Here Kitty, Kitty...

There comes a point in every Scottie dog's life when he or she must encounter the evil C-A-T. For a lucky, select few, all goes well and the two animals can live in peace. But, for those Scotties like Mr. K whose heart starts pumping fast and whose body gets the shakes at the mere sight of a feline "friend," let's just say there is no peace...only war.

When I adopted Mr. K, the shelter told me three things about him: 1) that he wasn't house-trained (not  true); 2) that he didn't get along with other dogs (mostly true); and 3) he hated cats (definitely true). I cannot remember the first time I saw just how much he disliked C-A-T-S. Perhaps it was while we were still in the shelter and when we walked by the C-A-T ward and he freaked out...or maybe it was that time an outdoor C-A-T sprung across the apartment complex lawn and Mr. K trapped me with his leash in his valiant attempt to catch the poor thing. Whatever it was, nothing solidified my fear he would never befriend Scottie Grandmadre's beloved (albeit evil, according to Mr. K) C-A-T-S like the time we attempted to "socialize" them.

We set up the crate Scottie Grandmadre uses for the C-A-T-S' annual vet visits so Mr. K could hang out with us downstairs and get used to being around the "evil" C-A-T-S without putting them at risk. He was quite happy not to be confined all alone upstairs (this was before Heather came in the picture) and that happy little tongue dangled out of his smiling mouth. That's when one of the C-A-T-S ventured into the living room and Mr. K's mouth clamped shut. As the C-A-T moved and Mr. K confirmed in his mind that this thing was indeed a live C-A-T, he quite literally flipped out. He whined and whined, clawing at the crate to get out and even started knocking it from side to side in an attempt to get that evil C-A-T. Of course, the C-A-T was spooked and ran away but that didn't stop Mr. K. He had all the evidence he needed and now, he knows trouble is lurking around every corner whenever we visit.

These days, Heather and Mr. K hang out together in the upstairs family room when we visit Scottie Grandmadre. Together, they rule over the room and claim whichever couch they please, often taking post near the windows to keep watch over the neighborhood. They are quite happy and content to be on their own. The C-A-T-S, on the other hand, have gotten curious about these furry creatures and have come to learn that what's behind those closed doors may not be the friendliest of encounters but we all know what's to be said about curiosity and the C-A-T...This past weekend, I learned just how evil the C-A-T-S can be when I opened the door to leave Heather and Mr. K's domain and not one, not two but all three C-A-T-S were flaunting their presence and driving Mr. K crazy by lounging about in front of his door! Alas, they too are pretty darned cute  and I couldn't help but go over to the dark side and pet them a bit, too...just don't tell Mr. K. He'd be heartbroken to learn these "evil" C-A-T-S were in this Scottie Mom's heart long before he or Heather was even born!