Home alone?

[oggbashan]

This weekend my wife is going to a conference, leaving early tomorrow morning and arriving back late on Sunday.

I thought that I would have a quiet weekend and would have time to edit some of my older stories and perhaps even write...

This morning my daughter who lives locally rang. She asked if her mother was away this weekend or next. When I confirmed that it was THIS weekend she swore. Daughter and husband are going to London Friday night, to the theatre that night and out on the town Saturday night. They are leaving their two large boisterous dogs with her in-laws BUT - please, pretty please, would I feed their three cats for the weekend.

So - I have my wife's three cats and the two/three visiting cats to feed at our house, and my daughter's three cats at her house 2 miles away.

Peace and quiet? Huh!

I will have cats all over my keyboard demanding attention.

Anyone else frustrated by family pets?

Og

 

[BlackShanglan]

The SO is out of town at the moment, and I am enjoying the undivided attentions of the dogs. For the most part they have been very good and quite undemanding, but the younger of the two has decided that the best way to express a desire for play and attention is to stand in front of someone and yell loudly and repeatedly. I've been working to train this behavior out of her by putitng her outside each time she does it, as the only thing I want barking to signal is "I need to go out RIGHT NOW!" Unfortunately, she has developed an insanely cute behavior to deal with this. As we approach the door, she dives onto the floor and lays there pressed flat to it, wagging her time and looking at me incredibly hopefully, refusing to get up unless I also go into the back yard (showing that I will play with her).

It's tragically adorable. I have shown her that I can get her up (there's about a hundred pounds of her, so that could be in doubt), but sadly, I often let it work. The truth is, she's not getting nearly as much exercise as she would really be happy with, and so that beseeching look hits me hard. Still, I can't help recognizing that my attempt to train her have led to her training me.

Shanglan

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Well, not usually, but sometimes Sophie (a cat) starts trying to get my attention while I am online.

 

[Liar]

The SO is out of town at the moment, and I am enjoying the undivided attentions of the dogs. For the most part they have been very good and quite undemanding, but the younger of the two has decided that the best way to express a desire for play and attention is to stand in front of someone and yell loudly and repeatedly. I've been working to train this behavior out of her by putitng her outside each time she does it, as the only thing I want barking to signal is "I need to go out RIGHT NOW!" Unfortunately, she has developed an insanely cute behavior to deal with this. As we approach the door, she dives onto the floor and lays there pressed flat to it, wagging her time and looking at me incredibly hopefully, refusing to get up unless I also go into the back yard (showing that I will play with her).

It's tragically adorable. I have shown her that I can get her up (there's about a hundred pounds of her, so that could be in doubt), but sadly, I often let it work. The truth is, she's not getting nearly as much exercise as she would really be happy with, and so that beseeching look hits me hard. Still, I can't help recognizing that my attempt to train her have led to her training me.

Shanglan

I wonder if Pavlov would tear his hair out or do a 'hell yeah'-jig if he heard about that.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Anyone else frustrated by family pets?

Og

Sometimes, I housesit for my parents, and take care of their dogs. The eldest, Bella, has an obnoxiously cute way of waking me up at 6am so she can go out. She starts by pressing her cold, wet nose in my face, as if to say "Are you awake? Are you awake? Human, are you awake?"
If I try to pretend that I'm asleep, she stands over me, sniffing my breath to check if I'm REALLY asleep. If I open my eyes the slightest, she starts wagging her tail, saying "You ARE awake, aren't you?"
If I ignore the tail smacking my legs, and lie still and don't make a sound, she puts that cold, wet nose against my neck, which always makes me jerk up with a small scream, upon which she happily starts to dance in bed, shouting
"You ARE awake! You ARE awake! Goody! Now we can go out! Hurry up, human!!!!"

She's an adorable dog.

 

[Guest]

I have been alone for two weeks - I have a couple of big mutts, a bro and sis weighing in at about 120 and 95 lbs respectively.

They sleep in our bedroom, and when they figure they won't get caught, they like to grap a nap in our bed - never mind the hundred dollar giant size doggie pillows we bought for them. I guess I should put sheets on them or something.

Anyways - with me being alone, my sleeptime has gone to hell.
1) They seem to be concerned that I'm not breathing, and come up and lick me about once an hour just to make sure.
2) They're also concerned that I am lonely, because the male has decided that since Daddy isn't home, he will take his place, complete with his head on the pillow and everything. They also attempt to share the couch with me and fight over which one gets to sit beside me as opposed to lying on my feet.
3) I cannot leave the bedroom until they say so. This must be a protection thing, because when they are not checking on me or "being daddy" one lies at the door of the bedroom and the other lies across the patio door. I mean completely across. So if I want a snack in the middle of the night, I have to get one or the other of them up, and well then, I have to give them one too, to be fair.

They're great dogs - I love 'em to death.