Undercover queen

Ceilidh is the little queen of the house. She's the only furry female that lives with us full-time. She just doesn't like other women much--unless they're human--although occasionally we do babysit my son's little Jack Russell girl. She takes great pride in bossing the boys around, letting them know when they can and can't eat and what toys they can play with at the moment.

She never ceases to make us laugh at her attempts to remain dignified under any circumstances. So we do things like fold her ears back to make her look like Princess Leia from Star Wars. The indignant look on her face is priceless.

Ceilidh (pronounced KAY-lee; Gaelic for party) loves to be covered. Not just part of her, but ALL of her. Totally covered. The more the better. Several times I've nearly finished making the bed before realizing that the lump in the middle isn't a wad of sheets. Haven't figured out how she breathes. I've looked for a snorkel but haven't seen one yet. Although her nose will peek out on occasion.

Each night she shares my mom's bed, comfy under a little blanket. This morning when I let her out of the room, she brought the blanket with her -- still fully covered, head and all. With her sight so impaired, I was waiting for her to run head-first into the wall or tumble down the stairs.

Tonight she was cozied up on the couch with my mom who had lovingly covered her with a throw. When she heard someone go out to the garage, she immediately woke up and started barking, then jumped off the couch with the throw still over her. She couldn't figure out how to get out and go after the intruder, so she frantically ran back and forth barking fiercely the entire time. She looked like the Horta from the original StarTrek. Once we got our laughter under control, Mom rescued her from her bondage and she emerged doing her best to maintain her royal dignity.