Biological Imperative – ND #124

Finding Zen in the CC – ND #124

Biological Imperative

In case you didn’t get the veiled reference I made back in this post, our little Pacha and Brutus aren’t babies anymore. No, it would appear eight months of age heralds that magic moment when puppies (our puppies, at least) begin feeling their oats and desiring, with a biological imperative of epic ferocity, to sow them.

Yes, yes. Their plain old, standard issue crate has gradually morphed from being labeled the ‘Red Crate’ (so named since the last week of April) to the ‘Chastity Crate’ last night.

While Pacha felt a bit punk and confused over the bodily changes that started almost two weeks ago, she took a lot of comfort in bonding with me. All of a sudden, our notoriously rebellious and sassy Pacha became Mommy’s Girl Pacha – a role that surprised both of us. She stuck to me like Velcro. And to be clear, it wasn’t because she was trying to get away from any of the males or felines in the household. None of them were bugging her. It was simply a case of her needing to be understood without having to say a word. In other words, she needed some girl time a la The Red Crate*.

Brutus asking, “What????” – Photo: L. Weikel

And Then Everything Changed

As far as her flowering womanhood went, Brutus was curious and a little puzzled why she wasn’t seeming to want to play as much. He knew something was ‘going on down there,’ and he was happy to make sure she wasn’t dying. And while we did of course have to call him off (and her off him), the tackling of each other wasn’t happening overwhelmingly more often than it ever did. The two of them have always wrestled and messed around.

As it happens, I ran into a friend at Pet Smart yesterday and told her that Pacha was coming into her womanhood. (Becoming a bitch, while technically accurate, definitely holds far too much judgmental baggage.) She proceeded to tell me a story about her dad and how he thought he’d built some excellent pens for their dogs when they went into heat. Well. Their males apparently became so infatuated with their biological imperative that they literally ripped boards off the sides of the pens to be with their girls. Long story short: in no time there were 40 puppies.

She laughed when I said we seemed to be keeping them away from each other without much trouble.

I swear, I got home and what I’d sensed shifting that morning had become utterly manifest while I was out shopping (at Pet Smart, for one). Brutus has suddenly become a relentless rut-seeker. He is more single-minded than I have ever seen any animal be. And it has suddenly become a two person job to keep him off her.

It’s astounding.

Brutus not liking the CC quite as much as Pacha – Photo: L. Weikel

Enter the Chastity Crate

And so now the Red Crate had become the Chastity Crate. They take turns being inside it, since we don’t want it to feel like a punishment to either of them. Neither really seems to mind, although they’re both obviously sad and miss playing with their best friend.

When the lust becomes too much, there is some whining and digging at the CC. But they don’t get anywhere, so they eventually get tired and fall asleep.

To be honest, Pacha seems to enjoy being in the Chastity Crate more than Brutus, presumably because it’s a respite. Brutus simply looks forlorn and seems to wonder why his world has changed so drastically when all he wants to do is L-O-V-E his Pacha.

Sigh.

I feel you, Pacha-girl – Photo: L. Weikel

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(T+124)

New Togs – ND #119

New Togs (to them, anyway) – Photo: L. Weikel

New Togs

Pacha and Brutus no longer fit in their old coats. As I wrote recently, the coats that used to hang over the ends of their behinds now creep up their backs and look more like short-waisted jackets. After Sheila and Spartacus grew out of things (or eventually passed away), I never threw out the clothes and harnesses that were still in ‘good’ shape. As a result, every once in a while I dig into our coat closet and pull out the gigantic Zip-loc bag in which I stored them. I find treasures that both remind me of Pacha and Brutus’s predecessors, and give the pups new togs to flash about town.

We have the cold snap of last week to thank for my resurrection of these older jackets. While I did retire their reversible plaid jumpers, I vowed not to replace them with the latest fashion until the fall. So when the temperatures plunged last week, I was relieved to find I’d saved a pretty decent selection.

The photo I’m leading with tonight actually has both Brutus and Pacha wearing Sheila’s old jackets. The purple parka Brutus is wearing almost certainly won’t fit him soon either, but it’s perfect for now. Spartacus had a golden yellow jacket just like the purple one of Sheila’s – but he wore it, and beat up on it, until it literally lay in tatters. (No, I didn’t try to salvage that one!)

So Pretty in Her Ladybug Fur – Photo: L. Weikel

Ladybug Fur

Pacha’s bright red ensemble, comprised of patches of faux red fur on a black thermal material, is what we call the Ladybug Fur. Sheila wore it proudly. She stepped out with an unmistakably jaunty air whenever she wore it – and so I was especially delighted to find it fits Pacha ‘to a T.’

Yes, yes, I could’ve put it on Brutus. But the truth is, our little girl is a woman now. So last week, when that became apparent, instead of putting a red drape over their crate*, I found the Ladybug Fur. (Let me assure you, she’s still provided with the requisite privacy and ‘alone time’ she needs when Brutus, especially, is a bit too interested in this latest development.)

Ah yes. Springtime.

How quickly our babies grow up.

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(T+119)