Tanner and Duncan got going at it the other day.  Both are a little over a
year old, late neuter gibs.  Tanner has a strong paternal instinct, while
Duncan is full of mischief.
 
I bought some stuffed toys for them to play with: a dog, rabbit, Kola Bear,
and Teddy Bear.  They already had a small stuffed dog and rabbit.  I placed
the new toys down on the floor.  Duncan came over and nosed them around,
scattering them everywhere.  Tanner then picked up each one and put it in a
"ferret pile" by the door, stood back, then decided that they needed to be
safe.  He hauled them under the china cabinet and piled them up there.
 
Last Sunday, I saw all of the toys piled in the lower level of their three
level tower.  Tanner would check on them from time to time.  Once, while
Tanner was off eating, Duncan ran over and climbed in.  Tanner went nuts
when he saw that.  He tried all which way to drag Duncan out.  He grabbed
him by the back, the tail, the neck, the ears.  Finally Duncan had enough
and ran out.  Tanner went in and checked each and every "kit."  He then
began carrying them, one at a time, up to the second level.  He had most of
them up there when Duncan sneaked over, grabbed the small dog and carried
it off behind the tower where he dropped it and went off to play.
 
Tanner came down and carried up the remaining "kits."  After the last one
was in place, he got this puzzled look and frantically began looking around
for the small dog.  He even went back up the tower and pushed through the
pile of toys with his nose.  No dog.  He jumped down the tower and began
searching outside.  About that time I told him, "Tanner, it's over there,"
pointing to where Duncan hid the dog.  Tanner ran over to the toy, sniffed
it and carried it off to his new nest.  He came back down and camped out at
the entrance as if daring Duncan to try that again.
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 2419]