The Jealous Nala

Our family loves animals. There isn't a dog we don't stop to pet or a puppy we don't ooh and ahh over. My kids try to make pets our of earth worms or lizards and we love to watch the squirrels and chipmunks in the backyard. We also love the school pets, and our school has plenty. We've fostered the rabbit, Spice, the hamster, Hammie and the guinea pigs, Kuawahi and Lily. We loved them so much we would all get teary eyed (well not my husband) when Monday rolled around and we had to take them back to school. In fact, my daughter just got a hamster for her 10th birthday. 

How is Nala with all these critters you may wonder. The only real trouble she had  was with  Spice the rabbit. We think in her mind, rabbits belong outside. They're for chasing, not looking at in a cage, especially in her sister's room. She whined and paced and there was a bit of growling and lunging when she got the chance. With the others, she only displayed a little passive aggressiveness veiled in a vague interest. And though she seems to like our hamster, Neville (we are Harry Potter fans), a little of that PA behavior came out tonight. 

A brief history -usually she goes in my younger daughter's room and chews something. Now Nala is not a chewer, never really had too much trouble in that area, but when she feels left out, she chews. And only my younger one's things. Here's our theory, Nala knows my husband is the Alpha, I'm Beta, next is my oldest daughter, than in Nala's mind, herself. Last on the dog totem pole is our Little One. Nala has chewed a little mermaid's head off, a purse and a necklace, all belonging to Little One. And she doesn't even act ashamed. 

Tonight we had friends over and were playing with the hamster, not Poor Nala. So Nala chewed something else, not in Little One's room, but it was her dress all the same. 

What exactly is she saying? "Hey look at me, I'm more important!" is pretty much how I translate it.

Sorry Nala, we love you most but that's life. 

Makes me wonder what she's really imagining she's chewing while we're playing with little sweet hamster...