Oliver: The Tale of a Cat's Dog
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “a dog’s dog.” Well, we have a cat’s dog, and his name is Oliver.
Oliver, or more commonly, Ollie, is our big white Labrador retriever. People who know us, know about Ollie, having heard us lament over his stealth-like counter surfing, and cabinet raiding abilities.
But Ollie has another trait that if less talked about, nevertheless reflects a major part of his personality. He is beloved of cats, attracting them like moths to a flame. At any time during the day, but most especially during late afternoon or evening naptimes, in front of the fireplace, cats Prudence, Fredo and/or Simon can be found snuggled next to Oliver.
Those same stealth-like qualities that make his thieving possible and prodigious, come in good stead with our felines. Of the three dogs, he is the biggest and nimblest in walking around or near cats. Where Ben and Charlotte have committed the most unforgivable crime in the cat universe—accidentally stepping on a cat’s tail or paws—Oliver has never (not to our knowledge anyway) trodden on a cat.
Although Oliver may be said to be a cat’s dog, that cat is primarily Simon—making Oliver Simon’s dog. Simon not only sleeps next to Ollie, but also nudges him with his head, and kneads him with his paws. Brushing up against Ollie, he winds in and out of his legs. But the sweetest, most endearing thing Simon does is to lick and clean Ollie’s face and ears.
Our fanciest, fussiest, and most expensive cat Madison, a blue-point Rag Doll, also appreciates Oliver, but in a slightly different way. Although Madison doesn’t sleep next to Oliver, he does sleep in Oliver’s dog crate. Why a cat would want to enter let alone sleep in a smelly dog crate (and Oliver’s is smelly—think of all the counter and cabinet prey that he stashes inside his crate) is beyond us, but that has become Madison’s preferred napping site.
And how does Oliver react to all these gestures? —with respect and patience; he seems to take them in stride. While Charlotte Mae Dog grumbles and walks away, or Ben seems oblivious to the cats’ presence, Oliver reacts by looking pleadingly at me or my husband as if to say, “Really? Do I have to put up with this?” And yet, put up with it he does.
