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| Photo by jeffreyw |
I had heard more than once how Chows are very cat-like in their demeanor and attitudes and since I have had two of them in my life I can confirm this! Given this similarity, I was still unprepared for my current Chow’s love of cats. My last dog chased cats like every genetically correct pup should do, so I was amazed at my current pup and her feline fascination.
My pal Keisha was only five months old when she met her first cat. His name was Pongo and he was also five months old. We were visiting with family in Omaha Nebraska for Christmas and Keisha was determined to make friends with Pongo.
Pongo would have nothing to do with her!
They tiptoed around each other for three days even coming nose to nose eventually. Then on Boxing Day, we had just finished our lunch of leftovers…you know turkey sandwiches and such, when we heard a crash in the kitchen. Assuming nothing serious we were slow to react.
When we finally moseyed into the kitchen to get going on the post-lunch cleanup they were caught in the act! There they were…Pongo and Keisha nose to nose eating the turkey that someone (?!?!?) had pushed off of the counter onto the floor. They had a fine feast together and even after their tag team mischief, Pongo was still reluctant to become fast friends although I think he was beginning to warm up to the idea after all Keisha had eaten the turkey and not him!
Unfortunately, we had to leave before the relationship was cemented. We have not seen Pongo since but Keisha responds most enthusiastically to his name still, over three years later.
Keisha is almost four years old now and since meeting Pongo she has tried to make friends with every cat she meets. They have all wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. And then came MOJO.
Mojo is owned by a neighbor and is an outdoor cat. He totally suits his name and struts through the “hood” as though he owns it and has complete control over all that goes down in it. He definitely has his MOJO going on!
At first, Keisha approached him cautiously, and he would bat at her with his paws, but never with claws out. Slowly but surely they came closer and closer to each other. There was the dancing around each other period that looked really funny as each would take their turn jumping forward then backward not unlike some ritual. Then came the purring and then the rolling over and belly sniffing. After that Mojo began to walk around and under Keisha strategically putting his tail in her face.
She managed to maintain her aloof dignity when he does the tail in the face thing. All of this has progressed to Mojo coming for walks with us, he comes to visit and waits at the door for Keisha to come out to play. Keisha will put her paw on his bum to get the game of chase going and if Mojo is in the mood he will start the game by running or he will roll onto his back and swat at Keisha with all four paws. Mojo is the alpha in the relationship in spite of his 10 lbs to Keisha’s 60!
It is the most wonderful thing to observe and the neighborhood is mesmerized by these two fast friends.
To see them together one wonders why some cats and dogs get along and others want to destroy each other. Is it perhaps a past life spent together? Early influences like Pongo? Maybe Keisha was a cat in her last life and thus the affinity for cats and cat-like behavior? Or are they just all very different souls with very different personalities and perspectives? Who knows for sure? All I know is that my heart always warms when I see them together and am awed by this amazing friendship that truly looks like soul mates in action.
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