May 15, 2018 3 min read

We got a new puppy.

He is a brindle pit bull mix that we adopted through a rescue agency after they found him in a high-kill shelter. As puppies go, Travis is pretty mellow. Inclined to follow his people, he is just as content to lie at my feet as he is to play with a toy or fetch a ball. He loves to cuddle. He is nearly housebroken. He snores when he sleeps. He is absolutely adorable.

And my cats hate him. Or, more accurately, Bella hates him.

Simon, my male orange cat, is actually pretty indifferent. He is rarely ruffled by anything, so after the first day, he stopped running outside every time the door opened, and instead allowed himself to be sniffed and smelled. He gave the dog a once-over, and walked away, aloof and cool.

Travis leaves him alone now.

Bella, on the other hand, wants no parts of him. She begins a growl, low in her throat, the second she sees him. It doesn’t matter if he’s lying on his bed, walking on a leash outside, or sleeping in his crate. She growls, the hair on her back stands up, and she stares at him, daring him to awaken and challenge her.

Saturday, she was in the kitchen when their dance began. Travis bounded into the room to see what Bella’s deal with him was. Bella, not used to him stepping toward her, let out a noise that would likely have scared bobcats in the Ozark mountains, before fleeing the room.

She attempted to let herself out of the house, but the screen door was shut, and she slammed into it. Not missing a beat – and never ceasing the growl – she turned and flew back into the kitchen, passing Travis, who was still standing in the same spot, head cocked in bewilderment, as she leapt up onto the kitchen counter and into the windowsill.

From there, she howled in disgust and anger for another few minutes. Finally, Travis turned and trotted back to his bed in the living room, and the cacophony finally stopped. I gently lifted Bella down from the window, and soothingly told her that Travis wouldn’t hurt her.

She looked as though she didn’t believe me.

I know that it will calm down, because she used to hate Brick, too. In the meantime, I’ll try to reassure Bella that she is safe and loved, and I’ll try to keep Travis as calm as possible around her.

I may also consider the purchase of some sound-canceling headphones.

Laura Zoeller can be reached at zoeller5@verizon.net.