The day that we got the kittens, we went up to the supermarket to buy equipment for them: a bed, a scratching post (so that they wouldn’t scratch the furniture – ha!), some toys, some dishes, a litter tray, some litter, some food…
We didn’t buy anything else, and the lady behind us in the queue noticed the exclusively feline nature of our purchases. She enquired about our cats, told us about hers and said as farewell, “Don’t worry. They’ll soon get you trained.”
Nonsense.
Training cats not to walk on tables - part 2:
a) Cassie and Sirius are now getting used to us waggling a finger at them in reprimand if they walk on a table, and therefore this is becoming less effective. (Well, it was never actually effective; but at least they noticed.) So we’ve moved on to waggling a finger and saying “No!”.
What they now do is to glance over their shoulders, like people in audience participation shows who’re being picked out by the host – “Who do you mean? Not me, surely?” - and, finding no other cat behind them, they gaze at us in innocent puzzlement and continue on their way.
b) Today they started climbing the dining room curtains. Very bad. But we were cunning. We hooked up the (floor length) curtains on to the table. So now there’s a nice soft bit of curtain on the table for the kittens to walk on, instead of nasty cold, slippery wood.
Oh yes, we’re getting these kittens trained.
Oh, my; I'm laughing out loud. Sweet, naughty little things.
ReplyDeleteDelusional, Isabelle?
ReplyDeleteThe lady in the shop was right, you know.
Yep.
I leave my leather flipflops out in a handy place for Marble the stinky-shoe addict to nap on at will. My husband puts his boots away religiously since Marble put fang punctures through the leather of his motorcycle boots while enjoying quality shoe time.
ReplyDeleteWe put a taller occasional table next to the front window to facilitate world watching.
We are trained.
How your life has changed! I love the 'climbing the curtains' comment. Do you find it difficult not to laugh? Our cat Gabby is 14 years old, but I didn't meet her until she was 12. Boyd said that he would yell at her and put her in the garage. She got the hang of it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck,
Joni
Thank you for the chuckle, Isabelle! What an image conjured up by the "lovely little kitties" in my mind! :) Good luck with continued training... :)
ReplyDeleteThey will soon wear you down, & have you behaving yourselves!
ReplyDeleteI do love your kitty stories - it sounds as if you're being effectively trained! They're so adorable, it's hard to be mad at them for very long. And I can't believe you don't have thistles in your garden, in Scotland, no less. Oh well, I love it there -- I guess you get Scotland and I get the thistles -- I'm pulling them up all the time! And now, I'm worried about it seeding -- it's pitch black out there, but I'm thinking I must run out and pull it! ;-)
ReplyDeleteIsabelle, just tell people it's your Egyptian heritage expressing itself. The ancient Egyptians believed cats were sacred and held them in high honour.
ReplyDeleteClearly your kittens are closely connected to Bast, the Cat Goddess.
The kitten has the mosta dorable look on its face.
ReplyDeleteSomeone told me to get a spray bottle of water and squirt it on my cats whenever they got up on the table. I could never quite bring myself to do it though.
ReplyDeleteOur dog has trained us well too. She wasn't allowed on the bed at all at first...then only allowed on the bed when it was almost time to get up...the past few nights she has slept stretched out between dh and me... no doubt she'll have a chair at the dining room table next!
Oh dear! You're beating me to it. I've been fiddling with a draft on this very subject. Must get it done---after I change the cat litter, and go to buy catfood......
ReplyDeleteI knew it. Just knew it. You have fallen in love with those kittens! I love the curtain story.... keep us posted!
ReplyDeleteBe afraid, Isabelle, be very afraid.
ReplyDeleteNext thing you know you'll be jumping through a hoop with a ruff around your neck ...
Happy belated birthday!!
ReplyDeleteOh - just love those kittens - but not sure if I could go back to the episodes of kittens, climbing curtains, scratching furniture and so on - good luck!!!
Isabelle, I am smiling remembering our three cats. Yes, as Rudyard Kipling told us in his story, a cat walks by himself. They are funny creatures, and each one seems to have its own unique personality.
ReplyDeleteThe only dark spot during my snowy holiday is that I miss my kitties. So I am enjoying YOURS albeit briefly, depending on how much change I have.
ReplyDeleteI thought of you today:
The sky is a the precise shade of blue as your mecanopsis.
(if that is the right spelling)
I have a rather dastardly training tool for kitties that walk on the table: a water misting sprayer thingy. They never really believe that it is you squirting them, so they will still love you!
Loving the kitty stories, Isabelle! I had the same problem as you, not being able to type a title for the posting, but I found that by hovering the cursor over the border line at the left of the title area, the little line will appear to allow you to type. Takes a bit of fiddling, but once you've done it, you'll know next time!
ReplyDelete