I worry about him and weigh the stress of the ear cleanings against his ultimate comfort. The ear cleanings seem necessary in the short term, even though they upset him, so that he can be comfortable in the long term. Please forgive me, Riley.
I worry and fret and try to comfort a dog that can't be comforted, which just adds to my worry.
Then I saw this.
Riley has always kept to himself with the cats that he lives with. He doesn't pay attention to them and they don't pay attention to him. That is Stella in the picture, a cat that my husband rescued from a dumpster 3-4 years ago. She was so emaciated and cold that we weren't sure she would survive the night he brought her home, but she did. She is a lovely long-haired tortie and very bonded to our son. She tolerates the rest of us, but really, she's sort of a Diva.
Not only was she interacting with Riley (a first) but she is rubbing on his ears. It's like she knows that is where he hurts right now. I was so taken aback when I saw this that I barely got a picture, sorry it's not in better focus. You can see his chewed up leg, but you can also see him fearlessly accepting comfort from an unlikely nurse.
I wonder what else is going on in this house behind my back...