On Good Friday, Cat Daddy and I strayed onto the Dark Side and met up with a DOG. (With the Dog Parents present, obviously. We wouldn’t have the slightest clue what to do with a dog by ourselves.)
This is Shadow, who belongs to one of my old school friends:
Despite being a member of the opposing faction, Shadow has a remarkable amount in common with Louis Catorze: they’re the same colour, they’re similar ages, and both have dodgy teeth, iffy legs and weird tails. If they ever met in another life, they would probably be friends.
It was a gloriously sunny day when we met in Richmond Park, so everyone else and their dog was there, too. Given the unpredictable mix of different types of dog (and human) plus geese, deer and whatever other animals lurk in the undergrowth invisible to human eyes, I expected utter carnage. However, Shadow was impeccably behaved throughout, sticking close to her Dog Parents even when off the lead, and showing no interest in looking for trouble. There was only one minor disagreement with a couple of chihuahuas, and they were the ones who started it.
Cat Daddy: “It’s always the small ones, isn’t it?”
Chihuahua Mamma, looking sheepish: “Yeah … sorry.”
We are very lucky that Catorze’s misbehaviour tends to take place out of sight, often under cover of darkness, and, if we’re stuck, we can always wheel out the old “It must have been some other black cat” excuse. It’s rather more difficult to deny the transgression if it’s in broad daylight, in public, and you’re standing there holding one end of the lead whilst the crazed animal at the other end is going absolutely ballistic. If you have a psycho dog, rightly or wrongly, people judge you and think you’re a useless, negligent parent. But if you have a psycho cat, everyone seems to accept that there’s not much you can do about it. In fact, if your cat is especially bad, they might even feel a bit sorry for you.
Shadow thoroughly enjoyed her walk and made the most of every sunny moment, as you can see from this picture:
And, as if we needed evidence of how fundamentally different they are, this is how Catorze passed the time on that same day:
jesuisleroisoleil 
What a lovely dog! It’s funny how even cats and dogs can have so much in common. It sounds like Shadow was a well-behaved girl during her outing. I’m curious, have you ever witnessed any other unexpected animal interactions during your walks in the park with Louis or even with other cats?
MR W
https://www.primarytinting.net
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We have a small park across the street and Louis followed us there once! He soon scarpered back when two dogs approached him, though … 🤣🤣🤣
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You’re right. Being a dog parent is quite different from being a cat one but both have their charms, haven’t they?
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I will always firmly be a cat parent, though. Dogs seem very high-maintenance.
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A normal dog loves you whatever you do, a normal cat, if such a cat exists doesn’t behave so.
😺
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Who are these normal cats? I want names!
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I always meet a lot of dog parents too on my walks. To be honest, I never liked dogs due to an accident/incident with a giant dog when I was a child. But I always show my feigned interest and ask some question about the dog. Thank goodness I also pass along a house where the inhabitants take care of the street cats. I love talking to this people.
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I do like placid dogs, like Shadow. But I can’t cope with yappy, jumpy ones. 😐
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I prefer jumpy cats too… 🙂
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So do I! I like needy, annoying cats. But the same qualities in a dog would drive me mad.
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Cats always do the weirdest things when you try to take a picture! I have a lot of pictures of butts and tails, most of them blurry!
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My cat poses beautifully. Just not for me. 😩😩😩
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Glad your interactions with lovely Shadow did not set Louis off when you got home nd he could smell you had been fraternizing. I started as very much a dog person and segued into cats as I got older. Both species have much to recommend them but are not without their faults.
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Weirdly, Louis is extra affectionate when he can smell dog on me, at least when it’s Nala the dog and Gizzy the [insert name of species].
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That photo is what pure joy looks like. What a lovely dog! She seems like a sweetheart. Although I adore cats, more than 1 dog has stolen my heart … 💙 🐈⬛ 💙 🐶
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Shadow is absolutely gorgeous, so placid and gentle.
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My own Easter weekend was closer to Louis’. 🙂
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You washed your rear end in the garden? 😳
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I was thinking more laying around in the sun. 🙂
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