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These critters argue over the darndest things.
Just a moment ago Cherokee, our elderly classic brown tabby, was sprawled out in all his glory on a pillow on the floor. Toby, the 10-week-old, black-and-tan miniature dachshund puppy was exploring the patio and supposedly learning where to go potty. So far he has narrowed it down to just inside the patio door on the carpet immediately after we let him back in. 
Suddenly we heard frantic barking from the pup. At first we thought he and the pigeons were tangling again, but when we looked, we discovered he was barking at the ants swarming a semi-fresh bone. Yesterday he bit the bone and got a mouth full of ants. Ouch! So I picked up the bone and brushed off the ants, then gave it to the puppy.
Tail happily wagging he brought it inside and flopped on the floor next to Cherokee and began cheerfully munching away. Cherokee didn't like that; I guess the crunching noise bothered him. With an air of being greatly offended, he stalked over to his own food dish and began noisily chomping his kibble.
For some reason Maccabee, our five-year-old, red miniature dachshund, took umbrage at the puppy getting something he didn't. He rushed over and yanked the bone from between Toby's jaws, turned his back, and flopped down on Cherokee's pillow to enjoy his ill-gotten gains. Toby was royally PO'd, but all he could do was glare at Mac's back.
Meanwhile Cherokee finished what he was doing and stalked back to his pillow, arriving there just as Mac lost interest in the bone and wandered off. With a sigh of relief at getting off his feet, Cherokee flopped down right on the contested bone just as Toby, with a happy bound, rushed to reclaim it. The pup's jaw dropped as he saw the prize disappear, completely covered by cat. That was too much. "Yap-yap-yap-YIPE!" That last sound was elicited by Cherokee hisspitting right in the pup's face and slapping him crosseyed.
"Yap-yap-yap. . ." Toby was so incensed he bounced completely off the floor with every furious bark. Cherokee growled deep down, laid his ears back, and waited, tail twitching and danger in his eye, for the obstreperous little mutt to wander within range. Toby, not being a complete idiot, stayed just out of reach.
Suddenly he charged right in the cat's face, whereupon Cherokee leaped to his feet and batted Toby halfway across the living room. Mac took the opportunity to charge from the rear and grab the bone. He would have gotten away with it, except he was so clumsy and in such a hurry, he ran into the cat, drawing Cherokee's entire accumulated wrath down on his own pointy little head. With a scream of pure rage the put-upon puss jumped right square in the middle of poor Mac and commenced giving him a pretty vigorous drubbing.
That was when Patty stopped laughing and rushed in to break up the fight. She only made matters worse when she stepped on the bone Mac had dropped in his headlong rush for anywhere that didn't have an angry cat in it. She was hopping on one foot and trying to kiss the other (or so it appeared) and keeping up a running commentary that had cats, dogs, and husband seeking sanctuary. My! Potty-mouth!
Ain't it grand?
Editor's note:
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