I mean that and both for cats and humans.

I was watching Smudge clean herself as per usual and as often happens her tail was twitching. As she cleaned more and faster, her ears started to go back and her tail twitched ever faster.

Finally she wanted to clean her tail, but her tail didn't want to be held to be cleaned and it twitched out of her paws. She got another hold on it and tried again, but this was one desperate tail and it twitched away. This was too much for her and she started chasing this wayward thing and it kept trying to get away. She spun right and proper.

After a moment of this she decided that she had to get away from this ornery thing and raced across the room glancing back and of course the tail was in full pursuit. She ran headlong into a box of videotapes.

The tail was to blame of course for chasing her and so she tried to catch it to punish it. Again she made a good imitation of a whirling dervish but the tail was not to be caught.

Infuriated she ran away from it again and behind the easy chair. When she came out from behind the chair, her ears had gone from being back to flat, she was mad, that tail was "tailing" her.

This was all to much for her now fragile mind. She raced from side to side of the room stopping to try to hit this thing and then tore off down the hall to the bedroom.

I thought this was the end and that she would come strolling out soon all calmed down. I was wrong, very wrong in this belief.

After a couple of minutes and some noise in the bedroom, I wasn't going to look, she came tearing out of the bedroom still being chased by her tail and by Peepers now helping her by chasing her tail. Peepers is the gamemeister around here and anyone having anything resembling fun must play with him (at least if he can get their attention and he usually can).

This was not really wanted by Smudge who now was having trouble trying to figure out which to swat the tail or the slower Peepers. Peepers caught it. Aaahh, Peepers now knew she wanted to play, she didn't or at least not with him.

She launches herself across the room starts frantic cleaning of herself on a chair with Peepers preparing himself to launch himself across the room after her when the tail slaps Smudge in the face. This led to another circular war with the tail and then Smudge launches herself at full speed down the hall and into the bedroom again. Peepers looks a little surprised at how his target has disappeared but being a gamer he follows a full tilt.

After a few more minutes it quiets in the bedroom and Smudge comes tensely walking out with tail in full twitch.

She decides that she is going to rest on my lap, actually on my knees, to get over this.

She is laying there reaching down toward my ankles stretched out on my legs. I start to pet her but her tail is still twitching and is starting to annoy me so I touch it and the tail twitches really hard. Well this is interesting so I touch again and again the tail twitches so hard that half her spine is involved. I am not bright so I do this a few more times, and her ears go back, she digs into my ankles, I shout, she jumps up and onto the ottoman. Ears are flat again tail twitching like mad she starts a frenzied cleaning motion and gets hit in the face with her tail again. She is in full form again.

She starts running about stopping on occasion to get this bizarre tail that keeps following her. One of her stops, unfortunately was on my legs. Have you ever had a crazed cat chase her tail on your lap (fortunately about at knees) then launch herself about eight feet before hitting the floor and disappearing down the hall? I have and it is not a nice feeling. It did remind me that her claws were overdue for trimming.

When she came out of the bedroom later much calmer and laid on my lap I was much more careful and avoided her tail.

Copyright © Larry Osborne
April 16, 2001