separate beds
It broke my heart to do it, but for the last few Cobie and Kelly have been in a power struggle over the dog bed. Well, mostly Cobie, who refuses to go to bed if Kelly's in it. He paces and paces, his tags jingling and jingling, around the bed. Upon giving up pacing, he'd woof at her head a couple of times, which she ignored. Then he'd go lie by the bathroom door and make his wookie piloting a helicopter noise. None of which is exactly conducive to apes sleeping.
And, if he got to the bed first, he'd claw and claw, trying to drag it up in a little ball so he could lie on the entire thing. Greedo. I'd make him unhoard some bed and then he'd abandon it completely, and pace and jingle and rrrrrrrrrow-chuppa-chup-chup his protest.
Well, Cobie's like me, he likes to sleep cold, but Kelly has no fat and no undercoat to keep her warm, so she considers Cobie her personal hot water bottle, which he's tolerated for the almost a year since she got here, but now he's tired of it. Tim doesn't want her in bed with us, although both dogs usually come to bed with me when T-moth gets up, and Kelly's never so happy as if she can lie under the covers in some spot that puts her in both Cobie's and my heat halo. But for the rest of the night she's cold, and Cobie's annoyed, so what else to do but buy her her own bed?
I found a cheap one at Meijer, with a green plush lining and green plaid sides, to keep the draft off her. A cheap one because I didn't know if she'd use it, but I figured if she rejected it Oliver might consent to use it, especially if I put it somewhere he likes to lie anyway. It can't be disassembled for washing though, but did I mention it was cheap?
But she loves it. After bedtime treats she charges over and does the Nestea Plunge into that little bed, and cuddles up against the plush sides like it is her long lost mother or something. Meanwhile Cobie hurries to claw and rake and gather his bed into a little ball so he can hog the entire thing. The first night, after he thumped down onto it, he gave me this look that he has given me very rarely before that says, "You're a freakin genius, ape."
I admit, I have my moments.
Ah sleep.
And just for the record, she's lying on him now, on the sofa, and they're both watching me. Maybe their ears are burning? But it's not like their friendship is over or anything, no fear. Between finals week and the holidays and this past week of appointments, they haven't received the attention they're accustomed to. I think I'll go give them some now.