Animal Love

The animals on the farm come together by happenstance. They usually learn to tolerate each other; some become buddies; a few form deep friendships.

With Louie and Dewey, we hoped for tolerance.

They both came from the animal shelter two years ago. But that's where their similarities ended.

Dewey was an eight-week-old kitten, plucked from the city streets and plopped in the shelter with his littermates.

Louie was an adult cat, living with adult humans and no other animals. But, due to a change in family circumstances, he, too, was at the shelter.

When they arrived at the farmhouse, Dewey just wanted a warm, breathing body, a heartbeat.

Tag, the Border collie, was not excited about the prospect, and to this day, is not a fan of the intruder.

Louie, though, accepted the kitten who wanted to snuggle, and then wanted to pounce. Did Louie assess the situation (he was living in a house with three Border collies) and decide the cats needed to stick together?

Over the years, this odd couple formed a bond. During the days they snuggle together, they groom each other, they play chase games, and when Dewey gets trapped, in a closet, in a bathroom, in the laundry room, as he often does, Louie comes running and yowls so we notice that something is amiss with his little buddy.

I'd like to say that I saw a spark between them that day at the shelter, that I saw the seeds of a great friendship, but the only thing I saw that day were two cats needing a place to call home.