Mathilde Tahar & Pippo
ph. Amedeo Abello
text by Clara Bouteille
In the snow or in the rain, Pippo the border collie and Mathilde run together for miles. Meanwhile, Étincelle, the house cat, stays in the warmth of the bed, waiting for Mathilde's return. Everyone has their moment!
A very good ‘bad decision’!
I am a professor of philosophy. Currently, I am doing my thesis in the philosophy of biology, which originally deals with the theory of evolution. I enjoy saying that, by next year, I will be focusing more on animal behaviour, which was not at all the main subject of my thesis.
I've had a cat for 12 years, Étincelle, an absolutely atrocious name chosen by my boyfriend at the time. I also have had a dog, Pippo, for three years.
Étincelle and Pippo, it is complicated. Or rather, it was complicated. He is a housecat who, when he was about 9 or 10 years old, saw a dog for the first time: Pippo. I would come home sometimes and find Pippo with a bloody nose... Some of my friends would show me pictures of their dog and cat cuddling: We are not into that kind of relationship at all. In time, they get along better.
I used to have cats as a child. My mother loved them very much, so we always had a cat at home. But I never had a dog, probably because my parents didn't want the constraints that come with it.
So when I got Pippo, I had no knowledge of dogs. It turned out to be a very good "bad decision". Today, my mother likes to say that she doesn't like dogs except for Pippo.
When species meet
I have been reading books on animal behaviour since I adopted Pippo. Unlike a cat, which is an autonomous animal, a dog requires a real education for life in society. These readings have profoundly challenged my way of interacting with my dog. Obviously, I made a lot of mistakes at the beginning.
Donna Haraway, the author of "When Species Meet", says that we should be polite to our animals: accepting that we don't know what they are thinking, but that we might assume that they understand much more than we give them credit for. I enjoyed developing this with Pippo, and in my spare time during covid, it has indirectly resulted in my creation of his Instagram @pippolechienfou.
Whether it's snowing, windy or raining, we go running
I run a lot. I like not having to talk to anyone.
When I took Pippo, I asked about the breeds that would be able to follow me for a few kilometres. Whether it's snowing, windy or raining, we go running. I never used to run in bad weather before, it is something I've developed with my dog. We run 4-5 times a week, rarely under 10 km. In the first few minutes of our track, he will do anything... until he gets focused. There aren't many other moments when we connect like this.
I have developed a different approach to training: before, I used to focus on performance. But now I pay attention to him. We stop from time to time so that he can have a drink or something to eat. Sometimes he also comes and pushes me as if to signal that it's time for me to drink. We run to the Canal Saint Martin sometimes as far as Sevran. The run is our moment.
That time when...
Étincelle had something in her mouth. Thinking she had an abscess, I went to the vet. They decided to keep her all day, without telling me what she had. The waiting was driving me a bit crazy, so I went for a run with Pippo (I never bring my phone when I run, but that day, while waiting for news from the vet I took it with me). We were more than 10 km from home when I learned that my cat Sparkle had cancer with no cure. Of course, there were tears, but I had to get home quickly. Then we set off again. Pippo is usually in front of me during the run, and this time he stayed close to me all the way home, licking my legs. It was a very special moment, very emotional. Since then, Étincelle has been weakened by illness, and Pippo spends his days following her, looking after her.
