Cogs, dats and one grizzly
I’ve technically never had a dog of my own, but my parents are currently the proud parents of the their third canine baby, and I consider her, just like the previous two, a sister of mine. I’ve seriously thought about getting myself a non-human best friend at some point, but like in most important things in life, I haven’t been able to decide if I prefer cats or dogs. I just like all kinds of animals, big and small.
Anyway, my previous canine sister, Loulou, was the kindest creature ever known, when it came to humans (apart from the vet). My mom often said she was like a sheep, always following, agreeing to things, and just being a friend. And yet, the one thing she couldn’t stand was cats.
In this week’s vlog, Rhett and Link introduce Barbara and Jade to a cute ginger cat called Fireball. Since after seeing a glimpse of Jade in the last week’s vlog my thought was I wouldn’t mind seeing her and Barbara for a full vlog, this was kind of a dream come true. It’s not a given that two female dogs become best friends, and these two furballs are doggo friendship goals. They may also be even cuter than their dads. It does seem like Rhett is slowly turning into a fluffy dog himself, but at this point, I think Barbara carries her fur with more elegance.
Since today’s vlog was filmed at Rhett’s house, and my commentary on last week’s vlog almost turned into an interior design blog post, I want to say a few words on Rhett’s decor. His house appears to be a bit more a mixture of styles, with loads of earthy colours, red and many paintings. I remember him saying in the episode of LTAT where Stevie painted a portrait of Jessie and Christy that Jessie likes to collect portraits, and that is apparent in their house. There are fewer house plants than at Link’s place, but more interesting objects. My initial thought is that this house looks more effortlessly stylish than Link’s. I personally prefer Link’s house, because it was such a calming space, but this house looks like a good house to live in for someone who isn’t quite as specific about things being a certain way as Link. My favourite thing in Rhett’s house is the amount of books. I’m a book-lover, and when ever I see a house with actual books in actual bookshelves these days, it makes me appreciate them more. End of interior decor talk, back to the dogs.
Okay, Link thinks Rhett looks like Grizzly Adams, and to be fair, he ain’t wrong. Since we already know that Rhett’s hair has taken his breath away, and he also does not dislike it even in it’s messiest, fluffiest state, I think the mountain man look is growing on him, despite his constant efforst to prove us otherwise.
I have the capacity to love all creatures regardless of their species, so I don’t really like Rhett repeating how much he hates cats. Hate is such a strong word to use for anything less evil than maybe other humans who use their powers to hurt others. As I said, I don’t have pets, but my neighbour’s cat sometimes visits me, and although we’ve never been officially introduced, she likes to jump on my shoulder to nap, and that is possibly the sweetest thing I can imagine. So, calling a cat a devil’s spawn - even for comedic effect - rubs me the wrong way. Thankfully, Link eases the tension by focusing our attention and his camera on more important things - Rhett’s beard.
“You look like a wookie!”
Fireball behaves like a well behaved, curious cat, getting to know every nook and cranny in Rhett’s living room. And since I tend to be at least as curious, I did my best to see what sort of books his family reads. Turns out, most of the books are about interior design, but I also spotted The New Jim Crow, Fear by Bob Woodward, Walden, Harry Potter, and the Wood Book to name a few.
What we learned today is that both Jade and Barbara prefer people over cats, but Jade is not opposed to making a friendly connection with cats. She sees Fireball as a new friend to play with, who is a little different from her other friends, but equally interesting. “But why doesn’t the new friend want to play with me, Dad?”
I don’t believe in dogs and cats having a genetic aversion to each other, even though they are usually described as mortal enemies. Even my parents’ dog, Loulou, had a very good reason for her dislike of the feline kind: she was once slapped in the eye by a wild cat. Loulou reacted to cats very much the same way as Barbara.
I was going to claim Rhett’s dislike for cats must have rubbed on Barbara, but then I realized one thing. Dogs are very territorial. Jade is a guest in Rhett’s house, and therefore knows it’s not her place to protect the house from other guests. Barbara, on the other hand, is not familiar with this new guest who she has never met before, and it’s her job to keep Rhett and his house and family safe. There is an intruder in the house, on her territory, and she acts like a good guard dog should: alerts her family, and tries to chase him away. It would be fascinating from an animal behavioral perspective to see, what would happen if this same experiment was conducted in Link’s house. Then again, I think Jade is the submissive one in the relationship, and it’s very possible Barbara thinks of Link’s house equally as her domain. Thankfully, Fireball seems to be not too traumatized by this meeting.
In conclusion, I think the one who needs to be more exposed to cats is Rhett. I think they should do a vlog on going to a cat cafe (there surely are some in L.A.) in the near future, without the dogs. And maybe, next time trying to introduce Barbara to unknown animals, do it in a neutral territory. To end this post, here is a lovely family portrait of the four of them together. I’m still very open to more doggy vlogs, and I can’t wait to see what the guys come up with next week!
