I am a devoted dog person. Some people have room in their hearts for both cats and dogs, but not me.  I am a one dog woman, thanks to a loyal, smart, mini Aussie who would possibly die fighting to protect me. Seriously.

Tango, my dog, intensely dislikes cats. In fact, he goes into a frenzy when we encounter a cat resting in the shade under a car. His growl becomes a high-pitched, pain filled yelp. “I want that cat”, he cries. Of course, he doesn’t really want that cat. He must realize at some level that the cat will inflict deep wounds, even scratch at his eyes. Still, he does his doggie best to disengage from the leash and chase the cat. Tango will also whine pitifully when he sees a cat from the inside of a house. I am convinced that watching for cats is part of his morning routine. Eat, go outside, gnaw on dental bone, beg for me to scratch his back, jump on the bed, rearrange pillows and blankets, watch cats from the inside.

This cat watching seems to be a love/hate thing. When Tango sees a cat in his yard, he breaks loose with the painful cries. Cat, cat, cat. Gimme that cat. Dogs are complicated, though, like humans. I believe Tango would be devastated if a cat did not come by each morning. Cats buy into the whole thing, too. I swear, torturing Tango is part of their daily routine. They saunter into the yard, tail swishing, head up in a flirty way. They seem to glance over their cat shoulder and call out, “Tango, dear Tango, here I am, what ya gonna do about it.” “ Rowl, rolw, rolw,” he answers. “Gonna get you”.

At least 6 cats live near us in the RV park. One resident actually feeds a few, but I don’t know where the others get their handouts. The Tango/cat game continues daily with a new twist. RV parks offer a vast cat amusement park under the campers. The cats especially love RVs with boxes and laundry baskets stored underneath where they can play hide and seek. They also love to saunter, tails waving seductively, in front of Tango then retreat underneath the neighbor’s camper. Saunter out again. Hide. Again.  Tango, of course, is going crazy on his leash. His growls are so painful I worry at first that he is bitten by a resident yellow jacket. No. Just crazy cats doing the morning routine.

Paybacks are hell, though. I recently observed the resident squirrels prance in front of the cats. A chase begins, with the squirrel jumping into a tree and straight up the trunk to the top branch. Urban cats can only get up to the first branch. Nah, nah, nah, chirps the squirrel during the morning fun. Cats are masters of stealth, though, and I suspect that some squirrels pay the ultimate price for their teasing.

Birds and cats are another topic. Cats are the primary predator of urban birds, and they do extensive damage to birds and their nests.  Last week I observed “Red” (I have named each cat) strolling into the park with a fat bird in his mouth. Bad Red. Bad.

Overall, I tolerate the cats: Red, Boots, Trey, and the others.  I am certain they are the reason the park is clean and rodent-free. Besides, watching the show each morning is part of my own routine.