The night we brought Jingle home, we kept her on a leash for the first couple of hours, so the cats could get used to her. Jingle has been around cats, but our cats had never experienced a dog.

Jingle was so disoriented to be in yet another new place. She’d had a long drive. She wasn’t listening. She tugged at the leash and lunged repeatedly toward the cats. 

“No Jingle!” I pulled her back, over and over. The cats hissed. 

Jingle had thus far been a very submissive dog. I’d watched her slink away from an unfriendly cat at 4 Paws.

“Let them work it out,” my gut whispered.

We let her off the leash. She intruded. The cats puffed up, hissed. Her head went down, tail between her legs. This has happened a lot over the last few days.

But last night Riley was sick. She kneeled at the toilet bowl four hours, waiting to throw up. Jingle laid and I sat on the floor beside her. The cats were in and out. The calico stopped to sniff Jingle’s tail, then, her nose. Jingle did not move. The gray cat stood a foot away from her, the closest he’s come. Still as a statue, she let them be.  Was it because Riley was sick? Did she somehow know not to be wild? Not to push it?

Riley stayed home from school today. She’s already feeling much better. 

Jingle is jovially, once again, testing the cats.