Party in Clinton!

I recently house sat for 4 handsome creatures residing in the sunny city of Clinton.  Nikki (the Blue Heeler) seems to be the matriarch of the furry family as she routinely would attempt to put Maggie (the Shepherd mix) in her place to ensure that her round belly was fed first.  However, Nikki doesn't have one mean bone in her body and wouldn't even know how to hurt little Maggie if she wanted to.  But it was adorable to watch Nikki growl and bare her teeth at young Maggie in a ferocious attempt to look mean and ensure first dibs on the treats.  Maggie appeared completely oblivious to Nikki's protests and just bounded around her in playful jubilee.  So, as much as Nikki attempted to protest, she really is just a big, soft paper tiger at heart.  In fact I couldn't stop her from trying to crawl right up onto the sofa with me so she could kiss my face to death. Unfortunately, her elderly legs didn't quite allow it causing her to bark from the ground while Maggie bounded up on the sofa, showing off and demonstrating that she was runner up in the matriarchy.

Maggie, Nikki, and I took a walk along the path that followed the stream near the house and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  Nikki got tired sooner than Maggie but was determined to keep up. 

Nikki

 

Maggie

Fiona and Kit-Kat (also known as Angel, but it's been reported she doesn't quite live up to this name so we will refer to her by her nickname, Kit-Kat) are the kitties of the household.  They are almost identical and for the first few hours I couldn't tell which was which.  Once I deciphered that Kit-Kat is a gray tabby and Fiona is just a solid gray, I started to notice their distinct differences.  Fiona, the elder of the two, used to be a therapy cat for Intermountain Therapy Animals, where I work.  She definitely lives up to the standard of therapy animals too: very loving and social.  Plus she has the most adorable meow that makes me want to pet her eternally.  She and Maggie play this "game", which I think is much more of a game for Maggie than Fiona, where Fiona will very quietly try to pass by Maggie as she is sleeping, like a prey passing it's predator, trying not to wake her.  This just excited Maggie beyond all belief and causes her to perk up immediately and chase poor Fiona down the hall barking.  Of course Nikki (who is starting to go blind due to cataracts) would become startled and excited by this sudden game of chase and join in.  The result would be a herd of creatures barking and stampeding down the hall. 

Fiona

Kit-Kat was quite oblivious to any threat from Maggie or Nikki and traipsed around without a care in the world right in front of them, which leads me to think Fiona unintentionally initiated and established the stampede relationship she has with Maggie and I can't help but giggle at it a little.  Kit-Kat spent most of her time by the door looking out the window and meowing in eagerness to be allowed out.  She had a lot of kitten energy in her but if at anytime I filled up her food dish she would come running from where ever she was, regardless of what she was doing to satisfy her insatiable belly.  Fiona was more content in her hiding spot, only emerging when Maggie was fast asleep. 

Kit-Kat or Angel

Overall, the Clinton adventure was a success!