fun, frisky felines: when the alpha kitty met the big dog

It has been a very long time since my last installment of Fun, Frisky Felines...you know...what with all that election drama get in the way. So I thought I would conclude the week with two doses of FFF so the blog can end the week on a positive note for once.

Besides, I love talking about my furbabies.


gracie, looking angelic

For as long as we've had her, Gracie has always been afraid of leaving the condo. Nicky, the fraidy cat, is so curious about the hallway outside our condo that he rushes out as soon as the door is ajar. On the other hand, Gracie just kinda looks at Nicky like, "Dude, we've got all we need in here...you know, food, water, plenty of toys and good nap spots. What are you going out there for?"


who are you calling a 'fraidy cat'?...hey mom, did you hear that noise out there?

And she's got a point (that is, if she's actually thinking that). The hallway is empty, except for people's doormats.

Recently, Gracie has been peeking outside the front door and looking out into the hallway. And on Sunday, she escaped the comforts of the condo to explore the hallway. I watched her as she sniffed doors and walls and rugs, assuming that once her curiosity was satisfied, she would never leave the comforts of home again.

If only Gracie were so simple.

gracie, looking down on her minions

Last night, while answering the door to retrieve our Chinese takeout, I watched Nicky sneak out of the condo and then rapidly rush back in. That is not Nicky's hallway exploring MO. Something in the hallway must've freaked him out, I thought. I looked outside to see our neighbor down the hall about to go on a walk with her enormous dog.

I'm not sure what breed her dog is (it's definitely mixed and I believe it's a rescue), but it's huge. He's so tall he goes up to my neighbor's waist. And as I'm signing the credit card slip for the takeout guy with one hand and holding Nicky with the other, I see Gracie rush out into the hallway out of the corner of my eye.

Unfortunately for my rapidly beating heart, Gracie runs right up to the dog. I apologize profusely to my neighbor, who is now aggressively holding her dog back from possibly doing Gracie some harm. I call her name to come back, but she ignores me (typical, ugh). But I can't get my takeout, hold Nicky, and grab Gracie at the same time and Jesse was inconveniently using the lil boys room. In the few seconds it takes me to prioritize, I watch helplessly as Gracie approaches the big dog, folds her ears back, and sticks her tail straight up in the air. It's as if she's trying to intimidate the dog.

What the dog doesn't know is that he's messing with the Alpha-est of Alpha kitties.


you don't wanna mess with me!

It appears the dog only wants to sniff Gracie. Gracie has other plans. She wants to intimidate him. Because apparently, the hallway is now her turf (she's already claimed the condo). I leave the Takeout Guy with my food, place Nicky inside the condo (he then peeks his head into the hallway, not daring to leave the condo with the dog out there), and rush over to grab Gracie. I then place her in my arms like a baby and she's resisting me all the way. She's not saying anything (she rarely goes beyond the occasional coo), but the look in her eyes says, "Let me at him! LET ME AT HIM!"


i'm a lean, mean, dog-fighting machine!

As I walk back to the condo, I take the takeout from the delivery guy with my free hand (Grace is so small that I only need one arm to cradle her in) and shut the door. Phew. Crisis avoided.

I place Gracie back on the floor and she rushes to the closed front door. I take this opportunity to scold her (not that it would do any good) and she looks back at me like, "Mom, I totally could've taken him down, you know."

Uh huh. I'm sure.


if only mommy had let me fight that doggie. i would've shown him who's in charge.