Can't we all just get along?

The battles rage on daily. The war that never ends. That's right, something broke in my head and I decided to share my house with a cat, actually two, and a dog.

The dog is very curious about cats. She will get just out of claw reach and whine while she wags her tail. The cat is not as friendly. The cat wants to scratch the dogs eyes out.

When we first moved in the cats lived upstairs and the dog never left the first floor. Now days, the dog still remains downstairs but one of the cats decided she needs more attention. The cat comes down to sit in your lap and get petted. She will sit on the corner of the computer desk while I am there. When the dog comes in, the cat claws come out and the hissing begins. All this while still sitting in my lap. I'm smarter than the dog and know I don't want to be around a hissing kitty full of claw.

All of this is quite frustrating while you are trying to relax and watch television. The dogs nails clicking on the floor, the whining, the wagging tail hitting your legs, and the cat hissing, all cause my muscles to tense.

To help cure the tension, I made a decision to favor the dog in these situations. The dog ranks higher in the household for me. The biggest problem that remains is that Cari favors the cat.

While watching TV the other night the cat sat behind my head growling and hissing at the dog. Cari yelled at the dog to leave the room. After I told Cari not to yell at my dog, I threw the cat to the floor and watched her run up the stairs before the dog could get a taste. This move was not looked upon very favorably by the wife. That's the night I found out Cari prefers the cat.

Last night we discussed the benefits of each animal. What does each bring to the household? What purpose does each serve?

I still can't figure out what the cat provides except frustration.