It can be difficult trying to integrate more than one animal into a house, especially if they happen to be different species. Dog vs. cat is a battle everyone is familiar with at this point, but what other kinds of drama do our pets get up to?
Reddit user u/cieuxrouges wanted to know the juicy details of our pet dramas, so they asked:
from AskReddit
Dogs and cats were, of course, a common theme.
"My mom's 10-year-old cat is staying with us for a few days. Our golden retriever loves cats but has never spent a ton of time around them until now."
"He is absolutely ENCHANTED by her. He follows her around all day so he can watch her do cat things, like scratch a scratching post! Or tinkle in a box! Or roll around in catnip! "
"He keeps trying to roll around in catnip himself and is newly confused every time something magical doesn't happen to him."
"She is unimpressed by her big new friend but we can tell she secretly likes him."
-kingdomofnye
"Cat got a good whack on the dog's nose today. Can't really fault the cat, she made it very clear she wanted to be left alone. Dog didnt get the message until it was too late."
"Message received. At least for a little while. Doggo will try and make friends again soon."
-Juturna_
Cats are vengeful beasts.
"My kitten is stealing food from my older cat's bowl, so the older cat sticks out her paw and trips the kitten whenever she walks past"
-IridiumCow
"My cat is pretty old now so eats small portions of her meals over several hours. My dog has started sneaking into the kitchen and eating her meal before she's done. She then comes back and sees that her food has been eaten and so meows incessantly until someone in the house gives her more food."
"Whenever she sees my dog they have a standoff where she snarls at my dog, so we'll catch them in a "A Few Dollars More" style stare-off many times during the day."
"She also goes and makes it a point to drink my dogs water, instead of her own in retaliation."
-sadirakulio
They are also fickle, and easily confused.
"Well, for a long time (seven years this year) Dusty ate on the right and Misty ate on the left, side by side.
"Then one day earlier this year Dusty decides she doesn't want to be a right-eater anymore, so she has now unilaterally moved over to the left."
"This has completely puzzled Misty, who doesn't understand at all why things have changed, and will now sit there to the left of the bowl watching Dusty eat for a minute before realising she has to go around to the right now."
"The bowls are the same. The food hasn't changed. Dusty just decided the right side wasn't for her anymore and now she wants to be a left-sided eater, and Misty just has to deal with it."
"Cats. I don't know."
-chililily
Poor Doggo.
"Just this very moment, the dog backed up onto the couch because the cat growled at her. The dog really wants to play and be friends but the cats won't give her the time of day."
-catsaway9
Don't forget the rattos!
"We are currently integrating an adult (and fat) rat with three younger ones. He's not aggressive unless they climb into his enclosure, particularly his felt cube. Nothing worrisome though."
"However he's tired of the younger ones smacking him in the face and darting away because he's too fat and slow to catch them."
"Rats can die of loneliness and depression, so it's important for them to have buddies."
"The comments are 50/50, they're either stories about rattos or 'I must be a rat because I'm dying of loneliness.'"
"A rat's brain chemistry is extremely similar to our own, so the depression they feel from being alone is very much akin to our own. Rats are magnificent creatures, smart, clean, and have bright personalities."
"So if you're coming to the conclusion that you are a rat, that means you too are a magnificent creature!" -
----TheFlyingBearCavalry
It seems birds don't get along much better.
"Rescued African Grey hates everyone. Her only joy is terrorizing the cockatiels. Cockatiels protest and evacuate their cage, AG sneaks in to eat their food (she is supposed to be in a restricted diet). No one wins."
-Waterproof_soap
Fishy insecurities.
"I bought a clownfish for my tank recently. My neon goby has been hiding in the rocks ever since. I think he feels like a stranger in his own home now."
-EmotionallyDead
Our pets enrich our lives in ways that other humans just can't duplicate. They give us truly unconditional love, and rely on us to care for them. Living with the drama that comes up between them is just another part of the experience; often it's an extremely entertaining part.
