Cats, dogs and the healing power of laughter
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cottage tales, Fun | 21 comments
Photo: Stone dog holding basket
When I first moved to the countryside 25 years ago, I was given two kittens. I had this harebrained idea that I’d call all my pets names from the shipping forecast areas. It seemed a nice and neat way to progress. Cat wise this was easy. I eventually settled on Finistere and Faeroe (the vet thought this is how Faro was spelt as I had no idea). Dogs would clearly be called Dogger, Fisher and possibly German Bight.
But when I bought my first Min Pin the dog names didn’t seem to suit this diminutive hero. Dogger and Fisher were shaggy dog names, more Spaniel than a Min Pin. Even though a Min Pin is a German Breed, the name German Bight seemed a bit too majestic and would have probably been shortened to Germ.
After a year of being called Nipperty he was eventually christened Fly after a favourite whippet that belonged to my father. Once named, he seemed to get his wings in an instant. Vague tussles with my two cats became a proper 24/7 job. They didn’t like this reorganising of the ranks and eventually one must have fought back. One evening I heard Fly weeping on the stairs. I got up to check what was going on. Fin was at the top and Faeroe was at the bottom. Fly was crouched on a step in the middle of the stairs unable to move up or down.
The cats had won. Like elephants, cats never forget. I’m sure some cats forgive but mine were clearly inexperienced souls. It was war. If Fly tripped out to the garden to have a pee they would close in a pincer movement on the home side of the cat flap. He was too big to kill but teasing him was a game that went on and on.
Fly travelled everywhere with me and would leave the little house with a sniff of pride. But cats are patient. On his return they would always remind him who was boss.
As the cats didn’t have the freedom of travelling in the car they were allowed to sleep upstairs. Fly’s role was to guard the house downstairs until dawn. Then he was allowed to spring upstairs and join us all in the human cat/dog basket. He always crept onto the foot of the bed whilst the cats curled around the pillows at the head.
When the alarm trilled the cats would spring into action, baying for their food. I tend to set my alarm clock half an hour early so that I can bask and doze. The cats didn’t like this at all and would scrabble around my hair, shrieking and pawing. One ghastly day I opened my mouth wide to shout ‘Shut up,’ and Fin put a paw in my mouth.
I was up in a nano second and in the bathroom reaching for the Listerene before I could say, ‘Was that a clean paw?’ ASBO Cats hadn’t been invented back then.
Fin remembered this battle-winning move. From then on the alarm would bleep and I’d open one eye to see a paw hovering. It had to be ventriloquist communication from then on. Fly always remained at the foot of the bed completely silent.
I remembered those old times this evening. Pamela had left a comment on my Millie post, pointing me in the direction of some superb cat and dog animations by Simon Tofield. I’d returned home after a stressful day, so sidelined the supper and immediately browsed to these mini animated movies. I laughed for a good fifteen minutes. Thanks Pamela, they really buoyed me up – it’s easy to forget that laughter is good medicine.
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Hilarious –
I get “Cat Man Do” from approx 3am-5am (when I finally give up & get up) from Nevada every morning; then it’s “Let Me In” (when I pad downstairs, half-asleep) from Moriarty – after this typical bang-thump-crash-meeeeowwww rigmarole I have to actually hide behind the door before he’ll come in – if I even peek outside he plays ‘statues. And then Silli excels at “TV Dinners” – there’s certainly a five-second rule where a warm-&-empty seat is concerned, in this house!
These three episodes make up my typical ‘felis interruptus’ day from beginning to end (I only wish Simon could also animate my daily frustrations with dog, ponies, ducks, hens, sheep etc…often with all of the above participating simultaneously!).
Mind you, I wouldn’t be without these three wonderful catty characters….however mad they might drive me. And as I tap my weary way across the keyboard Silli is sleeping peacefully on a fleece, beside me; butter wouldn’t melt – or so you’d believe if you saw her angelic little face right now. Hmmm….
