It was a long time ago, in the days when Gizzy the cat was alive and our dog was still black around the muzzle.
Gizzy did not like Milo (the above mentioned, below pictured dog). She never trusted him after our other dog, Nellie, a rescue with anger issues, caught her by the head and attempted to murder her. Fortunately, the cat escaped, physically, with only puncture marks, but mentally, the experience left her with an unwavering mistrust of even the most docile of canines, which Milo really is.
At that time, in our upstairs family room, we owned a fancy projector, and a less fancy screen fashioned from a roller blind. Often, on a weekend evening, the family would watch films in this makeshift cinema. These occasions were the only ones when Milo was allowed upstairs. Upstairs was cat territory. Milo knew this as he was regularly reminded of the fact by Gizzy, who would sit at the top of the stairs and glare at him, while he went off his head, whimpering in frustration at the bottom. But never did he venture up. He is a very good dog.
So, there we all were. Whizz, Mavis and I, sitting on the settee, Milo, fast asleep at our feet, Gizzy, safely at a distance in Mavis’s bedroom. All was peaceful.
I caught sight of movement to my right and nudged Whizz. ‘Look at Gizzy,’ I whispered.
As we watched, the cat, calm and seemingly unconcerned, strolled towards us along the landing, stalked in through the door, padded past the dog with barely a glance, and sat down to regard us all from under the screen.
The dog slumbered, unaware of anything.
The cat stood.
The dog sighed in his sleep.
The cat stalked right up to the dog and lowered her face until her nose almost touched the dog’s.
The dog slept on.
The cat bared her teeth and HISSED.
The dog opened his eyes and met those of the cat.
The cat hissed again and shot back along the landing, hotly pursued by the dog.
The family? We were crying with laughter and disbelief.
