This week's "Raising Duncan" comic (about two writers, their Scotty–the eponymous Duncan–and their cat) is very familiar: there's a thunderstorm and Duncan is afraid and cowering while Brambly the cat tries to reassure him. Somewhere in her third year Willow suddenly became afraid of thunder. She clings close to our legs when "the sky growls" and on a stormy night would retreat as close as she could to Bandit's cage, as if he would protect or reassure her.

We see a lot of Willow in Duncan; it must be a terrier thing as a whole.

Speaking of Willow, her nose is solidly out of joint where Pidge is concerned. She got quite used to being an "only dog" from the end of January, despite her running to Bandit during storms, and apparently looks at the junior member of the pack as being a little interloper. Even if we greet and caress her first, she gets insecure if we talk to the bird and inserts herself in the space. Last night James sat on the top step of the stairs up to the kitchen as he usually does to give her a few minutes of "up close and personal" attention, but instead of snuggling she just kept staring downstairs where I was talking to Pidge while putting his cage cover on.

That answers the question of what she would do if we got another puppy. We've talked about getting a smaller dog, Yorkie or Chihuahua sized, so she wouldn't be intimidated, but if she's jealous of Pidge, who at the moment sits in his cage all day over her head, imagine how she'd act with a little dog in her territory, getting the pets and scritches she figures are her due!

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 8:33:00 AM

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