Shoot your cat or dog [WEEK 155]

Tommy: More Than Just a Pet, a Friend

I was shocked when I read the title of the writing prompt about shooting the cat or the dog. The cruel teenage spy graduation test from the movie "Kingsman: Secret Service" came to mind. However, after reading the rest of the text, I sighed with relief: it was about shooting with the camera, not the gun.

In our home, living with us are three small dogs (a poodle, a Yorkshire Terrier, and the progeny of the unexpected cross between them) and two huge cats that traveled from the equatorial country with my daughter, in a modern odyssey worthy of a post.

Each animal has its temperament and establishes a special relationship with each of us, and in that sense, I could write an individual post about them. However, today I will only tell you about the small but determined Tommy.

I remember the first time I saw him in the small cage at a street sale. Since then, eleven years have passed. At that time, my wife received some hard news that affected her mood, so I decided, in collusion with my pre-teen children, that the tiny black-coated, lively-eyed canine would be a wonderful companion to ease the grief she was feeling.

At first, my wife didn't want him, but it didn't take long for the mischievous little guy to win her heart. At only three months old, he saw her as a mother. Since then, he hasn't left her side. He goes wherever she goes and even found his place to sleep in our bed.

I must admit that at one point, little Tommy tried to kick me out of bed, but I bared my teeth and showed him who's boss and he understood. When my wife is not at home, Tommy usually accompanies me while I write. He claws at my legs to get me to pull him up on the seat, taking up half the chair.

If he sees disputes between some members of the family, Tommy intervenes and barks at whoever he judges to be exhibiting the most aggression, as if scolding him to stop the attitude. Undoubtedly, he is a very intelligent soul who almost speaks with his eyes.

But it's not all sweetness in him. If you ask the cats, they would say he is a demon who chases them when they dare to leave my daughter's room. It is comical to see a dog no bigger than three kilograms frightening cats that are twice his weight and size, and much younger.

Anyway, Tommy is very special to us. We don't consider him a pet, but rather a friend who is with you through thick and thin, ready to give love without condition.

PS: While I was writing, Tommy came to me. I half stopped what I was doing and took him to give him a bath for the subsequent photo session. Although he readily agreed, he didn't want me to comb his hair. I guess he thinks that a dog that respects himself, doesn't let himself be combed. So you won't see those beautiful photos of combed doggies. He loves to be with tousled hair.