Another sulubrious use for chicken fat

Last night at about 2 am our dogs suddenly sprung into alertness and ran to the front window. Toby especially began barking and singing and whining frantically, so I got up to see what the fuss was about.

Our house sits up on a hill where we have a broad view of the street corner and the neighborhood. I think our dogs take very seriously their responsiblity to keep watch over the realm, to monitor the comings and goings of all creatures across our lands, and to investigate anything fishy. Which, last night at 2 am, included a virtual cat convention on the street corner. There was no fighting - our carport is the approved neighborhood locale for all catfights and cats in heat - just lounging. There they were, like a bunch of drunks in front of the corner liquor store, just hangin'. The dogs were beserk.

I couldn't quiet them down. I couldn't let them out to wake up the whole neighborhood with their barking, which I knew from experience would do nothing whatsoever to intimidate the cats away from their post. I coaxed, I commanded, I sprayed them with water.

"I don't know what else to do," I said to Enrico. "Toby is beside himself."

"I'll take care of it," Enrico said, climbing out from under the covers. As I tucked back in, I heard him rustling in the kitchen, and the cacophony soon stopped. When he came back to bed, I asked how he'd done it.

He'd fed them each some chicken broth. So simple, and yet so clever. The cats were completely forgotten.

Of course the dogs think that after morning food comes time up on the bed! Because usually after their breakfast, we let them hang out with us. How were they to know that it was only 2 am and the chicken soup wasn't breakfast? So to keep the peace we had to invite them up. It was a snug night in the bed, all together. But at least it was quiet.