For the Love of Cat Vol. 1, Jack the Cat

Jack and little Louie, 2006

Louie Has Always Loved Cats

When I took Louie home with me in 2006, I already had an animal friend living with me. His name was Jack the Cat. Jack was a very special cat. I'd known him since he was a kitten. A friends roommate got him.  I'm guessing, but I think I took jack home in 2003 or 04 and he was around a year old. My friends were moving and they couldn't take him to their new place.

I didn't really want a cat, I wasn't really a fan. Jack quickly changed my mind. He wasn't sketchy and hissy all the time like I thought all cats were, he was a confident and super mellow dude.


Just a quick example of Jack's extreme relaxation ability:

One day I watched out the window as my neighbor was mowing his lawn. Jack was lying in the long grass. When it came time for the guy to mow where Jack was lying, you would think Jack would run as fast as he could to get away from this loud and scary thing coming straight for him! He did not. Jack lifted his head and looked out of one eye, then put his head back down and went to sleep. The neighbor waiting a second, got closer and still nothing. The man stopped the mower, picked up Jack, moved in a few feet over on to the already cut grass, then when about his business of restarting his mower, and continuing on. Jack still kept napping in the same position.

It was that kind of ultimate zen that Jack possessed that allowed him to tolerate a new puppy in the house. Louie and Jack became fast friends and bed-mates. I would often find jack snuggling up to Louie on his dog bed when I woke up in the morning.

Jack taught Louie that cat's could be friends. Some other cats Louie met taught Louie that not every cat is a friend at first. If it wasn't for Jack I'm sure Lou would be terrified of cats altogether. When he meets a new feline, he is pretty nervous. He's waiting to be hit so he's flinching again and again every time something moves. I'm sure to be close by, even with my hand on Louie's shoulder. That way he knows I'm there playing referee during this meet and greet.

Jack had many great adventures during his short life.

One day, just after I arrived home from work there was a knock on the front door. I answered it and it was my neighbor holding Jack. I will add that our neighbors loved Jack, they had cats themselves and Jack got along with everybody. The neighbor let Jack down in to the house. He began to sheepishly explain where he had found my cat. He said he got up and left for work this morning at about 8am. It was spring time and he had forgotten to roll up his car windows the night before. He drove to work, parked, cracked all the windows and went in just like he did every other day. When he got back into his car at 5pm, he saw Jack sleeping comfortably in his passenger seat. The neighbor figures he'd gotten in through the open window of his car sometime in the very early morning. Jack spent a car ride adventure day napping in the sun. I asked him first if Jack had used his Subaru as a litter box on his long excursion. He said he hadn't, he didn't scratch up anything or make any messes. He was just along for the ride. Jack had a way of exploring and having fun without overstepping his boundary's. My neighbor and I both agreed to check our cars before leaving for work just in case this was his new favorite thing to do.

Louie and I say our last goodbyes to our friend Jack the Cat

Saying Goodbye.

Jack passed away somewhat suddenly in the summer of 2008. He started to lose weight rapidly. We took him to the vet and found he had some kind of huge obstruction in his lower intestine and was already pretty bad off. It was hard to say goodbye. I love Jack and will always give him credit for helping me raise such a good dog. Also, because of Jack, I can love cats now too.

Destiny: Bringing Home Louie

Here comes baby!

Louie's first time at his new home.

I went back to my friends house to make the final decision: which puppy do I bring home with me? This would be the day I pick the dog that I will spend everyday for the next ten to twelve (hopefully) years with. I didn't think of that at the time. I just remembered the one with the white triangle on his neck that was so nice and relaxed. I couldn't tell apart any of the others from their litter-mates. No one else stood out. Just a pile of puppies.

When I arrived it was a completely different scene from the last time I was there just 2 weeks ago. There were no guinea pigs to be found, instead there were seven live puppies! All playing outside with their mother lying on the grass. Little dogs. Now how was I supposed to pick one?

