A few weeks back, a neighbor asked if I wouldn’t mind watching her dog for the day. Her dog’s name is Bailey and I believe she’s a Maltese. (As much as I love dogs you’d think I’d be well versed in all breeds, but alas I’m not. I know obvious ones like Poodles, Golden Retrievers, Boxers, Dalmatians, and a few others, but I’m still learning.)
Anyway, it wasn’t like I had to entertain Bailey the entire day. Just let her out a couple of times and make sure she had dinner. Easy. Also, if I wanted to and was so inclined, Bailey’s mom gave me permission to bring her to my house to play with Murphy and the gang, a.k.a. Tabby and Mr. Meow. Bailey’s mom had no idea how Bailey would do around cats because she’d never been exposed to them, so she was curious what would come of that.
Well, Bailey is a little pip, as my friend Tammy would say. She’s the bounciest little girl and always makes me feel so special because she’s clearly always tickled to see me. The first time I went to let her out was on my way to run errands. She dashed right for the passenger side of my car as if she knew her mom and I had discussed her coming over for a play date. (She’s never even been to our house before, so it wasn’t as if she’d been expecting such a treat.)
I didn’t take her then, but I came back a couple of hours later and this time when she ran to the car I happily let her in. She squirmed with glee the whole way, apparently excited not only to go for a ride but at the prospect of coming somewhere with me.
However, she had no idea the chaos that awaited her inside my house. Murphy was equally beside himself to have company, so he was Mr. Major Wiggle Bottoms when he saw Bailey and me coming up the walk. It gave Baily pause when he jumped at the door like he does when company comes and started making his customary “someone’s here to see me” ruckus.
But little seven pound Bailey bravely ventured up the steps and headed inside, where she found crazy Murphy sidestepping her during his happy dance so his 65 pounds didn’t accidentally squish her.
Then came the cats –both of whom were fascinated by the tiniest dog they’d ever seen. One that was half their size. Bailey didn’t know what to make of the two of them, but she tried to keep her distance. Trouble was, they weren’t letting her out of their sight.
However, it only took 10 minutes for them all to adjust to each other. Bailey ended up having a nice time exploring Murph’s house and toys, and she was quite the polite guest. She didn’t want to overstay her welcome and went to the door about a half an hour later to let me know she was ready to return home.
I left her mom a note and later talked to her and told her about Bailey’s big adventure with Murph, his cat siblings, and how well she did. She was grateful I not only went to the trouble of letting her Bailey out during the day while she was away on an extended day trip but also for giving Bailey the treat of an excursion. I assured her the pleasure was truly all mine –and Murphy, Kitty, and Tabby’s.
Photographer’s Note: I tried to get better pictures of Bailey, but she wouldn’t sit still. It’s a shame I couldn’t capture a better image of her cuteness, but I did the best I could with my wiggly subject.