Work & Stuff

Bonnie wishes it was five o'clock. Friday was a whole week in dog years

Last Friday I took Bonnie to work with me. I knew it was going to be a quiet day and I fancied having some company. She did enjoy the lunchtime walk in Tardree Forest but I’m afraid the other part of the day was not a success. She has decided that the office environment is not the place for her. It is much too boring. From this Monday onwards she will be resuming her usual occupation - Polytunnel Security and General Cat-Bothering.

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Before coming to us Bonnie had spent most of her life chained up. She did not know how to play and did not understand the concept of playthings. All she had to call her own then was a battered and cracked leather collar. Eventually I got round to replacing this rough collar with another one in soft red leather. Maybe I only fancied it, but I'm sure she was pleased to get rid of that stiff old leather collar that had, over time, rubbed off all the hair under her chin.

For a long time her new collar was her only possession. She wasn't interested in balls or toys. It took her nearly a year before she properly learned how to have fun.

Then, while clearing out Pearlie's stuff, we came across The Squeaky Cracker and Bonnie took possession of it. No other dog dared look at it. That was the beginning of Bonnie having ‘stuff’. She’s got a pile of stuff now. Squeaky toys are her special favourites. Her soft toys must not have hard plastic noses or eyes. These will be carefully gnawed off. The Squeaky Cracker is still the number one toy and it is kept on my bed. If she can’t find it she frets. Sometimes I think she was actually more carefree when she didn’t have all this ‘stuff’ to worry about.