Poppy dog comes to stay and encounters Cats!

Poppy after cat attack

Poppy dog as a pup went to a loving home, but there was one problem, her new mum wanted a small lap dog, but her daughter bought her a fox terrier collie cross - a Follie.  The Blue Cross have stated two of the most difficult dogs to re-home are fox terriers and collies, as they are working dogs and have boundless energy and can be hectic!  That describes my girl!

Poppy's mum found her impossible to walk, and too hectic to let her have the run of the house, eventually she was tied up for 24/7 hours.  The Lady loved her but Poppy was the first dog she ever owned and she had no idea how manage her.  She tried her best and had the courage to find her a new home because she loved her.   In November 2009 Poppy went to a new home but  came bouncing back, because the new owner could not cope with a dog so full of energy. Poor Poppy bounced back two more times.  It was after this I heard about her and thought, 

Oh a collie - Oh Lassie!  

Oh sigh  how wrong I was!  

Poppy Dog  arrived six years ago four days before Christmas.  She was given the freedom of the house.  She pelted round the downstairs and then for the first time in her life she encountered a cat, not just any cat  but…

Tiddles an ex- feral feisty Queen who ruled the household with a firm paw.

Tiddles spies Poppy  in the room

After a rapid exploration of the downstairs Poppy decided to tackle the stairs just as Tiddles was coming down.  Tiddles raised her hackles and spat, hissed and beat Poppy down the stairs.  As Poppy had never climbed stairs before she did not know how to get down so she slid down dripping blood from her nose and landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs.  I was really concerned and picked Tiddles up and gave her a cuddle and some chicken.  Raymondo cat watched through the banisters. It was only later I saw the blood splatters on the stairs.

Poppy had no idea about how to deal with cats, and was beaten up everyday. Tiddles and Poppy never bonded.  Poor Pops lived with one enemy  in the house,  While in the streets she,encounters many more. 

Ollie cat lurks in the night for Poppy

 Ollie is a lovely ginger tom cat who lives round the corner from our house. He frequently lurk waiting for Poppy to pass on our  evening walk. He will spring  out from under a car, over the top of a garden wall or dive on her from the roof of a garage.  He howls,  hisses and spits as he springs on her.  Poppy cowers every time we pass Ollie's garden.

The worst cat Poppy has encountered was  Harry a huge white tom.  He lived on our way to the allotment, he would lurk unseen and jump out at Pops claws bared, hackles raised. He would walk crab like after us.  Poppy  would also walk side ways so she could see where Harry was and if he was in striking distance.  She would try to slink past but he always saw her.  Fortunately for Pops he moved away. However,  there are black cats, black and white cats, ginger toms  for her to encounter.  All these cats  treat her with disdain and greet her with howls and hisses.

Time to get Poppy in trouble

Tiddles' son Raymondo cat would streak out the door and jump up on the wall or table trying to avoid being chased by Poppy. I put a gate up stairs so Tiddles and Raymondo could come and go as they wanted but had a space which was a dog free zone. Raymondo would poke his head between the banisters and call from the upstairs, safe behind the gate. Poppy would immediately  run upstairs and jump up clinging onto the banister rail, Raymondo always stood just out of her reach but near enough to hit her with his paws if he felt like it.  He never used his claws on Poppy.  This game would be repeated every evenings.  They enjoyed being together and often would be sleeping nose to nose either side of the gate contented to be  together. However,  if Raymondo moved  quickly down the stairs Poppy's sheep dog instinct would come out and she would chase him to herd him back into the house.

We no longer live with cats .  Raymondo, who was the last of a family of five cats, died last August and Poppy dog is now No.1  in the household.  There will be more cats in our house but for the moment Poppy is enjoying being pampered and not getting told off,  by me, for being aggressive to the cats.    Yes I do know that it was the cats that were aggressive to her but.....

Pops dog is very gentle and sweet and funny. She still loves to chase a cat, and I often get yanked up the road as she spies a cat, or she dives over a garden wall. to see if there is cat hiding over there. She dangles over the wall head down with her back legs  on the other side of the wall as we haul her back by her lead.  In this position she is very vulnerable to attack from a hidden cat’s sharp claws.  Poppy has not yet learnt that cats should be approached with caution. 

With gratitude for all the animals we have been privileged to have share  our home

and for our No.1  Poppy the  pampered dog

With Reiki blessings to you all

MerryB.