Mozart

I feel sad for our cat, Mozart. He's probably nearing 20, he's got only one eye, he's lost many of his teeth (including all of his front fangs), and now... he's been banished from the house. It's a terrible thing to be evicted at the end of your life.

Ever since Sean's dog Maqz moved in, it's Maqz who has had the run of the entire place, except for the basement laundry room, which remains the sole property of Mozart the one-eyed cat. My brother David feels sympathy for Mozart, and so do I. Maqz is a very cute, smart dog, but it seems unfair that the cat, who used to be king of Château Hominidé, has been, for the most part, shut out.

The reason for this, according to the parents, is the fear that a resentful Mozart might charge Maqz and put out one or both of his bulging chihuahua eyes. I think it's likely that Mozart would indeed react badly to Maqz's presence. In fact, Dad confirms that, on the one occasion that the two animals actually met, Mozart did try to scratch the dog. But I also think that, given the chance to meet, the animals would quickly come to terms with each other. After all, the cat tolerated the previous dog, Velcro (yeah; I named him).

I told the parents that, given how fast and smart Maqz is, it would be a good idea to allow the animals to meet, get their conflict out of the way, and then settle into a routine. Maqz would, in my opinion, survive largely unscathed. The parents, however, remain convinced that the cat would slash Maqz to ribbons. I disagree. Maqz has amazingly quick reflexes, and at two years old, he's not a naive little puppy, either.

Animals have distinct personalities, so predicting their behavior is as dicey as predicting human behavior. Still, I'm pretty sure that Maqz would be able to handle himself, and the cat would eventually condone Maqz's presence in the house. In the end, the cat would come to an understanding with the dog, and as a side benefit, both animals would have full run of the house.


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