I thought of the chapter I'd read in the Tao of puppies book. I stopped and took time to watch each puppy for a while and see how they behaved and interacted with me and the other puppies. The one with the white triangle on his neck was paying particular attention to me. He liked to follow me when I walked and called him and he played nice with the other puppies.

In contrast, there was one stupid dog. What? I can't say stupid now either? You already took retarded away. Words, sheesh. Anyway,  I can't describe his color, something like dirty blonde but somehow almost green. He was yucky looking. Fatter and slower moving than the others and cried for everything. All the other puppies tried to jump on or off something, this puppy barely tried sat whimpering. I named this puppy Puke. I almost wanted to take Puke home just because I felt so sorry for him, but I knew I shouldn't. Someone would want to take care of such a pathetic little thing, right?


So, I choose the black and tan puppy with the white chest.

The car ride home was seemingly uneventful. He sat on the lap of my roommate who came along to help me bring the puppy home. I think the pup cried a little. I got all teary-eyed and sad because I was taking him away from his family and he was so small.

We got home and I showed him around. He wasn't too shy, a little unsure about my cat Jack. Jack was such a confident cat that they became friends quickly. Jack was forgiving of Louie but still new how to tell him where his boundary was.

Clumsy little Louie runs into everything. As he's exploring, I'm spouting off names with my roommates. Willie I think, Willie Nelson. No. Okay, Louie? Louie Prima? I look at the puppy and say "Louie" and he tilts his head to one side smiling at me. Louie it is then. Louis.

Getting to know Jack, carefully. Louie showing his trademark triangle on his neck.

Here's Louie

I pick Louie up holding him in close to my chest. Looking closely at his adorable face, I notice he had a tiny white spot on one eye in the pupil. His eyes look like oil spills, gasoline rainbows, swirly blues and greys. I thought there may be something wrong. They didn't look right. Sometimes I would look at him and one pupil would be much larger than the other. They both always seemed larger than what I thought they would be, like he was stoned or there weren't any lights on. I'm a worrier for sure. The puppies only opened their eyes a couple weeks ago and I knew they were still developing. I thought his eyes would be blue. Cool black and tan dog with blue eyes. Pretty neat guy for sure. No big deal. I'll find out soon enough, he has his first vet appointment in just a couple of days. He seems perfectly normal and happy.

Jack lets Louie know his place, no claws necessary.

Night Time

The first night I slept on the floor next to the dog bed I had set up. It was in the bottom of a closet so I lie there in the opening like a gate. Anytime he woke up and moved around, I woke up and took him outside. "Outside." I'd say as we walked out the door and down the front steps. I would set him on the grass, "Go potty outside. Good boy" Yes, I said potty. Want to fight about it?

The second night I started having him follow me instead of being carried. He was fine except for the steps. The front steps on the porch were broken and he would fall through and get stuck under the porch. He couldn't skip a step, he was just too small. I would pick him up from the top step and skip one and let him finish it. He was catching on quickly. Just three nights of that he knew how to ask to go outside. He would always fall through the broken step out front. He just couldn't remember to stop or go around. Silly dog. 

 One on One Time 

Hunter and Louie's sock fight!

I had planned a short vacation around the time I would bring Louie home. I spent the days off playing with him in the yard or on the floor in the living room. I tied knots into an old gym stock, classic first dog toy. My brother, Hunter came over to play with him. Louie was hilarious to watch, so optimistic he just always kept trying. The little engine that could. Everything seems great but I can't help but notice how he bumps into things. I wince every time he cuts a corner too close and smashes into the wall or runs head on into one of the big trees in the hard. I just say "Careful Louie, Slowly." I drag out the word slowly "Sssllowwwlleeeeee." He picks that up right away. Just slowing down the tone which I spoke to him made him slow down physically, makes sense. Louie was very responsive and eager to learn. I thought this was just going to be the easiest puppy ever.

Next Installment: Louie Meets the Family

Louie meets Poncho, our family dog, for the first time while we mend those pesky steps.