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The prospect of introducing Ivy to our cats Coco and Sadie was almost certainly the most nerve-wracking aspect of getting a puppy. I mean let’s face it, dogs and cats are the most notorious of adversaries. And while I’m a sucker for pictures of cats and dogs snuggled in perfect harmony on Facebook (see above), I was under no illusions that this was going to be an instant cat/dog love-fest!
And I was right! Ivy’s first encounters with either cat was brief.. very brief! Ivy would spot Coco or Sadie, her little tail would begin to wag and her eyes light up at the prospect of a new playmate. Her absolute confidence that they would feel the same way saw her bounding across the garden to greet them, only for them to leap 10 feet into the air, turn tail and scarper as fast as their furry feline feet would carry them!
Our house is on four floors and we have placed a gate on at the bottom of the stairs to the top two floors, thus providing a safe haven for Coco and Sadie when they lose patience with Ivy (they seem to spend quite a lot of time up there.. just sayin’!) That said, they do seem to enjoy taunting her by sitting on the step just above the stair gate staring and then staring some more, driving her into a frenzy! Such fun!
We have now reached a state of.. I’m not sure I can call it peace and harmony, but I suppose ‘acceptance’ would be the best word to describe it. At least on the part of Coco and Sadie. They have learned that if Ivy is in the kitchen, the best way to cross the room to their food or the cat flap is up high. So they leap from table to chair to kitchen work surface – pretty impressive as it happens. And yes, I do see the irony of having spent two years trying to get them NOT to go on the work surfaces, now actively encouraging it!
Coco, who is a little dot of a cat, knows exactly how to put Ivy in her place. A carefully timed hiss and a flick of a sharp claw does the trick. Sadie simply C…B…A (‘can’t be arsed’ according to son Noah!). Ivy will chase her and she lollops away slowly to the safest spot.. but she takes her time. I am not sure ‘lollops’ is even a word, but it seems to be quite descriptive of Sadie’s gait. So the cats ‘get it’ – this ‘thing’ is here to stay and avoidance is key. Ivy not so much. Ever the optimist, she will bark and chase when she sees either cat – she just wants to play!
I sometimes wonder what the cats are thinking. Do they blame us for this new intruder? I don’t think so. They are still as affectionate as ever. Like I said, I think ‘acceptance’ pretty much sums it up. I do wonder more of a bond will form when Ivy calms down a bit.. but I’m not holding my breath!
