A Pact

I started walking in the evening of late. Sheeba is not very good on the leash, so I figured that the exercise I'd get from walking would be wonderful, but the struggle to keep the dog in line would be even more beneficial. She's either stopping to smell something, or bouncing like a fool when she sees someone she wants to visit it. Either way, I have to tug at her to get her to do what I want.

Mike usually follows us. Now he's another problem. He will stay a half of block behind us, so I stop all the time, to call out to him to catch up. Now figure cats are territorial. There are times as we walk when Mike will cross the street and walk even with us. I know for sure that at the one point he does it most often, there's a big, old tom cat that lives there. I also noticed that if he's someplace he isn't sure of, he'll catch up with us and walk step for step at Sheeba's side. Now figure that's Sheeba's best friend. Some mean old cat tries to take something up with Mike, Sheeba would bite him in half. Surprisingly we don't see many cats on our walks.

The neighbors at this point are coming out to look at us. Tonight we walked by a family who sat on their stoop as their boys played soccer on the parkway. I have to admit that we make kind of a comical procession; me, my dog and my cat. One little boy ran up to Mike, pointing at him. "Kitty! Kitty!" Mike hurried to catch up to Sheeba again.

I confess that after about four outings, I tried to blow it off.

Jon took issue with that as I dearly need all the exercise I can get. So just to make him happy, I began again after about a week's break. So last night, these two started in on me. I hadn't taken them the night before, and they weren't going to have it again. Mike moved to sit in front of my computer screen as Sheeba placed her front feet on my chair and howled. I gave in and got the leash. We did four blocks last night. Tonight after they ganged up on me again, we did six blocks. I have no doubt they won't leave me alone tomorrow. I don't get it. This dog only kind of understands my cats, and yet they both know when it's time for a walk. So, I hate tugging at Sheeba's leach and calling for Mike to catch up. But maybe this isn't such a bad thing. They can use the exercise, too.