Patience ...

It has taken a long time for Molly to learn patience. Even now, she finds it difficult, but she is trying very hard.

Jess takes a long time over breakfast, Molly gobbles hers as fast as she can. When we first got Molly, she would immediately barge Jess off her bowl and grab what she could before we intervened. At that time, Jess was fairly tolerant - she allowed this to happen without complaint.

We started the habit of feeding them in separate areas. At first, Jess was in the hall and Molly in the conservatory - the connecting doors being closed. This worked in keeping them apart during meals, unless one of us wanted to go somewhere. Molly would immediately squeeze through the open door and Jess would lose out again!

In fact, the battles were not fought over meals (which we more or less controlled), but over treats. In the last year or so, there have been a couple of occasions when Molly has decided that she was going to have something of whatever Jess was having. Eventually Jess decided that enough was enough - and let Junior know it in no uncertain terms.

Now Molly is a little more wary. Jess is dining outside (she eventually became tired of being shut in the hall), and Molly is waiting for the sign that all is clear. She will stay like this for quite a while, until eventually Jess lifts her head from her bowl. Then Molly will be off like a shot to see if any crumbs have been left. The one thing she is adamant about, however, is that she will not eat any pills which Jess has failed to finish!