Just finished a workout on the weight machine in the spare room, where cats are not allowed: cat tails and moving stacks of weights don't work well together. I haven't tested this, but I know it to be true, so both cats are unhappy as we come out of the room.

I believe they think we are torturing each other in there, judging from the looks on their faces. We also see the occasional paw or two under the door, just in case one of us is lying dead or unconscious on the other side of the door, I suppose.

So I'm still a little shaky, but decide to put some more Diet Cokes in the fridge for tomorrow. During this time, Little Feet sits in front of his food bowl, and starts to take a bite. Just as fumble fingers drops a plastic bottle of Coke, which slams down on the floor, slides across the kitchen, and *!!BANGS!!* into the stove next to Little Feet's bowl.

Well of *course* Little Feet left his fur behind, on his way out of the kitchen (but bugs-bunny-like, it caught up in no time flat), and his tail wasted no time fluffing out.

Now I have to make amends, be the truly humble cat person that I am, apologize, make a blood sacrifice, and apologize some more. Well, he isn't going to make this easy - he hides off to the side of his scratching post (which he never uses), which is next to the couch (so he can run behind the couch).

So I reach down, slowly, making nice sounds, and saying how sorry I am. So he bats my hand, with claws out. Only one thing left to do then.

We have a long piece of yarn on the floor, and i start to dangle it. Little Feet cannot resist a piece of dangly yarn. Apparently Presto can't either, this time, and Presto steps in and spoils the trap, er, apology... While Little Feet looks on with a "See, he always did love you better" look in his eyes.

I finally get Little Feet to come over and play, then pick him up, cuddle him, and apologize profusely. So he gives me a "Oh that. Where's the string?"

Well, I had to try (grin).

New game though - one long piece of yarn, a big stringy knot on each end, and two cats. One pulls on the yarn, the other attacks the yarn. The other one pulls the yarn, the first on attacks the yarn...

Copyright © Mark Edwards
February 2, 2000