Cats and Dogs Living Together

My wife took in a kitten and named it Fernando. Not long after that she was driving and a neighbor’s little dog ran out and was hit by my wife’s car. It was fine, but my wife was shaken and so sorry that when she reported the incident to our neighbors they informed her that the dog had fathered some mixed breed puppies. My wife felt so guilty and shaken that she agreed to take a puppy off their hands. She chose the only male and named him Pingo, which is Portuguese for “water droplet.”

Pingo and Fernando grew up together. Fernando was a normal sized cat, and Pingo a mixture of miniature Dachshund, Chihuahua, and Jack Russell. Both were the same size and had some similar interests. Of course they had differences too. Fernando was always aloof and aware of his surroundings, like all cats. Pingo became gregarious and full of energy. It’s amazing they got along. If they were humans they would probably be at each other’s throats. But early on Pingo found it his greatest joy doing things together with Fernando. If Pingo had just eaten and Fernando decided to eat, Pingo would eat again, just to do something together with Fernando.

My daughter loved to play with Fernando and knows how to toughen up all our cats. So when Pingo got old enough to play rough, Fernando didn’t mind the entertainment. They would play fight on my bed while I would be reading. I would first notice the bed shake a little, then I’d hear them quietly play-attacking each other. All that I would hear was their heavy breathing and quiet jabs. It was really other-worldly! Pingo would always be on top on the offensive, and Fernando on his back swiping at Pingo. Pingo would be snapping at Fernando, and even biting him, but never to hurt him. Fernando would be doing his best to push with his hind feet or bat at Pingo with his front paws, never using his claws. Sometimes, in mid-attack, Pingo would freeze for a second and then lurch around to his back to attack a new enemy, a real one. Fernando would look at him as if to say, “Saved by the flea!” then he’d flip around onto his feet and in a split-second be running out of the room. Once Pingo realized his prey had escaped, if the joy of wrestling weighed greater than the pain of the flea, then he would turn and high-tail it, his ears and tail a-flappin’, in hot pursuit of his feline foe.

Sometimes both animals would be out in the front yard. If either one wanted a chase, he would initiate it and the other would oblige gratefully. It was always Pingo chasing Fernando, but either one could initiate. Either Fernando would look over at Pingo and then start running to see if Pingo would catch him, or Pingo would just charge Fernando to see if he was in the mood for a chase. Usually Fernando would end up 6 feet up a pine tree with Pingo jumping 6 feet and snapping at him, over and over again. What a sight! With children, real life is so much better than cartoons.

We are all God’s children. He is a wise Father and has created the order of things in this life. By His design we live together in so many different capacities. Either it’s a family, or a church, a societal or employment setting. We can be as different as cats and dogs, but if we can find something in common, and allow a relationship to establish, there is no amount of difference that will separate us. All learned or inherited animosities and prejudices dissolve when we are forced together in a group and when time is on our side.

Cats and dogs can live together and it’s not the end of the world. Rather, it makes a very beautiful world.