What do you think of this new story by Keith Shaver?
The Little Dog
One morning a human who owns four cats decided she wants to
get another addition to her family. It is a black and grey puppy. This dog has
lots of energy and always makes a mess. Much to the cats displeasure it always goes
sticking its nose in places where the cats do not like. It would drink from
their bowls, eat their food, and drink from the toilet, how gross.
“What a stupid idea to get a dog. I do not approve,” Isabeau
says with a huff. “Clearly the owner must be mad. This dog is a filthy dirty
rag, it smells, it keeps us up all night barking.”
Isabeau, a black and white mature cat, sits next to Milo who
is a calico cat with a white patch of fur under his chin. Milo can be called
skinny, but if you call him that, then Isabeau would be the fat cat. In fact
one cannot see Milo if he is standing behind Isabeau.
“What do you say we have some fun? Welcome it in our home.”
Milo says with an evil look on his face. “I think the dog needs to have a
proper initiation. What do ya say?”
“I am not going near that mutt,” says Isabeau. She is
backing away from Milo now. She runs and hides under the table.
Cleo, who is standing in the room with Milo and Isabeau,
stares at Milo with her golden eyes. Her fur feels like silk to the touch, but
no one touches her fur. Cleo is black as night and almost looks frightening
when she is in a room with very little light with her glowing yellow eyes.
Cleo just starts to stare at Milo, her expression in
disbelief. “Why would I want to bother a dog? I mean really, do I have to say
all the reasons that sounds like a stupid plan. I have seen you do some stupid
things before but never like this. I think you have flipped your lid.”
Milo does not answer as he walks into the dog room. The dog
is sleeping in her pen. Milo quietly comes into the room. He looks at the puppy.
It looks like it is all worn out by playing too much. Milo can smell it from
where he is standing. The room looks dark but Milo can see how much effort and
time that the owner has put into the room. There are dog toys scattered around.
She has also placed some photos of her and her dog in the room. Milo can smell
the disinfectant in the room. It is a clear sign the dog has had a recent
accident.
Milo sees that the dog is in a large thing the owner calls a
crate. It looks like a cage but has a small bed and some dog toys are in it.
Then Milo sees the thing that he is looking for. The dog water is in a tin bowl.
He nudges his paw inside the cage, trying to flip the bowl upside-down. He sees
that the bowl is full of water, as he nudges the bowl over it splashes the
inside of the cage. Milo is careful not to get the on water himself. That would
be gross.
The dog wakes up. She does not realize that she is wet. “Oh
a cat, I have always wanted to smell a cat. Can I smell you? You look like a
nice cat. Oh I am so excited; I want to play with you. Do you play catch? Do
you sit up and beg? Will you let me chase you, oh can I?”
Milo leaves the room quickly in disbelief that the dog does
not even care that he is all wet. The dog continues to bark at the cat. It
jumps around the cage franticly, spilling the rest of the little bit of water
in the bowl.
Just then Trixie comes into the room. Trixie is a torte
colored cat with colors all around her. She has short fur with white, orange,
black, brown and other colors.
“Why is the dog barking? Why is it all wet?” Trixie says in
a confused voice.
Milo just looks at Trixie, and with a huff says, “If a dog
does not even know if it is all wet then it must be the most stupid thing ever.
I do not waste my time with stupid animals. I think I will go and do something
more interesting like sleep.”
Trixie looks at the dog and comes up to it. It is calmer now
but very excited to see another cat. The dog stops jumping and barking for a
moment. Then Trixie jumps onto the cage walking back and forth. She stops to
look down at the puppy that is looking back at her. She puts her paw into the
cage and tries to play with the one of the dog’s ears.
“Oh, oh, oh, who are you? I like cats because they are fun
to wrestle with. Do you like to wrestle?” The puppy says with an excited look.
“What is wrestling?” Trixie asks looking at the dog.
“What is wrestling, you have to be joking. It is the most
exciting thing ever.” The puppy says with a small look of excitement.
“Wrestling sounds strange,” says Trixie as she looks down at
the puppy. “It sounds strange, it sounds strange.”
“Why do you talk like that?” The puppy sounding more
confused.
“Well, you are very strange looking animal.” Trixie says in
a confused voice
“You are funny too. What is your name?” The puppy asks.
