Getting an Education at Cat College
From Time to Thyme
By Paula Dunn
It’s June! That means it’s National Adopt-a-Cat Month (or Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, if you prefer) -— the time of year that shelters are not only full of older cats needing good homes, but also oodles of kittens.
If you’ve been considering adding a furry member to your family, now is a great time to do that.
(Before I go any farther, I’d like to make it clear I have nothing against dogs, but I’ve only lived with cats, so that’s where my experience lies.)
There are plenty of good reasons to consider adopting a feline companion, most of which you probably already know. There is, however, one that doesn’t get much attention — their educational value.
Yes, you can learn a lot from cats. For example, I’ve become a whiz at Cat Contract Law!
My initial instructor in that course was one of my calico girls, Chloe. Back in her time, whenever I had shrimp, I always had to share a little with my other cat, Arie. Chloe didn’t care for shrimp, so to be fair to her and to keep peace in the house, I gave her a cat treat instead.
Soon after I lost Arie I was fixing shrimp for dinner and reflecting on the fact that I no longer had to share it when I turned around and saw Chloe standing in the doorway. It was clear from her expression that I had failed to fulfill a contract I didn’t realize still existed.
It didn’t matter that Arie was no longer here, screaming his head off for a few bits of shrimp. She knew I had it. Therefore, by contract she was entitled to a treat.
She got it, allowing me to avoid an appearance in the court of Judge Chloe. (If you think Judge Judy is rough, you should have known Judge Chloe.)
That wasn’t the end of cat contracts in this house. Even though Peyton never met Chloe, he’s done an admirable job of carrying on her legal legacy. Like her, his contracts involve food.
Peyton is known for gobbling down meals all at once, while Beau is a grazer, preferring to nibble here and nibble there. That meant that every time I fed Beau throughout the day, I had to play food cop. If I didn’t keep a close watch, Peyton would stick his head into Beau’s bowl and snarf food up right under Beau’s nose. (Literally!)
I finally got around that by making a contract to toss Peyton a “good boy piece” each time he let Beau eat in peace. Peyton loves chasing morsels of dry food, so he’s actually getting a twofer.
I also have a contract with him for a salmon treat whenever his claws are clipped and because I once made the mistake of letting him have a small bit of a muffin, I now have a muffin contract as well.
Beau is less legally minded. He’s my instructor in Cat Etiquette 101.
According to Beau, canned food is to be eaten on the big freezer, dry food on the floor and tuna is to be served “neat.”
Whenever I have tuna I always have to share a small bit with the boys. I’ve learned that when I rinse the can, I can’t put ANY of that tuna water in Beau’s bowl because he’ll snub it, even though he loves tuna. (One does NOT adulterate the tuna!)
Beau also informs me when to take his dish away by pawing his placemat. (“Oh waiter, you may clear the table now.”)
If you adopt a new furry buddy, you may not find yourself taking these same courses since, like people, every cat is different, but there is one lesson just about all cats teach — that warm fur and a soft purr can do wonders to smooth the rough edges off a bad day.
Paula Dunn’s From Time to Thyme column appears on Wednesdays in The Times. Contact her at younggardenerfriend@gmail.com
