A Tale of Mistaken Identity- that ends in injury.
So on Saturday I decided it was time to take the plunge. My husband was away for the week and I figured it would be a shock for him to come home to. (I was right) I decided this time we were going for a short short clip early so it is short for muddy tick season but will have grown in a bit for sun season. As most of you know the change from a full coated sheepdog to one clipped with a #10 blade everywhere (including the face) is drastic. It broke my heart to shave off all of his beautiful hair, but I know it's for the best. It filled up almost an entire black garbage bag. Leonard is THRILLED with this new haircut and he sat still and allowed me to clip his entire self, even his face without even waking up. It turned out nice for my first attempt at a total cut and I will likely go over a couple spots I missed to tidy it up. I bathed him thoroughly and it was kinda nice to have a dog who was dry with just a towel and 10 minutes of running around the house. The problem is with my cat (formerly known as Leonard's sidekick/play mate). He is convinced that there is a large, bouncy strange dog in the house, this dog keeps chasing him (a game Leonard has had with the cat since he was a puppy). There has been blood shed and Leonard's eyelid is completely cut open as he goes after the cat thinking they are playing and the cat goes nuts and attacks him. It has been 24 hours and it is only getting worse. The cat turns into a wild cat like I have never seen before when he sees Leonard. We have them separated but the cat is howling and won't shut up. Of course Leonard being Leonard he keeps running to where the cat is locked up, tilting his head and whining as if to say, "Hey! Let him out he's not happy in there!" The problem is as soon as he sees his friend he runs up to greet him and is met with claws, growling and hissing. He doesn't know how to react to that as it isn't their usual rapport so he chases the cat with his typical bounce as if to say, "Hey! It's meee!" . He looks like a bruiser with cuts all over his nose, ears, eyelids, paws and head. We have put some of the leftover antibacterial cream from his frostbite incident on his cuts and are separating them permanently. The cat doesn't react to my other dog as he didn't get a haircut. Leonard seems to LOOOVE his haircut and is extra playful, also the 24/7 panting has stopped and he seems to sleep better. I don't really care for the look, I think he looks like a cross between a Dalmatian and a doberman. I had always had clipped sheepies growing up in a hot climate but I am having trouble adjusting to seeing such a little dog with a longer nose instead of a puffy muppet with a fluffy head. I know it will grow back fast! He currently has a sock and is bouncing around the house shaking the sock and tossing it so he can fetch it. Now only to convince the cat that this is indeed his pal in disguise.  Pictures to follow. |
|
|
 -face before and after -Half way through picture, Lion-ish -Before and after plus his position through most of the cut (sleeping on my knee) |
| He looks great. Sorry about the cat. |
I think he looks great!  Sorry the cat is having a hard time adjusting. When we had Sam shaved, I was afraid our cats would react the same way. They didn't seem to care. Then again, they don't seem to care about much as long as they are fed.  |
| He looks great! But like a completely different dog so I get where the cat is coming from. I suppose he smells different too after his bath. |
| Ouch! For everyone's sake, I hope your cat recognizes him soon. |
| Day two... cat made the mistake of coming upstairs when Leonard was out in the yard and when the dog came back in he freaked out. He has no problem with our other dog. Giant fight ensued including broken stuff knocked over by the cat. Got home and the dogs accidentally got downstairs and the cat ran out and ambushed the poor guy shredding his nose open. Can't have them in the same part of the house and you'd think the cat was in so much pain based on the howling and yowling which is all day and all night. Hoping his hair grows back in soon!! From puppy cut last year back to full coat only look a few months. I am not a fan of his current look, I think it will be puppy cuts from now on! He was just so beautiful with his long hair. |
Next time leave his head full and fluffy and trim his body as the lionish look is cute and cat might recognize the face  . Hope the cat cheers up soon. |
He's awful cute shaved down.  Can you perfume Leonard and the cat with the same scent? It helps some animals become used to one another quicker when you introduce them. Or rub catnip or a couple of drops of catnip oil on Leonard? |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|