SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

he never spoke a word. by (me!) sandra, tvgp

I was home~schooled:    and the cat, who did not even speak one word of English, trained me to interpret his gestures and expressions in under three days.  

what the cat did
what the cat nonverbally communicated
how I responded

***

strut toward my bedroom
"window time write now"
here let me get the door for you...

jumped on my bed
"... the blinds..."
quickly i turn the wand to open the blinds

stare at me
"up!"
quickly pull the cord so blinds go up

jump on window ledge, glance at pull cord then at me
"that damn thing. it annoys me"
immediately tuck the cord out of his way

look directly at me for one second and then out the window
"that will be all"
"may I be dismissed now, sir..." 

***

and it is true.  I am allergic.  but that doesn't stop (me!) from eskimo kissin'; and that doesn't stop me from pet~sittin.

and speaking of pet-sittin'

I have dog only, multiple dog, multiple cat, and dog & cat sat for a few friends over the past couple years and...

in one home, due to a sibling rivalry, the cats needed to be in separate rooms.   -and so in separate rooms I kept them.  I brought one out at a time, to exercise and play..   feed, etc.     and, it seem to me the cat was pretty quick to figure out that when I teased it with a certain string toy...  it was ultimately going to end up in the room with the door shut.

the cat did not want to be shut in the room; it wanted run of the house, at all times.

but!

even though the cat had learned, after my first few successes, that if it chased the toy into the room, I would shut the door..

 even though the cat began to demonstrate a reluctance by not getting too near the door anymore...  

eventually...  her reluctance to go inside the room, lost against her stronger instinct to chase the toy.

so, my patience grew...

because I had learned also..   that

eventually...    

***

and in my most recent cat~sitting adventure..     the backdoor was open for the dog, and, but..   the indoor only cat, got out.

where?

searched the backyard   -nothing.

what feels like a bolt of intuition hits me..    I quickly open the front door.    there is the cat, on the fence.

if I go to grab.. it will flee.

I tease it with a string that is on the ground...

it looks enticed. I'm optimistic.   I wiggle the string...

when I look up again..

there is a second cat on the fence, that looks IDENTICAL to the one I am pet-sitting..

??

I have no idea which is which..

I try to entice them both off the fence, and in the house..  

if it worked, I was going to take pictures, send to owner, and figure out "which is yours?"

I wiggle the string..

when I look up again..   the identical twin cats dash down the fence and out of my visual field.

I call the owner, and try to mask my concern...  

"There are TWO!  I don't even know which one is yours...  this is terrible.. I'm so sorry... and they ran..   I don't know what to do?!  what do you want me to do?"

and the owner said, I don't think, even if the door was open...  my cat would not go outside... look under the bed.. with a flashlight if you need one...  he is a good hider...


and sure enough..

the TRIPLET..     runs out from his hiding place under the bed.


I was suddenly so glad about being unsuccessful with the TWINS on the fence

and

if you ask me to...


pet sit.

I will.


but, i'm like,  Dear Jesus..      will you help me sell some of my art please...

amen.

posted by SHE @ 9:24 PM