The Day My Dog Bravely Protected My Cat
Lucy has been with us for almost two years now. For those who are new readers, Lucy belonged to my parents prior to living with us. They had to make the tough decision to re-home her with us because she and their other dog were no longer getting along, and it was dangerous for Lucy. We welcomed Lucy into our home with open arms, but as she had never been around cats before, we didn’t know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Lucy didn’t mind the cats at all.
Until this last week, I would have told you that Lucy doesn’t mind the cats, but she doesn’t overtly care about them either. I would have said that she had a “take them or leave them” kind of attitude. Today I would tell you that Lucy loves her kitties and views them as her family. That she would put her safety on the line to protect them. Why?
Because she did just that.
For the last two weeks my husband and I have been dog-sitting for some friends. They have a big white dog named Tater who is nothing but a lazy love-bug. We adore Tater and always enjoy taking care of him when his family is out of town.
Up until a couple of months ago, Tater had a beagle “sister” named Georgia. They were best buds, but when Georgia crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, Tater started suffering from depression. While taking care of him over the last couple of weeks, I did my best to cheer him up and spend time with him, but I always felt guilty leaving him alone at his house when my visits were over. So Bobby and I decided to bring him over to our house one afternoon to hang out with us and with Lucy!
Tater had never been around cats before, so we put away all of the cats in our bedroom while he was over. He’s a big dog, and we didn’t want to take any chances.
Tater and Lucy were fast friends and enjoyed a fun day together. It was heartwarming to watch.
Because things were going so well with Tater, we thought that we would bring Sophie out to see how Tater reacted to cats. Sophie LOVES dogs, so we knew that she would be excited to see him.
We put Tater on his leash, and Bobby got a good hold on him to make sure that he wasn’t going anywhere. I held Sophie in my arms and let Tater see her from afar. His tail was wagging, and he seemed interested, so we got a little closer. I let Tater sniff her tail. Then I knelt down with her so they were on eye level with each other but with Sophie still out of reach. Sophie immediately started purring, and Tater also seemed interested in excited.
I would have thought things were going well, until Lucy told us otherwise.
Lucy walked over to us, visibly shaking, and positioned herself in between Tater and Sophie. She looked up at me with a look that clearly conveyed her message: “No. This is not a good idea.” Bobby and I looked up at each other, wide-eyed, completely taken aback by Lucy’s actions. Despite the fact that she was obviously scared, she stood her ground until I stood up with Sophie and put her back in our bedroom with the other kitties.
Tater hadn’t growled or done anything that indicated he had ill intentions, at least not that Bobby and I noticed. However, Lucy had obviously picked up on something that we couldn’t, and she put her safety on the line to protect Sophie. We certainly weren’t going to question that.
I can’t tell you how moved Bobby and I were by what Lucy did. Knowing that she has a history of being attacked by a large dog yet was still willing to position herself in front of a one whom she believed was a danger to Sophie, all for Sophie’s safety, is incredibly touching.
We loved Lucy before, of course, but we now have a much deeper affection for her. And we see her interactions with the kitties in a whole new light. Lucy has never been an overly affectionate or playful dog. I suppose that’s why I never thought she had any strong feelings towards the cats.
Now I see that her sitting on the rug in the middle of all the cats when we’re having group play time with their favorite wand toy is her way of spending time with her pack. I see that she actually loves running down the hallway with the cats when they are excited and active. I see that she thinks of the kitties as her family, and she loves them.
They all love her too. We all do.
Lone Star Cats says
What a sweetie. Our pups have always been good wif us – da puppies can get a lil crazy, but Finley (the 11 year old) keeps them in line.
Summer says
Sometimes we pets know things that humans don’t – things like friendship and danger are clear to us, but maybe not so easy to pick on by our humans. I’m so glad Lucy showed you how she really feels about the kitties in her family, and I’m sure she has an even closer bond with Sophie because they are adventure buddies.
Roberta says
What a terrific dog! Lucy is certainly a hero. She obviously wanted to protect a member of her pack. Tater may not have wanted to hurt Sophie, but Lucy wasn’t sure how this “outsider” was going to react and didn’t want to take any chances.
Madi and Mom says
Lucy is the true definition of dyNOmite in small packages….she is a loyal pack member. Extra kitty kisses to her
Hugs madi and mom
Random Felines says
good job Lucy – even if Tater didn’t mean anything, she may have just been saying “this is my family”. Either way, so very sweet.
