Soul Mates?
I had heard more than once how Chows are very cat like in their
demeanor and attitudes and since I have had two of them in my
life I can confirm this! Given this similarity I was still
unprepared for my current Chow’s love of cats. My last dog
chased cats like every genetically correct pup should do, so I
was amazed at my current pup and her feline fascination.
My pal Keisha was only five months old when she met her first
cat. His name was Pongo and he was also five months old. We were
visiting with family in Omaha Nebraska for Christmas and Keisha
was determined to make friends with Pongo.
Pongo would have nothing to do with her!
They tip toed around each other for three days even coming nose
to nose eventually. Then on Boxing Day we had just finished our
lunch of leftovers…you know turkey sandwiches and such, when we
heard a crash in the kitchen. Assuming nothing serious we were
slow to react.
When we finally moseyed into the kitchen to get going on the
post lunch cleanup they were caught in the act! There they were…Pongo
and Keisha nose to nose eating the turkey that someone (?!?!?)
had pushed off of the counter onto the floor. They had a fine
feast together and even after their tag team mischief, Pongo was
still reluctant to become fast friends although I think he was
beginning to warm up to the idea, after all Keisha had eaten the
turkey and not him!
Unfortunately we had to leave before the relationship was
cemented. We have not seen Pongo since but Keisha responds most
enthusiastically to his name still, over three years later.
Keisha is almost four years old now and since meeting Pongo she
has tried to make friends with every cat she meets. They have
all wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. And then came MOJO.
Mojo is owned by a neighbor and is an outdoor cat. He totally
suits his name and struts through the “hood” as though he owns
it and has complete control over all that goes down in it. He
definitely has his MOJO goin on!
At first Keisha approached him cautiously, and he would bat at
her with his paws, but never with claws out. Slowly but surely
they came closer and closer to each other. There was the dancing
around each other period that looked really funny as each would
take their turn jumping forward then backward not unlike some
ritual. Then came the purring and then the rolling over and
belly sniffing. After that Mojo began to walk around and under
Keisha strategically putting his tail in her face. She managed
to maintain her aloof dignity when he does the tail in face
thing. All of this has progressed to Mojo coming for walks with
us, he come to visit and waits at the door for Keisha to come
out to play. Keisha will put her paw on his bum to get the game
of chase going and if Mojo is in the mood he will start the game
by running or he will roll onto his back and swat at Keisha with
all four paws. Mojo is the alpha in the relationship in spite of
his 10 lbs to Keisha’s 60!
It is the most wonderful thing to observe and the neighborhood
is mesmerized by these two fast friends.
To see them together one wonders why some cats and dogs get
along and others want to destroy each other. Is it perhaps a
past life spent together? Early influences like Pongo? Maybe
Keisha was a cat in her last life and thus the affinity for cats
and cat like behavior? Or are they just all very different souls
with very different personalities and perspectives? Who knows
for sure? All I know is that my heart always warms when I see
them together and am awed by this amazing friendship that truly
looks like soul mates in action.
