Moosty had a Little Lamb...

Meet the newest member of our household in Obo. Auntie Kissiwa bought him awhile ago, but apparently his previous owner couldn't keep him anymore, so he's been sent to live with us.

Mus and I feel really bad for him, actually. It seems that at his last house, he was treated like a beloved pet. He loves people, and will follow you around wherever you go, and rub up against you legs like a cat. Unfortunately, Auntie Kissiwa doesn't see him as a pet but as lunch, and she keeps him tethered in the corner so he can't eat her plants. This leaves the goat feeling terribly lonely, and he bleats piteously all day long, only stopping when someone's petting him.

The dog, Yennka, is also terribly lonely and thinks the goat is the answer to her prayers. She definitely doesn't see the goat as food; this dog is so domesticated that she literally doesn't recognize raw meat as food. But she thinks that she and the goat should be playmates, and she's doing her darnedest to make friends. I don't think that she has a firm grasp of the cultural differences between her and the goat, however. She jumps about, butt in the air, tail-wagging, and thinks the goat's furious attempts to head-butt her is all part of the game. And then she approaches the goat, all friendly-like, for some social-grooming and is confused when the goat again tries to head-butt her. Doesn't he understand that the games over and it's time to cuddle? I'm pretty sure Yennka thinks the goat is a socially-retarded dog, but figures a dumb friend is still better than no friend at all.

And now the goat and dog are in competition for attention. The other day, Mus took pity on the bored goat and took him for a walk on his rope tether. The goat gladly followed once he figured out what was going on, but the dog was determined not to be left behind. So the walk consisted of Mus, the goat, and the dog. The dog was always trying to lick the goat, so the goat would circle Mus or any other human to try and get away from Yennka, and the end result was everyone getting tied up in the knots while the animals played “Here we go round the Mulberry Bush.”