Teamwork makes the dream work

As a vet practice, we rely on teamwork to get us through all the stressful and upsetting situations. But sometimes our furry are no different..

Now who says cats and dogs can’t be friends? My own pets would definitely agree but I had a client the other day tell me about the way that their dog and cat work as a team against the humans. They get on very well and often sleep next to each other but she didn’t realise quite the bond until a particular incident. The owner had cooked two chicken breasts and put them in the fridge. She went to watch television and the dog came to sit on her lap. A few minutes went by and she heard the cat meowing a couple of times in the kitchen but didn’t think anything of it. The dog, however, ran into the kitchen and disappeared for a minute then came back licking his lips. The owner went back into the kitchen and found that both chicken breasts had been eaten. Not understanding how they had got into the fridge, she watched back her ‘dog watch’ camera that she uses when she goes out. Turns out, she hadn’t quite shut the fridge properly and the cat had hooked her paw in, opened it up and helped herself to a chicken breast. The whole thing. Feeling clearly very full and not needing the second, the owner witnessed her pick it up with her mouth, jump onto the floor and drop it. She then started meowing and the dog came running to eat his portion!!! She genuinely thinks that the cat was calling the dog to say that she’d got something for him. As much as I want my cat and dog to become friends, I don’t quite this bond!!

In another act of teamwork within the pet family, a client told me about one of her 3 dogs who had learned to open the back door when she needed to go out to the toilet by jumping up and pawing at the handle. Clever enough in itself but what’s amazing is if one of the other two dogs went to stand by the back door to say that they needed a wee, she would open it for them too. The only problem is that she never shut the door again once everyone had done their toiletting. Maybe she can attach a rope to the handle and teach her to pull it shut again..