It’s not always the size of the dog in the fight, it’s often the size of the fight in the cat. Yes, I said cat.
There’s a new pecking order at the Sherrill house and it may not be as you’d first think. You know the old adage that cats eat mice and dogs eat cats (although eating them might be a bit of a stretch). Well, I guess our new Maine Coon cat Leo didn’t get the memo since he seems to want to play up when it comes to who rules the roost.
In case you don’t know what a Maine Coon is, these are very aggressive cats. They are valued for their hunting skills and are well-known barn cats. If you have a rat problem, get a Maine Coon and the problem will go away.
So anyway, my oldest son Jack brings home this little ball of fur a couple of months ago. One of his friends’ cats had a litter and he was giving them away. Please spay or neuter your animals by the way. The cat had already been adopted by the time I got home so I had no say-so in the process (like I would anyway since my wife is the Maine Coon of our household and holds animal veto rights).
At first, I kind of worried because the kitten was so small. I thought our older cat might bully it. Boy, was I wrong. The first time the cats met, Leo was on his back legs, swatting his claws at the much bigger cat who didn’t want to hang around and fight. She should have re-thought things because that set the pecking order around the house.
After a few weeks, during an especially cold night, I decided to bring Sally, our half-pit, half lab into the house. Generally, she sleeps in the garage at night if it’s cold or rainy but on this night I thought I’d let her linger in the main part of the house. It took only a few minutes for her to come across Leo. I stood close by for the protection of the kitten. While Sally can be playful with other dogs, she can also turn into a demon in a second’s notice. She is very territorial and I have no doubt she would strip an intruder to the bone so I was somewhat worried she might take this playful kitten the wrong away.
Again, I was worried for the wrong animal. Leo walks up to Sally, waits for the dog to sniff him and then smacks her on the nose with his claws. So much for the demon dog. She seeks protection behind my leg from this little kitten like the hounds of hell after her. I hope word doesn’t get out in the neighborhood or Sally is going to lose some street cred with her running buddies.
Ever since that first meeting, Sally treads lightly when she gets around the cat despite being about four times bigger. They get along and even play but when those claws come out there’s no doubt who rules the roost.
Standard reporter Duane Sherrill can be reached at 473-2191.