George and Nutmeg

George Arrives and Meets Nutmeg

by Katherine Ari                                                                                  July 14, 2009

Several years ago, we had two dogs, an alpha dog that was a six pound Maltese and a small Sheltie.  We had two cats.  One was a black, white and gray semi-long hair, the same color as our Sheltie, and the other was an orange and white Tabby marking striped male.  Both cats were neutered but Nutmeg, the orange one, was a little over 1 year old when we had took him to the vet.  He was old enough to have developed a tomcat attitude.

 

Nutmeg was outdoors during the day and he wandered around the neighborhood within a half block.  If another cat, like a tomcat, entered his “territory”, he would act like a typical tomcat asserting his dominance.  He frequently came home with scratches and bruises and swellings of unknown origin.  But it never slowed him down.  He was right back out there on the prowl the next day.

 

One day a neighbor boy came over to see one of our sons and a red-orange mixed breed dog was with him.  He was part Chow Chow, part Retriever and part ? and weighed about 39 pounds.  We guessed he was around 8 or 9 months old and he was full of personality.  The boy said he just showed up and was hanging around the neighborhood.

 

He was a very friendly and loving dog.  He just loved everyone.  But he was a Chow.  Chows around this neighborhood have a reputation of killing cats.  Chows are hunting dogs and can be overly aggressive and most of them around here are mean.  I wasn’t sure of what he would do around Nutmeg or our other more timid cat.

 

He was inside the yard with the boys.  Nutmeg had been out on his rounds but I guess sensed that there was activity going on at his house.  He sauntered back into the yard.  He wasn’t expecting a NEW dog on the premises.  Nutmeg adored the Maltese and the Sheltie loved all cats.  The visiting dog spied the cat, and he was on the chase.  Nutmeg was startled and ran for the nearest tree.  He got up out of the reach of the barking dog and stopped on a limb. “Where the H - - - did THAT come from?” was the look on his bright eyes looking down on the red dog.

 

We pulled the dog away from the tree and removed him from inside the fenced yard.  After a short while, Nutmeg came down from the tree.

 

The next day, the boy and the stray dog were again at our house. Nutmeg had been out prowling around and came back with his right eye swollen shut.  He looked kind of tough and rough.  He wasn’t in a very amiable mood to say the least.  When the dog came towards him, he just sat there, looking pirate like.  He didn’t budge, raised his right paw with his claws out, closed eye, and looked at him.  “I’m ready for you this time.  Come on Sucker!”

 

The dog was just about to him and when he realized that he wasn’t going to run this time, he kind of skidded to a stop. “I’m not sure about chasing THIS cat.  He isn’t running,” the dog’s face said.  Nutmeg took that as his opportunity to go towards the dog.  He went for his nose and slapped the dog’s face.  The next thing I saw was nine pound Nutmeg chasing 39 pound George, (he eventually was named George) across the yard slapping at his behind and tail with both paws, hissing and spitting, and scaring the dickens out of the dog.  But the dog was smiling all the time. 

 

Nutmeg ruled.  George was not a threat to the cats. He joined our family, and they got along fine.