flat out, the cat leapt out and bowled him. He rolled Pedro the length of the hall. After all, Rummy was bigger and heavier than the dog. Rummy then chased Pedro out the cat door amid whimperings and frantic yelps.

As time went on Rummy decided to extend the game. He would demand to be let in the window before I let the dog out. He then hid behind the hall door and bowled Pedro on his first 'run' to the bedroom. It was all enormous fun for the cat and death-defying stuff for the small dog. This went on for ten years and when the dog died the cat waited for him in the hallway for months.

This article first appeared [as do nearly all the Bev ones on my Storypage] in the newsgroup rec.pets.cats.anecdotes

Editor's note:

• If you want to comment on this article, why not write direct to Beverley?
• She will be pleased to hear from you!

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