“Meanwhile, from the porch, Jasper’s nose twitches. Is that the scent of CAT in the air?”
We’ve all heard of the legendary feud between cats and dogs, but how much truth is in it? Do cats and dogs really wage war on each other or have we all been swayed by too many Tom & Jerry cartoons?
I grew up with both dogs and cats and they seemed to accept their part in the menagerie with little strife. Each knew their territory and seemed to sup only from the food bowls intended for their kind. The dogs ruled their world from the ground level, whereas the cats inhabited the tops of wardrobes and the back of the couch. I can’t say that they cuddled, exactly, but neither did the fur fly. Despite the myth, it was my experience that dogs and cats could live in domestic harmony.
I cannot say the same of husband Rob’s boyhood dog, Jasper. Jasper’s behavior and over-the-top antics are the stuff of legends. As far as his opinion of cats, let’s just say that he never laid eyes on one that he didn’t deem worthy of a good chase. Until his dying day, his heart never softened. Here is how a typical encounter between Jasper and a creature of the feline persuasion might go: Jasper is relaxing on the porch, head on his front paws, snoozing in the sun. An unsuspecting cat wanders into the yard. On soft paws, Mr. Tom ambles through a patch of tall grass, rolls onto his back, and swipes at a butterfly. His mood is carefree as he enjoys the hospitality of a neighbor’s yard. Meanwhile, from the porch, Jasper’s nose twitches. Is that the scent of CAT in the air? He opens one eye to verify his nose is telling the truth and suddenly, he’s alert—raised head and ears perked. There could be a game afoot. At the same time, the cat realizes that he’s not alone in the yard. Eyeing Jasper, he crouches, ready to flee. For Jasper, this posture signals the game is ON! He scrambles to his feet, lunging forward. The cat does not like this new development. He leaps up, runs a few yards and springs onto the shelf-like rail of a 6-foot wooden fence. Then, thinking he’s found safety, sits and stares down at Jasper, barking and scratching at the fence below. Mr. Tom meows and then smugly commences to clean his paws. Little does he know that Jasper has a trick that few dogs possess. He races over to a big oak tree and, using the rough surface of the trunk, jumps upward, catching his front paws on the lowest branch. From there, he scrambles his hind legs up and over until he’s gained purchase on the low, thick branch. From there, it’s only a small leap onto the fence, just steps from the cat. By now the cat is clued-in and wastes no time making his escape. There will be no rearing back and hissing; no low, guttural growling meow to warn off his aggressor. The cat is scrambling up to the top branches of the nearest tree, hoping the crazy dog chasing him won’t follow. Later, some brave soul will have to rescue the cat who in his haste has climbed too high in the tree and is afraid to come down.
Jasper’s strategy for chasing cats did not end with climbing trees or tight-rope walking on the tops of fences. He also jumped out the window of a moving car in pursuit of a feline enemy. He hit the ground in full stride, running for all his worth, following the terrified cat into an alley, dodging dumpsters and crates to get at it. Luckily, it made its escape by hopping onto a roof. Jasper was found and pulled away from the scene before either party learned if he would follow.
On the bike path that led to the beach, Jasper learned that feral cats had made a colony on the banks of the creek that ran alongside. Rob used to let Jasper run ahead on the end of a leash while he rode on a skateboard. So full of energy, Jasper would get them to the beach in record time. The discovery of the cat colony surprised them both, especially when Jasper yanked free of his collar. The bedlam that followed was epic: Startled cats hissed and scrambled every which way, while Jasper found target after target to chase. The quantity of cats was surprising and the way they dispersed was not unlike a bag of marbles being tipped out of a bag onto pavement, rolling in every direction. Jasper was having the time of his life with such a challenge. Rob dodged and weaved, trying to catch him, shouting out useless commands, and the couple who had been feeding the cats heard the commotion and dashed outside in horror as the scene unfolded. It was a cacophony of shrieks, meows, hissing, barking and shouting. When finally he was caught, Jasper was strung so tight that his eyes were wild as he panted to catch his breath and adrenalin ran through his muscles in pulsing waves. The collar was reaffixed, and they left the scene quickly before any real damage could be done, leaving angry shouts and shaking fists behind.
It should be said that Jasper, being a dog, wasn’t really at fault. It was his very nature to chase cats and nothing and no one could stop him if the opportunity presented itself. He was, without a doubt, a tree-climbing, obstacle hurdling, cat-chasing machine. Perhaps he watched too many Tom & Jerry cartoons.
