...make that 1 in 2,000,000

I thought that cats were supposed to be the ones...
that were finicky about their food...

after napping well into the afternoon...
[we did go "outside" once... between naps...]
I figured that Molly had to be hungry...

so after distracting the always opportunistic felines...
by feeding them in the office...

I opened a can of Nutro Max lamb & rice...
and put a few spoonfuls in with about a cup of dry[same formula]...
and presented it to Molly in her new bowl...

I have NEVER seen what then transpired...

I had taken the collar off so she could eat...
she sniffed the food... snorted...
and started rubbing her muzzle on her bed ...

back & forth...
almost like honing a knife on a steel...
as if she wanted to cover up the food...
just like when they bury stuff in the dirt...
except she was trying to "cover" it with her bed...

I didn't care for the smell of the canned food...
but had to physically remove Sneaky Pie from the dish...
as she kept trying to get at it...

but since Molly didn't seem to like it...
I opened a can of "lamb & rice stew"[organic and $$$]
I put a bit of that on top of the food in the dish...
I offered it to her...she literally turned up her nose...

so I set it down... replaced her collar...and stepped back...

and the next thing I know...
Mattie, feline crunchie connoisseur... and snob...
[he doesn't like "canned"anything...
unless it's "people" tuna...]
swooped in ...
and started chowing down...

right under Molly's nose...



now, mind you... Miz Minka had told me...
that Molly had no food aggression issues...
that she had eaten dry food from MM's hand...
and that Molly had a "gentle mouth"...

but even as mellow as she's been with the kitties...
I NEVER expected to see any thing like this...


shaking my head in disbelief...
I went off for a sinus headache abating nap...

when I woke up...it was after 6 and getting dark...
I got up...thinking that Molly would need to go out...

I put the remnants of the expensive...
& apparently, not fit for canine consumption dinner...
on a plastic plate...

noticing the absence of any gravy or flavorful elements...
of which there had been a bunch...
and the plethora of gray chunks and licked-clean crunchies...
as well as a total absence of felines...
a sure sign of feline depredations...



so it will sit here until I'm sure...
that the kitties have had their way with it...
then I'll throw it out...
and not for the critters...
it would encourage raccoons again...

Molly was "dancing"... and eager to go out...
so I attached the lead...
and out we went...

she practically ran down the steps...
and hurried me down the street...
finding a spot that suited her...
she was relieving herself...

when from across the street...

I heard someone say, "catch Molly...
before she goes across the street"...
and looked up to see a Chihuahua puppy...
about as big as a minute...
come barking towards us...

the "other" Molly was captured and leashed...

my Molly wasn't trembling as she had at the vet's..
when other dogs were around...
and so we went on our way...

fast...

at first I thought the encounter had unnerved her...
as she was practically sprinting down the street...
with me managing to keep up...just barely...

suddenly...she darted up onto a lawn...
and squatted... as she took care of business...
I looked around, hoping that no one was home...
and made a mental note to carry plastic bags on walks from now on...

that burden "lifted"...
we went on around the "long course"...
moving at a much less "urgent" pace now...
passing a number of cats...
that I've come to know in the area...
all out for their early evening prowls...

they always would greet me...but not tonight...
on the other hand...
Molly saw them... but didn't "alert"...
as dogs often do when "prey" is sighted...
so my "friends" sat & watched as we passed...
instead of running & hiding as they might have...
if Molly had been aggressive towards them...

other people and dogs were another matter...

she definitely noticed the other dogs...
one across the street in the park with their person...
and another beagle who with it's owner...
met us face to face near a corner...

the beagle brayed...
Molly got a little nervous...
but she calms when I tell her, "it's OK..."

so after assuring the other dog walker...
that Molly was NOT aggressive...
we passed without incident...
or any of the fear I'd seen from her before...

we rounded the corner onto our street...
and headed for home...

we came in...

I offered her the dry puppy food...
that she had eaten the first night...



not interested...

an hour or so later...

still not hungry...

I guess I can understand that...

tomorrow will be another "big step"...
as I'm generally gone for about 6 hours on Sunday...
and I haven't left her alone before...

I'll have to make sure she gets out...
just before I leave for church...

and hopefully tomorrow...
we can find something besides cat food...
that she will eat...