P.S. Paw stuff – one of my friends had a cat who, if she didn’t get up at ‘his’ allotted time, would carefully unsheath a claw & hook it into the top of her nostril….& then oh-so-slowly, start to increase the pressure….worked every time so I gather (for the cat, that is).
Personally I think I’d rather have the baseball bat – at least then the torture is over quickly!
Animals and children – guaranteed to fill a house with laughter, the best healer of all.
Bless poor Fly, I can just imagine him being terrorised by the cats. Have you ever seen the film Cats & Dogs? We’re word perfect on it, we’ve seen it so many times. I’d highly recommend it for a weekend viewing when it’s freezing outside.
Great link to Simon’s Cats – Big loves xx
love the cats. Our two ‘ outdoor’ cats have ideas of their own as well. Tattycat sits while you are filling her feeding bowl and if she catches you putting dry food in her bowl she will swipe you with her paw, if it’s meat then she is a happy cat. She does keep her claws in thank goodness.
We had a rescue cat called Fred who provided the family with hours of entertainment. His party trick was to fall asleep on top of our small portable telly and gradually slide off untill he fell onto the floor. His slow and gradual descent kepy everyone on the edge of their seats and was far more entertaining than what was actually being shown. One day I had moved the telly to a different place and he managed to fall off it -eventually – onto another cat who was sleeping on a bench below who in turn fell on top of our German Shepard who was asleep on the floor – the ensuing pandemonium was hilarious.
Brilliant post and link. Thanks.
Veronica!!! “In my youth we had a cat called Prudence who adored Brussels sprouts.”
In my youth we had a cat called Prudence who adored asparagus. :-O
Fiona, I’m crying with laughter at the cartoons – the words Chloe and Cliff come to mind!
I missed most of the first cartoon because Chester entered the studio, jumped on the desk, walked muddy footprints evrywhere then placed a big fluffy ginger rear end between me and the screen – sigh…
Thank you for a great start to Thursday morning!
Celia
Awww I feel bad for fly.
Thank you for the laugh, Fiona! The paw-in-mouth is classic! When my cat wants feeding he roams around the bedroom in the dark deliberately pushing objects onto the floor. Breaking the glass of water on the bedside table was dramatically effective — I use plastic now!
Loved the animations, I laughed till I cried too.The cat in the Simon animation is him to a T, he just hasn’t thought of the baseball bat yet.
In my youth we had a cat called Prudence who adored Brussels sprouts. She wasn’t as polite as TobyCat — she would literally snatch sprouts from the fork midway between plate and mouth, and then retreat growling under the table to consume them.
The “Simon’s cat” cartoons are classic. The first time they were fowarded to me I laughed till I cried! I know one morning the baseball bat will be waiting for me with my brood of 5 wanting to be fed, but they usually let the dogs do the dirty work of waking me up. Though my 23lb’er Romeo has been known to sit on my chest till I can’t breathe. Nothing like a bit of asphyxiation to get your day going right!
Cats are always one step ahead. I laughed until I cried at the image of Fin’s paw in your mouth. I’m so glad you enjoyed the videos, anyone who has ever had a cat or even just known a cat, will see their own pet in the action. TobyCat used to sit next to my Dad at breakfast each morning when my Dad would eat bacon and egg before going to work. TobyCat was rather partial to a bit of bacon. When he started to worry that he might be left out he would stretch out a paw and pat my Dad’s arm. However if the cat was spotted with a paw in the air he would give a good stretch and very deliberately put the paw back down, looking away as if he was trying to see what my Dad was looking at. Every morning he did this. He also used to jump on the kitchen window ledge to be let in. Occasionally he would manage to balance there – not easy for a big cat on a narrow, quite high, window ledge – but more usually there would be a scrabbling noise and a fleeting glimpse of the cat before he headed for the back door. I’m so glad you enjoyed the Simon’s Cat videos and I have to tell you that no matter how many times you watch them they are still hilarious. I hadn’t noticed the head falling off the gnome before tonight! And I loved the cat turning off the TV with the remote.