We’ve all heard of the legendary feud between cats and dogs, but how much truth is in it? Do cats and dogs really wage war on each other or have we all been swayed by too many Tom & Jerry cartoons?
I grew up with both dogs and cats and they seemed to accept their part in the menagerie with little strife. Each knew their territory and seemed to sup only from the food bowls intended for their kind. The dogs ruled their world from the ground level, whereas the cats inhabited the tops of wardrobes and the back of the couch. I can’t say that they cuddled, exactly, but neither did the fur fly. Despite the myth, it was my experience that dogs and cats could live in domestic harmony.
I cannot say the same of husband Rob’s boyhood dog, Jasper. Jasper’s behavior and over-the-top antics are the stuff of legends. As far as his opinion of cats, let’s just say that he never laid eyes on one that he didn’t deem worthy of a good chase. Until his dying day, his heart never softened. Here is how a typical encounter between Jasper and a creature of the feline persuasion might go: Jasper is relaxing on the porch, head on his front paws, snoozing in the sun. An unsuspecting cat wanders into the yard. On soft paws, Mr. Tom ambles through a patch of tall grass, rolls onto his back, and swipes at a butterfly. His mood is carefree as he enjoys the hospitality of a neighbor’s yard. Meanwhile, from the porch, Jasper’s nose twitches. Is that the scent of CAT in the air? He opens one eye to verify his nose is telling the truth and suddenly, he’s alert—raised head and ears perked. There could be a game afoot. At the same time, the cat realizes that he’s not alone in the yard. Eyeing Jasper, he crouches, ready to flee. For Jasper, this posture signals the game is ON! He scrambles to his feet, lunging forward. The cat does not like this new development. He leaps up, runs a few yards and springs onto the shelf-like rail of a 6-foot wooden fence. Then, thinking he’s found safety, sits and stares down at Jasper, barking and scratching at the fence below. Mr. Tom meows and then smugly commences to clean his paws. Little does he know that Jasper has a trick that few dogs possess. He races over to a big oak tree and, using the rough surface of the trunk, jumps upward, catching his front paws on the lowest branch. From there, he scrambles his hind legs up and over until he’s gained purchase on the low, thick branch. From there, it’s only a small leap onto the fence, just steps from the cat. By now the cat is clued-in and wastes no time making his escape. There will be no rearing back and hissing; no low, guttural growling meow to warn off his aggressor. The cat is scrambling up to the top branches of the nearest tree, hoping the crazy dog chasing him won’t follow. Later, some brave soul will have to rescue the cat who in his haste has climbed too high in the tree and is afraid to come down.
Jasper’s strategy for chasing cats did not end with climbing trees or tight-rope walking on the tops of fences. He also jumped out the window of a moving car in pursuit of a feline enemy. He hit the ground in full stride, running for all his worth, following the terrified cat into an alley, dodging dumpsters and crates to get at it. Luckily, it made its escape by hopping onto a roof. Jasper was found and pulled away from the scene before either party learned if he would follow.
On the bike path that led to the beach, Jasper learned that feral cats had made a colony on the banks of the creek that ran alongside. Rob used to let Jasper run ahead on the end of a leash while he rode on a skateboard. So full of energy, Jasper would get them to the beach in record time. The discovery of the cat colony surprised them both, especially when Jasper yanked free of his collar. The bedlam that followed was epic: Startled cats hissed and scrambled every which way, while Jasper found target after target to chase. The quantity of cats was surprising and the way they dispersed was not unlike a bag of marbles being tipped out of a bag onto pavement, rolling in every direction. Jasper was having the time of his life with such a challenge. Rob dodged and weaved, trying to catch him, shouting out useless commands, and the couple who had been feeding the cats heard the commotion and dashed outside in horror as the scene unfolded. It was a cacophony of shrieks, meows, hissing, barking and shouting. When finally he was caught, Jasper was strung so tight that his eyes were wild as he panted to catch his breath and adrenalin ran through his muscles in pulsing waves. The collar was reaffixed, and they left the scene quickly before any real damage could be done, leaving angry shouts and shaking fists behind.
It should be said that Jasper, being a dog, wasn’t really at fault. It was his very nature to chase cats and nothing and no one could stop him if the opportunity presented itself. He was, without a doubt, a tree-climbing, obstacle hurdling, cat-chasing machine. Perhaps he watched too many Tom & Jerry cartoons
