Age of Innocence

I get questions about the cats often when people find out I have the Ridgebacks and three naughty kitties. I always tell people that if they are raised together they will usually be just fine. Do not expect them to be best of friends since cats are by nature quite aloof, although there are exceptions. If the cat runs sometimes the dogs give chase but usually that ends in the cat leaping to high ground or getting somewhere the dog can't. If the cat gets trapped the dogs will just stand and poke at it and, my cats anyway, will take their chances and zip between the dog's legs to escape.

The exception in this case is Weasley. Remember the little kitten I got from my brother in 2008? He'll be two in March and was born the same day as Raimi only a year later. He was a little charmer right from the start and the dog he wrapped most quickly around his little kitten paw was The Boy.

Who can forget the moments that make your heart melt? Weasley seemed instinctively drawn to Raimi as the dog most likely to help him feel secure.

He grew up in a house full of little boys and activity so he seemed pre-programmed to put up with a lot of man-handling. Good thing too. Halo had her fair share of Weasley moments but she was less inclined to reciprocate. As he aged into adulthood he was less inclined to play with the dogs. All that silliness was for kittens, not grown up cats who are supposed to be dignified. And yet ... that distinctive relationship between Raimi and Weasley continues. It's hard to tell in this photo but Weasley is head bumping Raimi's jaw.

Raimi returns the affection by nibbling on Weasley's neck and back and poking him while the cat rubs up against his head and neck. Weasely almost exclusively chooses Raimi to rub against when he feels the need to demonstrate attachment.

Weasley doesn't reserve his attention for Raimi alone, sometimes he lavishes Archer with some snuggles. In case it's hard to tell, Archer is mostly on the floor with his hind legs still on the couch. Weasley is on the floor between Archer and the couch.

Those days of innocent youth saw the unlikely alliance between a precocious orange kitten and a gentle giant Boy and that trust and affection remains to this day. We should all be so lucky.