It's Saturday evening and Polly was in her favourite place by the radiator fast asleep. I quietly turned the... no stop right there... I pressed the computer 'on' button, a little furry head lifted itself off the floor and a (yes just one) blurry eye opened and stared straight at me. I quickly turned and looked at the screen hoping Polly would go back to sleep, she had that 'look' in eye, you know, the sort your mother gave you before sending off to school in the morning.

The mouse is behaving itself and all the right buttons get clicked but I have this feeling I'm being watched, I nervously turn to look behind me as on other occasions this feeling has been followed by 8 needle sharp kitty claws being embedded in my back... Polly is sat on the floor right behind my chair and without waiting for an invitation she jumps straight on to my lap (headbutting me on the chin in the process). She does a few turns round my lap trying to find the softest spot to park her b*m.....looks me straight in the eye... and starts to wash my left hand which I had moved from the keyboard so she could get comfortable.

Polly has never got the hang of washing properly like other cats, she always ends up looking like she's been out in very heavy rain... my hand got the 'treatment', first the back was licked, each finger was done separately and in order starting with my thumb. Then she turned her attentions to the palm, do any of you know how much it tickles having the palm of your hand licked ? My palm must have been very dirty because she had to do it twice with particular attention to the bits between my fingers, she had a quick go at chewing my fingernails but decided they were a lost cause, by now my hand was covered in wet sticky... Cat Spit... lots of it... Polly having achieved her aim (whatever that was) gave me a 'that will teach you' look jumped down on to the floor and curled up by her radiator and went back to sleep.

I'm still trying to figure out *what* I did to offend Polly!!

Copyright © Shirley Holland
December 2, 2001