Happiness is a ...

...warm puppy. No, affectionate lap kitty. No, both?

Cat #3 made it to the vet about a week after the ordeal. Then for the next week he played the part of Mr. Aloof. In the mean time, female kitty decided the house was her domain, to the point where she would sit in the big pecan tree in the front yard every afternoon waiting for my truck, when she would dart around the house and in the back door as I walked in the house, preferably before Cat #3 also realized I was home.

Obviously this has led to some jealousy on the part of the dog. Female kitty's routine generally involves lengthy lap-time and cuddling. Even had a few mornings where she would sneak in as the dog went out so she could get some quality one-on-one time. If both the dog & cat are vying for my affections, the cat stakes out my lap while the dog sits at my feet with that pleading look in her eyes. If the cat strays from my lap to sniff at the dog, there's a good chance she may get nipped by the dog attempting to dethrone the cat's position - literally.

Or at least that's how things worked until about two weeks ago. Then I spent several very late nights at work, so by the time I would get home the cats would already be into their nighttime routine and a very desperate crossed-legged dog would barrel through anything in her path as she made a mad dash to her preferred potty spot.

The world has been righted some time in the last few days. I've come home to find all three cats lounging on the back porch or in the garden. All three affectionately rubbing up on the dog as she makes her rounds in the yard. But it took a pretty good thunderstorm tonight for female kitty to take up her post by the back door waiting for her opportunity to sneak in the house. And seize she did. She made a straight line to my spot on the sofa, and quickly took her place in my lap purring and face-marking as if she hadn't seen me in a month. Jealous dog joined in, wet nosing my arm and trying to nip at kitty's ears - hard to do for a short-legged old girl. I barely had the invite cross my lips and the dog popped up on the sofa and nestled in by my thigh so she was practically cheek-to-cheek with kitty and occupying as much of my field of view as possible.

As soon as kitty took off to patrol the kitchen and get a few laps from the dog's water bowl, the dog took off in hot pursuit of the interloper. Now both are curled up in their preferred corners fast asleep, which is what I would like to do myself but first I need to disturb a sleeping cat and kick her back out into the cruel, stormy world. Hell hath no fury like a cat who believes she belongs indoors.