No, this isn’t a post about the weather, although it would be an accurate description for the last couple of days. Storm Alex certainly left everything a bit soggy, that’s for sure.

I have mentioned a couple of times before that we currently have Jet the Labrador living with us, which has been lots of fun, but also a bit of a learning curve.

Caius had a dog when he was very young, but I never owned one, and we have dog-sat for friends multiple times before, but never for more than a week.

Having one all the time is a bit different.

There is a lot of opening and closing doors when you have a dog. I always thought that was a cat thing, but obviously dogs do their business outdoors so require letting out.

And Jet sometimes just wants out for a wander, but then decides it’s too cold, so just as you get back to whatever you were doing before you let her out, she’s knocking on the door to come back in again!

Talking of cats, we weren’t sure how Amber would take to having Jet around constantly. She hasn’t been overly keen on many of our other canine visitors, and Jet hasn’t lived with cats before either.

Luckily, after a bit of grumpy glaring from Amber, they have learned to mostly live in harmony.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am pretty certain that Amber’s feelings on the subject are:

And whilst she will rub against Jet and give her head bops when she is in the mood, she does also quite regularly make a point about it being her house by peeing on Jet’s bed.

Sigh.

But I will take that over hissing and growling and having to keep them apart all the time any day.

And actually, the only time Amber looks truly disgruntled about living with Jet is when she gets slapped in the face by Jet’s happy tail. (This is entirely understandable, Jet’s tail is really quite solid when it hits my shins, I wouldn’t be overly impressed with a thwack upside my head either!!)

They might not be up to snuggling together yet – I live in hope for that one – but they happily stand together in the kitchen whenever anyone makes food, begging for scraps.

It is very cute, albeit sometimes alarming when you turn around and find you have a very intent furry audience staring at you hopefully!

I’m certainly a bit fitter than I was Before Jet, and I definitely know the local area and public footpaths better than ever before.

Having a cat AND a dog in the house is definitely work, but it’s worth it. Yes, even the bit where I have to grab Amber off Jet’s bed before she pees and throw her in her litter tray multiple times a day – that’s actually quite amusing because Jet always looks very confused and Amber most miffed.

Also, they’re cute when they’re wearing matching bandanas.