Hi dog buddies:
Ever know somebody who just lets the stress roll right off his back? My friend Bobby the bobtail tabby cat is just like that. He might as well have his stripes lined up in a peace symbol, because he is just that cool.
Maybe he held his tension at the base of his spine. In a cat, that would be the tip of the tail, wouldn’t it? Well, Bobby doesn’t have a tip of the tail. Maybe that’s why he’s so loose.
Maybe he learned some tricks from his humans, Carol and Pat Rodgers. Pat is definitely a cool cat – he’s always playing harmonica with jazz bands around town. And Carol’s as cool as they come – she substitute teaches at Beachland Elementary, plus she takes Pilates. She’s always stretching her stress away.
Clearly Bobby’s learned some yoga moves from her. His favorite pose is the upward-facing cat – the opposite of the downward-facing dog, of course.
When his humans reach their hands under his front legs, he gives it all he’s got, arching backwards with his paws to the sky. It feels so good, he just shakes all over, Carol says.
You may remember Porter my dog buddy who’s adjusting to life with a new baby, Jaxon. Porter could use a little stress relief with all that’s going on in that household. Pat and Carol are Jaxon’s grandparents, so Porter’s over at their house in Surfside all the time.
Porter’s a real jock. You may see him running with his humans, Derek and Sarah Rodgers. Maybe that’s why when I suggested Bobby give Porter a little yoga lesson, Porter stiffened. Jocks and yoga don’t mix, he says.
But that’s not the only problem. Loosey-goosey Bobby is just too touchy-feely for Porter’s conservative tastes. Even with Bosco, the Rodgers’ old chocolate lab, Bobby was hanging all over him all the time. But somehow, Porter doesn’t feel the love.
Bobby tries his best to loosen Porter up. “Bobby’s like a teenager. He gets going around the house like Fred Flintstone on two tires,” says Carol.
Whenever the Rodgers have people over, Bobby finds a spot on a stool smack in the middle of the party.
Porter sees all that and thinks to himself, Bobby’s got to be 8 years old. But what Porter thinks is immature behavior is just a big dose of vitality in Bobby’s book.
I think Porter ought to relax a little. If football players can take ballet, Porter can try a little yoga. Maybe it won’t have him putting on the dog, but at least he’ll have a taste of what it’s like to be a cool cat.
Till next time,
Raven
