November 19, 2009


My cat is a climber.

And the best thing about Lena’s arboreal activity this afternoon was this: She was climbing the tree for no apparent reason. She was neither fleeing a pursuer nor chasing prey.

She was just climbing a tree — and jabbering her fool head off. Talking to herself.

comments

9 Responses to “My cat is a climber.”

  1. Lucy Foley on November 19th, 2009 at 7:25 pm

    Our cats climb trees too, they race up, then get this look on their faces like they can’t remember what they needed to do there, and sort of fall down. Yes, it is like the Road Runner. They also gallop. I have never seen cats gallop like our cats gallop. They gallop.

  2. Sheila Ryan on November 19th, 2009 at 7:34 pm

    The best is that moment when they stop abruptly and look distractedly about, as if to say, “How did I get here?”

    Lena, too, gallops. She must be related to yours.

  3. Lucy Foley on November 19th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
  4. Sheila Ryan on November 19th, 2009 at 7:58 pm

    The cinder path of wrath

    — I like that.

  5. Daryl Scroggins on November 19th, 2009 at 11:22 pm

    I’m intrigued by the way cats can’t get down from the tree until they see a ladder they don’t want. Somehow I think this could be applied to economic theory.

  6. Sheila Ryan on November 19th, 2009 at 11:28 pm

    Daryl! You must meet Lena!

    She descends a tree as quick as one-two-three. She shinnies partway down, then does a beautiful three-quarter twist and flings herself to the ground.

    I have seen her do this from a point quite high up the trunk of a tree!

    She is not. I imagine, an economically theoretical animal — of any stripe.

  7. Daryl Scroggins on November 19th, 2009 at 11:36 pm

    Oh! I know that twist you speak of, Sheila. It’s like seeing a person open an umbrella in a high wind, and you know what’s going to happen–but then it doesn’t. Cats know how to minimize even momentary awkwardness.

  8. Sheila Ryan on November 19th, 2009 at 11:53 pm

    Cats know how to minimize even momentary awkwardness.

    Well said.

    Would that we all had that gift, she muttered (thinking, as so often, of herself).

  9. Dave Vogt on November 21st, 2009 at 12:26 pm

    There will never be a cat daycare. Cats wanna do their own shit, and fuck you if you don’t wanna be involved. They’ll do their shit without you then, cunt. Just don’t be coming around expecting the cat to give a damn when suddenly you wanna be like “yeah but I feed you so you have to let me pet you” because you have to do that shit, otherwise it’s like, child abuse and they’ll just call CPS or SPCA or whatever.

    I’m sorry, I don’t know where that came from.

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