2. Once upon a time there was a border collie named Dixie.
Dixie was a very happy puppy and she loved to play. Dixie
would play with anyone who would play with her. She was
very friendly. Every time her mommy and daddy had visitors
come to their house, Dixie was the first to greet them and
would always sit in their lap to let them pet her. That’s just
what kind of puppy Dixie was.
2
3. One day Dixie was playing
with her favorite toy: her
fetch ball. Dixie loved to
play fetch. She was really
good at it. She always
remembered to bring the
ball back and she never
forgot to chase it. Dixie
had chased the ball many
times that day. Her
mommy had thrown the
ball over and over for her.
Dixie was very excited.
But then her mommy said
she was going to the store
and would be right back.
Dixie knew that she would
get to stay and play with
her ball by herself so she
did not think anything else
of her mommy leaving,
until her mommy got back.
3
4. When Dixie walked back inside she could tell something was different.
There was a new smell in the house. Dixie was sure she had never smelt
that smell before. It was a new smell. But Dixie was confused. What
could her mommy have gotten at the store that smelled like that? It
wasn’t food. She knew that for sure. Dixie started to get excited. Maybe
her mommy had brought her a new friend to play with in her yard.
4
5. Dixie walked into the
living room to see what
her mommy had brought.
In the floor was a box
with the door open. Dixie
was so excited! Her
mommy really had
brought her a new friend.
5
6. Dixie excitedly walked up to
the box and tried to say
hello. But it was not what
Dixie had expected. There
were two new friends in the
box. But they were not
puppies. They were not
puppies at all.
6
7. In the box were two sets of
yellow eyes. Dixie didn’t
know any puppies with
yellow eyes. Suddenly,
Dixie knew what her
mommy had brought home.
7
8. Cats. Two cats. What was her mommy thinking?! Didn’t she
know that puppies and cats didn’t get along? Why would
her mommy bring friends who wouldn’t like Dixie?
“Be nice Dixie. They live with us now,” her mommy told her.
8
9. Dixie decided that she should
be nice and try to introduce
herself to these two new
friends. She walked right up
and she did what any nice
puppy would do. She slapped
her two front paws right down
as hard and she could and
said “I’m Dixie! Let’s play!”
9
10. Except the cats didn’t do what a puppy
would have done at all! They growled at
Dixie. She was so sad. All she wanted to
do was welcome them to her house, but
they just wouldn’t have it.
10
11. Dixie didn’t
know what to
do. She had
never had to
be friends
with a cat
before, and
now there
were two
sitting in her
living room.
11
12. Dixie spent the next few days doing everything she
could think of to make her two new friends like her.
That’s what Dixie called them: her friends, because
that’s what she wanted them to be. She was sure that
she could make them like her. She tried everything.
She tried to let them go outside with her, but they
wouldn’t go.
12
13. She tried to share their
food with them but they
thought she was stealing
it. She tried sharing her
bed with them but they
took over! She tried
knocking their water
over to play in like she
did with hers but they
said she was making a
mess. She knew it was a
mess! That was the
whole point! It was so
much fun! Those cats
just didn’t understand at
all.
13
14. Once she had tried everything she
could think of, Dixie tried a new idea.
She tried doing one last thing that she
would have tried with a new puppy
friend: she decided to chase them.
14
15. This was her worst plan
yet. She began chasing
them, and at first, they
ran. But it wasn’t the fun
kind of running. It was
the scared kind. Then
the worst possible thing
happened. They turned
around and hissed at
Dixie and they tried to
slap her.
15
16. Dixie was so sad. She didn’t know what
to do. She had done everything she
could think of to make the cats like her.
She had done everything she would have
done to make a puppy like her. She was
sure it should have worked. But then
Dixie realized something. “These aren’t
puppies at all! I know what I’ll do!”
16
17. So Dixie tried a new
idea. She started
thinking like a cat!
Dixie started rubbing
up on the kitties when
they walked by. At
first, the kitties were
shocked! They said
“maybe she isn’t so
bad!” So Dixie started
letting the kitties eat
without sharing and
the kittens started
being nicer to Dixie.
But Dixie wasn’t sure
they liked her just yet.
So Dixie had one
more idea to try.
17
18. The one thing
that Dixie
knew the
kitties like
best was
simple. They
loved taking
naps. So Dixie
jumped up on
the couch one
day and let the
kitties sleep
right next to
her without
bothering
them.
It worked!
The kitties
stayed with
Dixie and
didn’t leave
for the whole
nap! She was
so excited!
She had
finally gotten
the two
kitties to like
her.
18
19. Then, Dixie and the two kittens
began spending all of their time
together. They took all of their naps
together and Dixie never tried to
share their food. Sometimes she
would even share her food with
them. This made them very happy.
The cats were really starting to like
Dixie, too. Sometimes they would
even let her chase them around the
house.
19
20. One day, they all played with the same toy together
and they all had so much fun. They became best
friends. Dixie could not have been happier. She
had finally gotten the kitties to like her and she had
two new best friends.
20
21. One day Dixie was outside
and her neighbor dog told
her that his family had gotten
a cat and he didn’t know
what to do. Dixie told him,
“It’s simple! All you have to
do is think like a cat and do
what they like!” Dixie was so
proud of herself. She had
invented a new way to make
friends.
21
22. Dixie was so excited that
she went back inside and
tipped the water bowl
over so that the cats
could help her play in the
water. The cats looked at
her and said “Dixie, we
like you but you’re still
messy.” But Dixie didn’t
care. She knew the cats
would eventually come
around to that, too.
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