The mothership has determined that my sole role in the world today is to
provide love and reassurance as well as food and scritching, petting, and
snuggles to the masters and their assistants.

Jake is doing better.  A lot better.  He would like to see if I could go for
a record as to how long a cat has been scritched in one session.  He reminds
me he cannot groom himself and that I must be his dedicated slave.  Very
tempting sine he is finally out from under the bed and welcoming attention.
A LOT of attention.

But Molly has selected this time to work on her boundary and trust issues.
She wants rubbins, would like to be brushed again, is into headbutts.  She
actually jumped onto my lap outside and demanded attention.  And her ears
itch.  Only mommy can rub them right.

Which brings us to the first assistant to the cats.  The one assigned to
keep other cats out of the back yard and to get the slaves attention when a
door needs to be opened or closed.

Kayla's world has turned upside down.  A tiny runt of a puppy (Camille) is
her for her three or four day a week doggy day care.  Now Kayla considered
herself an adult and accomplished Border Collie.  Willing to chase balls
over great distances for hours on end.  Or to chase balls a few feet past
the end of the couch if that's all mommy is up for.  She plays a mean
(really mean according to Camille) game of soccer, or dodgeball and you're
it as she tells Camille.

She gathers up the cats, plays with the boys and provides me with unlimited
contact and affection.  But nobody told her cute counts!  She doesn't do
cute.  No Border Collie in its right mind does cute.  And she doesn't
understand beg.  However she can see Camille doing cute and begging and it
seems to have a really great payoff.  Besides it distracts mommy and daddy's
attention from where it rightfully belongs.

So Kayla is working of cute.  She leaps into my lap and curls up into a 30
pound ball.  Licks my face and ears and where ever else there might be any
Camille spit.  In the meantime I'm trying to protect my eyes and trachea
from paws and elbows.  But mostly hugging her and telling her I love her and
generally trying to make her claustrophobic enough to get down.

Camille is about a pound of seemingly unlimited energy.  She knows when a
human is even thinking about eating and is always present.  She was born
with big sad brown eyes that require no extra begging effort.  But she will
happily bounce up and down on her hind legs if that might help.  She is
constantly underfoot.  We had to bell her like a cat to keep from stepping
on her.  And to find her when she goes exploring in the house.  She
positively oozes cute.  All wiggles and cuddles.  Today she and Kayla
learned to play chase in the yard,  She runs in circles and Kayla runs after
her.  She thinks she is so clever to have worked this out.  And so brave to
let the big furry thing chase her.  She has no clue this is what Kayla is
bred to do.  And that she is bred to keep a small but safe distance from
whatever she is chasing.  Usually what she would chase would have sharp
hooves and a bad attitude.

Writing this was my approved break for today.  Must go keep Jake happy.  And
Molly.  And Kayla.  And Camille.

Jo