dogs and cats

November 23, 2025

/ HJ / Leave a comment

i wish we had more windows in our house
that were accessible to the animals as they are
so they could gaze out
at the outside world
and be entertained
from the comfort and safety of our own home

[but the cat has the upstairs window
accessible from a hop onto a litter box
and a jump onto a dresser
and, of course, a skip through the curtains]
[and the dog has the downstairs window
accessible from the couch she probably shouldn’t jump on
or the other downstairs window
accessible from a lap
she definitely shouldn’t jump on]
[so i suppose all can be/is well]

October 9, 2025

/ HJ / Leave a comment

i tap at the window
to get the attention of the cat
i’ve just fed
and the puppy goes crazy
thinking it’s a stranger
tap tap tapping at our door
and so she barks
and poofs up
and howls
to protect her home
and her kips
and herself
and she’s so brave

October 8, 2025

/ HJ / Leave a comment

sometimes
i’ll do things
with no one around
that are so dramatic
i feel
i obviously
did them for an audience

but am i
an audience of one

or do i really want to influence
the animals here
that i’m that
ridiculous

?

[either of these could be
the for real
truth]

September 12, 2025

/ HJ / Leave a comment

guest cats upstairs
and our animals down
trying so hard to figure out
what’s going on

the puppy
sniffing
and snoofing
and investigating
hardcore

and the cat
just kinda
hissing
every time she passes
that door

and the orange cats
seemingly
unaware of it all

February 7, 2025

/ HJ / Leave a comment

at least our animals exist

i don’t know how much of the outside world
i could survive
knowing about,
if i didn’t have giant puppy dog eyes
and happy puppy tails
and gentle cat purrs
and quaint cat meows
and wonderful little animal cuddles
to come home to every day
[or even stay home with
when the world is too much]

[how in the world do folks without pets
(and with depression)
survive?]

September 5, 2024

/ HJ / Leave a comment

when we first met
kip wasn’t sure
if they’d be able to be with me
long term
because i insited that i
didn’t like
dogs

but as they got to know me,
they saw how much i loved all animals
no matter what, so then they
started to share stories
of dogs being so good
and introducing me
to dogs here and there
and observing
and guiding
until the concept of us getting a dog
was raised, and i said “maybe”
that maybe, after volunteering with a shelter, became a “probably”
and then a “yes” with so many caveats
and then a “yes” with a couple of caveats
and by the time we helped Louka into our lives
those caveats were gone
and now i can’t even say whether i’m a dog or a cat person
in black and white terms
because i love all cats and all dogs
so so so so so so much

and i am so thankful to my kip
and my dogs
for teaching me just how wonderful
dogs are

February 18, 2023

/ HJ / Leave a comment

the cat
has her zoomies
up and down the upstairs hall
back and forth
from bathroom to
under-the-bed

and we
(below the galloping stomps and stomping gallops)
ask

“is she having more zoomies than usual?”

“isn’t she a senior cat now?”

“is she maybe training to play with the puppy
once the puppy is all healed
and is allowed to play once more?”

i hope hope hope hope hope
the answer to that last question
is yes

September 8, 2022

/ HJ / Leave a comment

the puppy
and the cat
are not mortal enemies

they may, in fact
simply be
frenemies

(though,
perhaps
that’s all from the cat’s
perspective

the puppy
100% believes
they’re besties

or at least could/should be.)