Simon's Toy Basket.

Simon has a big basket of cat toys. Well, they are Rocky's toys too, but Simon is usually more interested in them. He used to love picking through the basket and pulling out his favorite toys. Every morning I'd get up to find various toys strewn all over the living room. So cute.

But then Duchess stayed with us. And discovered the cat toy basket. She rooted around in it and managed to find all of Simon's favorite toys. She carried around the cheeseburger, the chirping birdy and the two "presents" that came in the stocking our friend Julie gave to him. After she left, I stuck them all in the bottom of the basket, hoping they would get their cat scent back.

Simon has not touched the toy basket since she was here. I feel so bad about it.

I finally threw out the chirping birdy which Duchess managed to soak while chewing on it. I aired out all the other toys. I left the basket outside all day. But he's still not interested in it.

We bought him some new toys the other day and he has been playing with those. I have not put them in his basket and I guess I won't. Do I have to throw out the whole toy basket? Or all the toys? I'd rather not as there are tons of them in there.

I told Will that maybe it wasn't so much the dog scent, but the fact that he saw the dog playing with toys and realized he did not want to be on the same level as the dog. I don't know. I just hope his toy days are over.