Becca, our eleven year old Dalmatian/Lab, is not exactly a patient pup. Each afternoon at four forty-five, she looks at me with wild, bulging eyes and barks. Incessantly. It isn't her regular, "There's a stranger lurking" bark. Nope, that would not be effective enough. It's her, "If you do not feed me now, I WILL STARVE TO DEATH RIGHT THIS MINUTE" bark. Very effective. In the fall when we set the clocks back an hour, she forgets to bark at me for a couple of days, but then, her tummy catches on to the time change thing(silly humans) and we are back on schedule again.
Becca is fairly particular about who she allows into her inner circle. There are people whom she has known for years who she still looks at with a leery eye. And regardless of how many times we reintroduce her to them, she barks at them when they first come in. She would never bite, but she is a pretty vocal gal who is deeply devoted to her people.
Enter Jersey. Jersey is one of two
Cornish Rex kitties that Mark gave me after our twenty-one year old feral cat, Chloe, passed away several years ago. My heart was broken and Mark knew that bringing new babies into my life would help me to heal. We usually adopt from shelters or rescue organizations, but after doing some research on cats with exceptional personalities, Mark decided to bring home these fearless little furless furballs. Callie and Jersey are not your typical cats. First off, they look a little bit like bats or aliens, with their gigantic ears and eyes. They have only one layer of fur(most cats have three) and the little fur that they do have is curly and soft like velour. Cornish Rex cats also have some quirky personality traits.
They are acrobats and clowns, but they also love to be LOVED. Jersey came into our family thinking that everyone, and that includes Becca, should love him as much as he loves them. There is no negotiating. There is no vote. You simply WILL accept his love!
Jersey does not care if he is rubbing you the wrong way...
As a matter of fact, your moment of complaint gives him the perfect opportunity to clean himself.
Which he does...
Until Becca stops that incessant growling sound.
At which point, the rubbing recommences.
Becca has learned to put up with this irritation. She has somehow come to understand that Jersey's display of affection is not necessarily a bad thing. Annoying, yes, but tolerable on some level.
Maybe she realizes that he needs it. Possibly it is because he knows that she needs it. In spite of her complaints, Jersey continues to rub away. There seems to be a symbiotic connection which exists between these two that allows them to sense what the other one might be needing. And they allow the other one to express and fulfill that need.(However annoying.)
After Jersey struts away, Becca is left to contemplate what just happened. I have to laugh at the look of annoyance on her face. I probably look that way to her when she barks her "Feed me!" bark each night. But patience comes in many forms. With our pets, it might be in the clean-up that comes with pet ownership. It might come in the form of deciphering the different barks or meows that they use to get our attention. Or, it might come during the times that one of us needs affection, and looks toward the other one to provide it.
Relationships can be as complicated or as simple as we decide to make them. Oftentimes, it can be as easy as reading the small cues that others provide for us. For this Dalmatian/Lab pup and her Cornish Rex buddy, the lesson is fairly simple. If someone rubs you the wrong way, the true message may get lost in the translation. Try to view them with a patient eye. They will either go away, or you will become better friends. Either way, you will be no worse for the wear in the end!(and you might even like it!)
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