September 12, 2004

Valorous George ...Last night I was tag-teaming a burly and dangerous fly with my cat Kiki until we lost the sucker behind a shelf. I'm on the computer a few hours later, and hear Kiki having a knock-down drag-out bug toss in the kitchen, and assume it to be the fly. Eventually I go in the kitchen, and find that Kiki has, in fact, been bravely fighting a squadron of yellowjackets, with neither reinforcements or air cover! Has your beast done something mildly heroic lately?
posted by moneyjane 20 years ago
  • /looks around for pet... no pet. /looks around for anything resembling a 'beast'... mirror cracks on sight /starts typing colorful, risqué interpretation in response to that last paragraph... think better of it and turns off computer
  • My two beasts have been training for a Synchronized Sleeping marathon to be held at a later date. So far, they've been able to log 23.5 hours in a single day! AND on a single chair. Why did you have yellowjackets in your kitchen, moneyjane?
  • Brandydog is not mildly heroic, no. She's actively so, albeit in a passive way. She's kept me safe since 1993. I have lived in wretched economic areas, and not only did I feel safe in my bed at night, she and her dogsister Sophie (RIP Sophie) provided me with a means to meet neighbors. Brandy was the first friendly, not-tied-up-to-a-stake-in-the-backyard dog most of the neighborhood kids met. Her mild nature convinced them that not all dogs were vicious and frothing and terminally chewing on their restraints. This, tho she looks like a mastiff/pit bull cross (which for all I know she might be). She's almost thirteen now, and slowing down, my good girl, my sweet old lady. We've moved, but she's still the dog that can be trusted to teach children how to approach a new dog. She takes their every stumbling approach with ease.
  • I have no idea where those yellowjackets came from - truthfully, there were only three, but I'm sure they were handpicked to come in our window and kick our ass...it was 5:30 in the morning, for God's sake - pitch black outside! Clearly they were up to no good. Those sound like excellent beasts, PatB, pushing themselves to the very edge in the quest for athletic glory! And I agree that Brandydog is a hero of the finest sort. Pass on a tummy rub.
  • I am not cool enough to have any familiars, but I did sow a killer crop of pancakes today. They totally flipped out and killed people.
  • Pancakes...a bitch to sow, and irritable as well.
  • I don't have any pets now, but I do have a plant and it converts CO2 into O2 and I kind of appreciate that.
  • I have no pets but I'm visited by a crow (raven) almost every morning. S(he) hangs out on the fence in the backyard and we just spend time checking each other out. I think our relationship has gotten to the point where I'm confident she'd kick some ass for me if need be. There's this pidgeon with an attitude.....
  • Crow or raven?
  • My rent-a-cat (brother-in-law's cat) is staying with us again. This morning she sacrificed a little dignity so I could pet her belly. A noble cause indeed.
  • My old cat used to rule the neighborhood. Unfortunately, some dumbass beat him to death. His brother, a farm cat named Tiger, still rules the turf at my uncle's. He's been at it for the last thirteen years. At the same farm, we have a new cat that does something really valorous: he's an inspector. Every two hour or so, he goes trotting in our small vegetable selling operation like he's some big shot from the FDA. He checks everything is okay, and goes back to whatever he was going. He's worrying about our safety so we don't have to.
  • Oh, and I forgot to mention: most cats on that farm last less than 5 years before they get sick and die/ get hit by farm equipment/disappear in the wilderness.
  • My old dog used to prevent infestation of kids on frontyard and the near vicinity. Also he survided one attack with scissors, one gunshot, many dogfights (he lost one ear like Evander Holyfield) and one runover. Also he fertilized the grass. His only weakness were cats. They kicked his poor german shepherd ass. He died of old age after a long life of defending his owner's valueless property.
  • By they way, I never trained him to be an aggresive dog, he was actually quite nice and peaceful. He just loved to scare kids and get into trouble.
  • My cat Java, who has since gone on to Bastet's elysian catnip fields, courageously defended me from evil milk jug rings. Even though they were capable of grabbing her by the paws and flipping her right onto her back, she never once wavered in her duty. Indeed, she charged into the fray time and time again. It was most impressive.
  • Yours too? What IS it with milk jug rings? I have one cat who couldn't care less and one cat for whom they are pure cat crack. We had a (female) cockatoo who was desperately in love with my dad. Gender, check, species...well, we'll work on that one. Many family and friends were surprised by a ferociously territorial female (is there any other kind?) charging along the ground (she was a little hazy on the whole flying thing) aiming directly for their ankles.
  • our trusty parrot does '6's' at the front window to alert us and the german shepherd when nasty cats and birds invade the property. but if the dog is too loud in his back-up then he gets his ears nipped in consequence. /parrot demands right of loudest volume! we feel quite safe, of course.
  • Recently, my cat Max has been defending his tail against a tiny feline interloper. So far, all efforts have failed, as the little bugger is quite persistent. As soon as I find a home for the kitten, I'm turning in Max's application for a medal. He totally deserves it.
  • Mickey, are you sure you're trying hard to find a home? That little bugger is kind of wormy looking. Could worm his way right into your heart if you're not careful. A friend of mine has a sweet, but rather d-u-m Rhodesian Ridgeback (or African Lion Hound.) He appears to sleep most of the time, but obviously must be bravely doing his job, and most effectively, too. No lions around here.
  • When outdoors, the collie dashes everywhere -- she's a full-time snoop and simply has to know what's going on in all directions. (She is discouraged from dashing inside the house.) The dachshund indoors sleeps enough to be a serious competitor for PatB's pair. When outdoors, she used to bark nonstop but now is taking some excursions on her own about the dog-pen. She comes running now when called.
  • Mickey, you might as well keep the kitten. He already has a name, courtesy of monkeyjane. :) Bees, your dachshund seems to be settling in well. Glad to hear it.
  • beeswacky, I'm not sure you want to put your dachsund up against the two cats. Since they began their extensive training, they're not only asleep, they're fast asleep. Very fast.