There have been some New Year’s changes at our house. Actually, the new year should bring some changes. It’s a great time to evaluate and decide what might be the things that need to be eliminated or what might be necessary to incorporate in our lives.

Which New Year’s changes are you planning to make?

Sometimes changes take place that we have not invited to the party.

Such is the case with us.

If you haven’t noticed, our yards and pet food are now food sources for the wild animals who have somehow increased in number over the past 5 years. The raccoons, the skunks, the possums, the armadillos? None of these pests hibernate. They are continually searching for food. They forage and search all year long. 

You have heard about our cats, Mama, the Feral who is now a big baby, and Belle, the affectionate, brindle cat who rules the roost. These two wouldn’t attack a mouse if it jumped on their paws, and they certainly don’t protest when invaders enter their domain, the garage.

Well, we decided we couldn’t avoid “it” any longer. We needed a dog to guard the yard, and chase these despicable beasts away. Taking on a new pet is a big responsibility. Having a dog, or a cat, or a horse, or any kind of animal that needs constant care ties the owners to that responsibility. 

We adopted a 5-year-old, black female lab from a farmer. When we met her, she instantly flopped at our feet, and rolled over on her back to be loved and scratched. She loves to chase a ball, and can bring it back, dropping it at our feet. She is a winner. 

The cats disdained her immediately. They would not come into the garage through the cat door to eat. The dog, Piper, was oblivious. She had lived on a farm and had no idea that a cat was anything but a friend. Wag tail, ignore. 

So we decided she could sleep outside in a dog house and be the night watchman, and the cats could maintain their position of authority in the garage.

We fixed up the dog house. We dragged it up close to the house, padded the inside with carpet samples, and placed her bowl close to the opening. Nope. She would have none of it. She wanted in the garage. If we closed the small garage door for the dog, she remained outside on the steps. We could see it wasn’t going to work; our plan for a doghouse outside. If she could get into the garage, she would climb into the little separate boxes that belonged to the cats.

So, I relented; bought her a bed, and placed it in the garage next to the cat’s boxes. Perfect. Except the cats wouldn’t go in their beds.

So complicated.

Why O why?

Now I feed her inside, and close her inside the garage when I am feeding the cats. Then I open the door and the leftover food of the cats is fair game. When I place their food up high on a bench or a picnic table, Piper searches for their left-over food and carries the cats’ bowl off into the yard.

We are settled in now with a dog. Our reality. Our New Year’s change. And, thus far, we do not have any raccoons in our cage, no armadillos digging up our lawn looking for grubs, and no surprise possums living in our garage. Ah. victory, we hope.

Happy New Year! Hope your resolutions bring change as well.

Judi Tabler lives in Pawnee County and is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune. She can be reached at juditabler@gmail.com or juditabler@awomansview.