Tamago says
Lucy is such a sweet and brave girl! Also you are so kind to bring Tater over. He is very cute and I hope spending time at your home helped him cheer up!
Stephanie says
How sweet! My mom has a dog and a cat that have lived together for 10+ years. From an outsiders perspective they may not seem too attached to each other, but when you’re around them long enough you pick up on little things they do. They love chasing each other up and down the hall and sometimes they’ll sleep right against each other.
Eastside Cats says
Good for Lucy!
Brian Frum says
Lucy, you are so brave and we are very proud of you too. Your family loves you for being you!
Kristen @ My 3 Little Kittens says
This is BEYOND gorgeous. What a TRUE hero she is and Thank God for bringing her into your lives!!!!! Way to go Lucy!!!!!!!!!!!
caren gittleman says
I just loved this post! I was going to say what you mentioned near the end, that in Lucy’s mind Sophie is part of her “pack.” There is a chance she didn’t pick up on any danger at all……but…she might have been jealous because to her, Sophie is HERS. Or…since Tater isn’t familiar with cats maybe she did pick up on something that wasn’t immediately visible (as you mentioned). I am glad you listened to Lucy’s and YOUR instincts either way!! YAY LUCY!!
The J-Cats says
That is one of the sweetest stories We have heard in a long time!
The Swiss Cats says
Lucy was so brave to protect Sophie and show you that something was wrong ! We’re glad you trusted her. Purrs
The Dash Kitten Crew says
Wow. Amazing. This is such a gret story and well done Lucy.
Mary McNeil says
So glad nothing bad happened – bravo Lucy !
Timmy says
We agree that there was something that was not noticeable to humans but Lucy knew innately. Well done little lady!
Kitties Blue says
This is such a heart-warming story, Emily. Thanks for sharing it, and letting us all feel the love and bravery Lucy showed for Sophie. Astrid sends her handsome husband 12345678908765434567890989090987654321234567890098765465784932010293874655478392093485839 kisses and all her love. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo and Cooper Murphy
The Island Cats says
What an amazing story. But perhaps Lucy was trying to tell you that she didn’t want you sharing Sophie or the other cats with Tater….that the kitties belong to her. Anyway you look at it, we admire Lucy for what she did.
Annie says
I am so moved by this. The fact that Lucy was so scared and even had been attacked previously by a large dog makes this all the more amazing. What an amazing hero she is. Shaking out of fear yet still willing to stand up for Sophie. Wow.
On a separate note, I’m sorry Tater is missing his sister and is sad. It was very nice of you to have him spend time with Lucy at your home.
Ellen Pilch says
That is a sweet story. Lucy is an incredible girl.
ATCAD- Scylla,Chimera,Yin,Yang, Fenris & Tuiren says
Lucy is a wonderful pup and very brave. She acts like Tuiren does around us, Tuiren doesn’t exactly ignore us and her and Yin often sit close to each other, but she doesn’t feel compelled to run sniff our butts every time we appear like Fenris does. Us cats much prefer Tuiren’s method of being friends. ~The Cats of ATCAD
Sam and Teddy says
That is a sweet and precious story…..Lucy loves her family in her own way and will obviously make sure they know of danger only SHE can pick up on. Animals do feel different vibes than we do I think……what a special thing that Lucy sensed possible danger and protected Sophie. I’m happy that you all gave Tater a good time while you were doggy-sitting……..a bit of “family time” just might have helped him more than you know with his depression.
Hugs, Pam and Teddy too
mommakatandherbearcat says
Animals are just plain amazing – they sense things we don’t – look out for us even we have no idea they’re doing it – and love us just the way we are. Yay for Lucy and her love for her feline siblings. And YAY for listening to her and providing a safe home for all your animals!
MrJackFreckles/Pipo/Angel-Minko/ says
Wow! Lucy is amazing and a good loyal pup.
Three Chatty Cats says
Aww, that is so sweet! Good job, Lucy!
Raven says
Very observant and wise of you to realize that Lucy was not comfortable with the situation. Maybe Lucy was alerting on a new scent from Sophie or Tater that she didn’t like. Glad everyone stayed safe. Lucy earned some extra love & treats for her family devotion.
Lola The Rescued Cat says
*sniff sniff* Lexy, hand me a tissue please. *honk honk* What a lovely story. Your kitties are so lucky to have a sister like Lucy look out for them. Way to go, Lucy!