Unintended consequences of having a Blue Lili Landshark in the house...

[hazelrunpack]

When Lili arrived, JD's wish for a wrasslin' companion was fulfilled:



But, much to JD's chagrin, Lili is already big enough to bowl him over and sit on him.



Grace, on the other hand, finds she'd rather avoid physical contact with the little interloper landshark's teeth and talons. Both she and the cat are still working out how to handle this little monster, and as a result, Grace and JD have become much closer. A number of times, I've caught them curled up on the loveseat, discussing strategies:



Another friendship forged in the face of a common enemy.

[marko]

aw these are precious HRP - well done!

[Barkingdog]

I love your photos and stories
hazel!

[Reg]

Wow what great photos. It would appear as if JD and Lily are well on the way to becoming a lifetime buddies.

[hazelrunpack]

Thanks for the nice comments.

Yep, I think they'll be good friends, but right now, they can't wrassle anymore. She knocks him over and sits on him and he pushes on her belly with his paws--never uses his claws, but we wonder if the belly rash she has is something she picked up from his claw tips. Even if it's something from somewhere else, we don't want JD to pick anything up from Lili, either. So they're in forced separation for a while. JD is happier about it than Lili, who thinks he is the most fascinating critter in the whole wide world, and really misses using him as a butt rest!

Which begs the question, I have been separating them when they get too wild because JD still refuses to discipline her when she gets too rough. (He really has quite the soft heart ) But once Lili's rash is gone and they can play again, will my deciding when to break it up, make it harder for them to work out an amicable arrangement on their own?

[Dee-O-Gee]

Awh, they're so darn cute HRP! Thanks for sharing your adorable pictures.

[hazelrunpack]

Any time, DOG, connection willing! Actually, we've had her for less than a month and I already have a 2-wk backlog of pics that I don't have a fast enough connection to share

[Reg]

In answer to your question HRP, I would be keeping the pair in tight reins for the near future. It will give you a chance to see if Lily is a little better at judging what her weight is doing to JD. Maybe JD will smarten up and stick a claw or 2 into Lily and make her realize what she's dealing with.

Many years ago I had an incident with the cat and dog that had been dropped off at the end of our driveway. They were a great pair for rompsing and playing hard. One day they were out on the front lawn playing hard and running around when the dog reached over and grabbed the cat and gave it a severe shaking like you would a wet towel. Needless to say when the cat was put back on the ground she was dead so I am very cautious in allowing newbies to play rough without decent supervision until I can feel fairly confident that there's going to be no problems.

[hazelrunpack]

Thanks, Reg!

But omg, that must have been so traumatic for you!

Tonight, I had JD in the family room when hubby brought Lili through to go outside. For the first time, JD arched his back and came out batting. He's still not using his claws, though, which might teach her a lesson, so for her it's still just a new play game. So we spent the time hauling her off and telling her to be 'gentle', which is a command we're training her to understand when she's trying to maul our hands with her landshark teeth. I wish JD could figure out that if he gets high up on his cat tree or the top of the wardrobe, she can't get to him. I suspect he'll learn that lesson soon, though

[growler~GateKeeper]

JD & Grace so cute with their snuggling & conspiring