Taming Wild Beasts

Today was my first morning with The Man and The Lady. I woke up so excited and ready to go! I just about bounced out of my crate! I wanted to play, but The Lady put on my leash and told me to "come". I wanted to stay here. What did she mean, "Come"? Where was she planning on taking me, too? Where ever it was I was not going without a fight. The Lady was not getting rid of me that easily.

To my surprise, she picked me up and carried me outside to the "Pee and Poop" place. I still thought the papers inside were fine. When she brought me back in, I used them. Then I crawled into her lap to let her know I belong here. I turned in a circle and was about to lay down when I saw it by the door. This big, fluffy, furry being unlike anything I had ever seen before. It certainly was not a dog. I growled my deepest growl to protect The Lady. To my surprise she greeted it and called it "Good kitty". Kitty, huh? I looked at The Lady. When I turned around, the kitty was gone.

After a quick petting, The Lady put me back in my crate. I heard her in the next room talking to The Man. The Lady did not sound like her joyful self. A few minutes later she was putting me back on the leash. The sparkles in her eyes had drifted to the inside corners. She didn't even try to get me to "Come"; just picked me up and carried me to the "pee and poop" spot. It was up to me to do something to bring her sparkles back and I did.

The Lady kept telling me what a good boy I am. She petted and rubbed and kissed me all the way up the steps, across the porch and into my room. She even let me sleep in her lap instead of putting me in the crate. While I was sleeping, the kitty came back. The lady seemed to like the kitty. I thought I'd try and make friends. I looked the kitty in the eye and bravely walked right up to it. "Swipe!" right across my face. I jumped back. The lady jumped, too. I tried to jump into her lap, but she made me stand up next to her while she pet me. "It's o.k., Iris. It's o.k., Pierce." was all she said.

All day the kitty walked in and out of my room. Once she came in and laid against the outside of The Lady's leg while I laid on the inside. I turned my head to look at her and she hissed at me. I just closed my eyes and went back to sleep. The lady loves both of us enough to let us sleep on her. It's the kitty's turn to try and make friends with me.

All day I did everything I could to keep the sparkle in the Lady's eye. I let the kitty walk around my room and even get in my empty crate to sniff. I played ball and brought it back to her every time. I stood still and let a man walking by and the mail man pet me. I went in the crate when she asked me to, but sometimes I came back out to cuddle in her lap. It is so much more comfy and I think she secretly likes it, too.

I played peek-a-boo in the Hostas.

Once I even went into the Hostas and came out with a fly I caught just for her.
I listened to her when she said come. Sometimes I needed a little help with the stairs, but she seemed to understand.

I went pee on the papers inside and poo on the papers outside twice. The outside ones seemed to make her happier and I got two treats for each of those. One time she even let me walk all the way around the house twice. Walking makes my ears extra perky and my tail curl up. It also makes The Lady proud of me.

When The Man came home, he hugged The Lady tight and told her he would play with me. I cried at the door for her at first, but then they started talking back and forth to each other through the door sort of like this morning, but a little different. I knew it was serious. The Man's lap is different, but I curled up in it anyway.

The Lady came back and told the man about the "pee and poo" place and when I ate and when I last used the place. "Thank you for everything. I love you." she said as she kissed The Man and "Be good!" she said to me before she disappeared. When she came home, she and I showed The Man how I "come" on the leash. She was smiling. He smiled when she smiled. "Wow!" was all he said. All night it was outside and then in my crate over and over. The Man told The Lady this would eventually work. I knew what they wanted me to do. So, I kept drinking water when they brought me back in and finally I did it outside. When I finished I started climbing the stairs, but stopped to let The Lady lead the way. Inside we started playing ball. Then I heard her say she hoped I'd do "the other one" outside, too. I started nipping at The Man's clothes. When he finally got up, I got to my leash that was on the floor behind him and sniffed and sniffed. Then I looked at the lady and nipped at her clothes, too. She put on my leash, we all went outside, I did it, and we came in. The lady praised me more, but I saw the smile spread across the man's face watching us together.

When the The Lady is happy The Man is happy. When they are happy I am happy. That is the truth.