An Unwitting Disruption..

I love animals.

I love the companionship they offer, …the unconditional love, …and the never-ending devotion. (…well, in dogs at least anyway…the jury’s still out on the ‘devotion’ attributes of a cat.)

In my home, eight animals reside… five cats and three dogs. For the most part, we all live in harmony..every’body’ knows their place, …and life is good.

However, as with most things in life, there is always somebody or something to upset the ‘Apple Cart’. For me, it’s a little Lhasa Apso…named “Zack”.

Devoted to me wholeheartedly, his behavior, at times, could be less than ideal.

A self-appointed ‘head of the house’ this little tyrant it not only seen, …but exasperatingly heard. He torments my two collies on a daily basis. With a 24/7, relentless, “gggrrrrrrrrrr”, he continually tries to assert his authority. He’s gotten so efficient at this he’s able to produce this growl on his inhaled breath as well. …Breathe in, ‘ggrrrrr’; Breathe out, ‘ggrrrrr’; in,’ggrrrrr’; out, ‘ggrrrrr’ …All. …Day. …Long.

When he’s not being ‘vocal’, rare as that is, he will stealthily wait to cunningly steal a ‘chew’, biding his time till the coast is clear… …never mind that he has one of his own. On completion of a successful mission, he’ll move away…only to sit over his loot, ….hoarding it…Taunting the collies to ‘come get it’, …if they can.

The cats are not excluded from his dominating attempts either. He will, whenever opportunity arises,…ahem… hump an extremely laid back male cat I own, subsequently matting and knotting his coat. Lacking any “mean bones” in his body, this twenty pound cat hasn’t attempted to scratch him …yet. It is only his distressed ‘meows’ of annoyance that alert us to Zack’s misbehaving.

He eats cat food and bath tissues out of the trash at every opportunity, …while his diet needs to be medically strict. His veterinary bills put me over the top.

Yet, despite all of this intolerable behavior….

..I love him.

Through his doleful brown eyes, I see a ‘personality’ longing to be understood. … Like a delinquent child in need of constant attention, …behaving like there’s only one way to get it.

I recognize that the attempts at intimidation stem from insecurities, …as most acts of terror do.

And he,..like most of us, seeks acceptance for what he is and what he has to offer, incapable of altering any characteristics, …lacking or otherwise.

It is the realization and negotiation of these things which will bring ‘peace’, not only to his world, but to mine as well.

I will never give up on Zack, nor will I abandon him to an unknown fate….he will remain with me till the end of his days…

And although my ‘Apple Cart’ may remain disrupted, and complete harmony never achieved,…

I come away a better person.

For if living with him, and all my animals, has taught me anything,..

it is how to love back…

…unconditionally.

Until next time….Liz