Year of the Dog (I say Cat)

Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Dog according to the Chinese Calendar - so as you can imagine I'm in a really celebratory mood. Like, hip hip hooray... I don't think so.

Do you realize what this means? For the next 365 days or so, dogs will be gloating under the spotlight of adoring humans all over this part of the world. They'll be spoilt rotten as bringers of good fortune.... Its such a disgusting image - dogs are just bringers of dirt, foul smells and excess saliva. Just the thought makes me feel like coughing up a furball.

It goes without saying that it should really be the Year of the Cat - actually every year would be far more fitting. Much easier to remember and you wouldn't have to humiliate yourself by having to be nice to lower species. But having said all of that, there are two dogs living in my place - there's no way I can avoid this situation.

I really don't have any time for the little rat in pretence of being a dog that calls itself 'Joey'. The light that sparkles in its eyes has nothing to do with intelligence. Its just the first spark of complete and utter insanity that I'm sure will ignite sooner or later.


An... understanding

But the big, lumbering brown one, the one known as Cocoa - well I must reluctantly admit that she's almost cat-like in her intellectual capabilities. We have an... understanding. She is allowed to approach me - and I'm allowed to smack her repeatedly in the face without retaliation.

So reluctantly, with such pain that I was put off my food for about ten minutes, I gave this day to Cocoa, so that at least she could bask in the glory of knowing this entire year was dedicated to her kind - although my generosity will last for just 24 hours - can't be too soft with them you know.

Of course the other compelling reason is that my humans are already rather soft on Cocoa - for some strange reason they treat her like a human child and she complies by being overbearingly cute. You wouldn't catch a cat stooping so low (well not in public anyway).

Cocoa and her 'mother' watch as Dragon dancers announce the Year of the... Dog

So every now and again I have to drag Cocoa back to reality and down to her rightful position in the pecking order before she gets too carried away with all the gooey stuff.

Anyway Happy Chinese New Year, Cocoa. Enjoy it while you can...