Trixie cocks her head and lets out a chirp. She tries again
to play with one of the dog’s ears. “My name is Trixie with an ixie.”
“My name is Misty,” says the dog. Trixie walks over to the
front of the cage. Not noticing that her tail, which is hanging down into the
cage, catches the latch of the cage and slides it over.
“Oh boy, oh boy I get to play with you now.” Says the dog
all excited now. The dog leaps out the cage and Trixie backs away from the
front of the cage, her fur is all puffed out.
“Ah come on I want to play with you. Should we wrestle or
sniff each other’s butts?” The dog asks. He wants to get up onto the crate but
does not have the agility.
Trixie hisses at the dog feeling trapped against the wall. She
tries to get as far away from the dog as possible or risk wrestling with the
dog.
“Get away from me; you dog!” Trixie tries to jump down off
the cage but the dog blocks her. The dog putting her paws on the cage tries to
reach Trixie. “You are mad you stupid dog!”
“A cat, oh I cannot wait to sniff you.” The dog says as it
knocks over the cage, the cat darting out of the room. Misty is right after
her.
Trixie, running for
her life, slips on the wet floor and slides under the table. Misty crashes into
the table behind her and knocks it over. The table crashes to the floor, as the
cat is cut off by table in front of her. The dog corners her, all of her escape
routes are cut off. Trixie hisses at the dog, the dog comes at her and takes a
sniff of her butt.
“HEY GET YOUR NOSE OUT OF MY BUTT!” Trixie cries as she has
no choice but to let the dog sniff her. Oh the horror, thinking she will have
to find out what the dog meant by wrestling.
Suddenly the dog looks up at Milo who is on the chair next
to her. Milo, who does not look afraid of this dog at all, raises his paw and
catches the dog right across the nose. The dog stares at Milo ready to make a
move as soon as he does. Again, Milo scratches the dog across the nose. The dog
backs away scared and confused.
The dog walks to the opposite side of the room. It lets out
a whimper and starts to howl. The dog is clearly upset that he cannot chase his
new friend.
“Come on we were just having fun,” says the dog “I just
wanted to wrestle a little, but you’re no fun scratching like that.”
“Such a loser dog,” says isabeau, who is in the other corner
of the room. “How do you stand your own smell?”
The dog whimpers again. “I only wanted to make friends. I
don’t mean any harm, really.”
“This is why dogs are stupid. You don’t get it dog; you are
in our house which means our rules. You will obey these rules or you will have
to go.” Milo says now on top of the fridge looking down on the dog.
Isabeau says. “Rule number one NO CHASING CATS. Rule number
two never sniff a cats butt. Rule number three we are in charge…”
“Rule number four no fun and no dogs allowed I get it.”
Misty interrupts, as she is heads for the door. Her tail is low to the ground
still dripping with the water from her bowl.
The dog slowly goes downstairs; she looks back at her friend
that she was chasing. Then she goes back into her crate. She lays down with her
head on her paws. Then Trixie enters the room. She comes up to the dog.
“Why did you chase me? It is so impolite.” Trixie says
licking her fur.
“Aren’t you afraid? I am a mean dog you know. You guys made
that very clear.” Misty says sarcastically.
“Chase makes haste,” says Trixie
Misty says. “You’re funny, I’m sorry I chased you.”
Trixie comes closer to the dog. Her curious eyes meet the
dogs as she could see her reflection in them. The dog puts his head up to meet
her. Trixie tries again to play with the dog’s ears.
The dog laughs, “That tickles.”
Trixie then pounces on the dog’s tail, “now this is fun, but
you will not sniff my bum.”
“You still talk strange.” The dog whips her tail around so
Trixie can chase it.
Soon the pair gets tired and start to lay down. Trixie
snuggles up with her new friend, as they lay down together.
Trixie looks in the direction of the hallway. She sees
Isabeau in the door way.
“Well, well, well, I see that you are friends with that…
dog” says Isabeau now curious.
“Are you kidding me dogs and cats don’t mix,” Trixie says as
she drifts to sleep.
Everyone knows dogs and cats don’t get along. They often
hate each other, though sometimes someone forgets to tell the dog and the cat.
