Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Relations between my dog, Una, and our new kitty, Luke, are steadily improving, although they're still trying to figure out the nature of their relationship.

Una seems to be looking for a playmate or sibling. Since Luke first arrived, she's been trying to play with him, with mixed results. She comes up to him and crouches down on her front legs, in the international dog "ready to play" posture. It's sort of like the preparatory gestures you see before a samurai match.

She waits for Luke to respond by getting into a similar crouch, but he has no idea what she's doing. Sometimes he crouches down, purely by accident, and she gets all excited. But instead of playing, he usually dashes behind the couch.

As experience and constant reminders to "be nice" have taught her, she's much more successful when she takes it easy. In the first few days together, we had to constantly remind her to lie down and let him approach her. If she does this, then he often creeps closer, touches noses with her and allows her to lick him. Una wags her tail in joy and throws me a glance, as if to say, "Did you see that?"

When the play stance didn't entice Luke, Una tried other methods. She started bringing him one of her smallest toys, a little white bear I gave her this summer. Una would walk up to Luke and drop it at his feet, a big goofy grin on her face, as if she expected him to pick it up and run around the house, like a dog would.

Even if he were inclined to do that, the bear was too big, being almost the same size he is. Still, it was the smallest she could offer, and it was white like him, so I guess she thought he'd like it.

Luke already has a favorite toy, a squirrel on a stick with a feathery tail. We can bounce it around for him to leap at and bite the tail. He also makes his own fun, dragging it around the house and pouncing on it.

The other night, we were all downstairs as The Gryphon and I watched the live West Wing debate on NBC. I noticed that Una had brought the bear down and placed it near Luke, so I decided to help her out.

I dangled the bear in front of Luke, bouncing it up and down to invite him to play with it. "Look," I said, "Una gave you a bear."

Instead of clawing it, Luke sniffed it and rubbed against it. Then, as if he knew who his true benefactor was, he walked up to Una and rubbed against her in thanks. Una, of course, was all goofy grins.

"He likes your gift," I told her.

Luke never ran around with the bear in his mouth, but he did nuzzle up to it several times that night, purring and rubbing against it.

Now Luke, it seems, may not be looking so much for a playmate as for a mother figure. From the start, he's been remarkably calm around Una. It didn't take him long to get comfortable with the idea of being in the room with her. In fact, he relaxes, stretches out, takes a nap in plain view.

He's definitely been curious about her. When they were still separated by a baby gate, he used to pop up behind the door and take a look at her. As he grew braver, he went up to the fence to get a better glimpse of the furry presence on the other side.

I think it helped that he's only ever met friendly animals. He shared his foster home with two littermates, a couple resident kitties and several other foster kitties. Among his housemates was a foster cat mom, who had just weaned her own kittens and nursed him and his littermates. He also made friends with an older male cat who used to play with him.

Now, he'd never met a dog before, but he was used to the idea that other animals who live in the house with him can be trusted. And some of them give milk.

Luke sometimes gets playful, too, although his way of playing is different. He hides under the couch and pounces on whatever feet, dog or human, come within range. Una is usually surprised and then, smile on her face, runs after him, only to have him hide behind the couch.

He's grown increasingly affectionate towards her, whether it's approaching her while she's lying down, to nuzzle her while purring happily, or whether it's lying down for a nap within inches of where she's napping.

Last night, though, he did something I'd never seen a cat do. He went up to Una while she was flopped out on the couch, lay down next to her and then started kneading her backside with his paws.

Una looked at me with a question in her eyes, as if to ask what to do. I petted her and told her, in a soothing voice, that it was okay. "Luke likes you," I said.

Soon, Luke was all purrs as he kneaded her and nuzzled her fur, as if trying to figure out if she gave milk. Una adjusted her position a few times but allowed him to continue with his strange affections, all the time looking at me as if to ask, "Are you sure this is okay?"

Although right now, they seem to want different things, I have faith they'll resolve it. Una may not feel comfortable in the role of mother figure, but I think she'd gladly serve as older sister: a playmate, nurturer and friend. I found out this past week how much of a nurturer she has in her, when I was sick and she tried, in her doggie way, to nurse me back to health.

These elements of Una's nature could be why my sister reassured me on the phone, after we'd brought Luke home and I told her about our efforts to get the two animals used to each other. "It shouldn't be any problem," she said. "Una is a sweet dog."

I think Luke agrees. Even if she doesn't give milk.

Copyright 2005 by Alyce Wilson

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