Olga hates this cat.
To be clear, she hates all cats. But this cat, in particular, is her sworn enemy. It lurks behind this brown gate, which has a little cat-sized hole cut into it. We pass the gate every morning on our walk. And every time, Olga has to....
...shove her face as far into that cat-hole as she can get it. If the cat is on the other side, it often comes out swinging.
They've never actually fought, because I always pull Olga back. But that cat sometimes follows us out onto the sidewalk, just to make sure we're leaving. It's a tiger! And you can't blame it, really -- it's just defending its turf.
I'm always afraid whoever owns the cat is going to come out and yell at me, but I just can't resist allowing the animals a frisson of excitement.
In other news, the management company for our flat sent a handyman over yesterday to take care of some minor problems -- cracked floor tiles, a ceiling that needed painting, a broken doorsill and a gate that wouldn't close, among other things. He worked pretty much all day, and supposedly will get answers about a few other repairs we'd like to have done, including carpet replacement (or simply removal) in the dining room, repainting the kitchen and possibly re-enameling the bathtub.
Meanwhile, Dave made plans for a tree surgeon to visit us next week and give estimates for removing the holly (won't Mrs. Kravitz be thrilled?) and trimming a few other trees. Now that we're leaning toward staying here as renters, we're trying to spruce things up!
You sound like you have good agents. We are also lucky like that, our agent is usually very quick to do the repairs. I like the fact that we don't have the worry of loose roof tiles etc.
ReplyDeleteI love the rear view of Olga with her head through the cat hole.
Briony
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The only way to spruce things up is to plant a few spruce trees.
ReplyDeleteYou better watch that cat, he/she has the looks of an enormous invoice from the vet incl. stitches, one of these days.
ReplyDeleteI bet that cat and Olga live for those daily encounters. They know they can safely show the other one who's the boss and what each would do if they just had the chance!
ReplyDeleteHank lived in an apartment once that was in such bad shape that when the landlord finally did send someone over, the guy walked in, looked around and said, "Buddy, you're f**ked."
Taking out the holly? Really? Well, okay.
I'm sure Olga is not the only dog that smushes it's face through the cat hole. sounds like a good decision to stay especially since your landlord is responsive to repairs and the garden!
ReplyDeleteDog and cat egos are huge. All of them think they can beat the crap out of anything.
ReplyDeleteThat cat looks very menacing. I'm glad Olga stops by to give her a good talking to! Good luck with the trimming the holly and all the sprucing up.
ReplyDeleteSo impressed by your handyman repairs. I need a handyman over here to do similar sorts of repairs. It makes such a difference when it doesn't feel as if your house is falling into shabby unchic. i hope to be inspired to pursue these repairs, soon. your example helps.
ReplyDeleteThat cat looks as though it is simply waiting for the next dog challenge to come along and liven up its day.
ReplyDeleteAlphie
Briony: Actually, our agents can be VERY slow. It usually takes weeks/months of complaining to get anything done. This visit was the culmination of an effort that began back before our apartment was inspected by the agents in April, and they confirmed then that some of these repairs were needed.
ReplyDeleteYP: Ha! Dave wants to plant some trees, actually. Spruce it will be! :)
Sabine: Olga did get swiped across the nose by another cat, but fortunately a vet visit was not required. I agree that this cat, given a chance, could probably do some damage!
Ms Moon: Wow! You know it's bad when the handyman just gives up straight away!
Ellen: Yeah, I think that cat waits there specifically for passing dogs.
Red: It's true! And the smaller the dog, the bigger the ego!
Robin: The holly will be more than trimmed. It will be removed entirely. It really is an ugly tree -- and I'm a tree lover and do not take these decisions lightly!
37P: Make a list and call one up! It is the best feeling in the world to get a long-standing problem fixed.
Alphie: Definitely! It's a thug cat!
This post just makes me smile! I'm glad everyone is getting their jollies with no real danger involved :)
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