Way out West (incorporating Way up North)

the daily battle...

Now that winter nights are fair drawing in, the cat has begun to realise that down at one end of the house there is a cosy warm bed, usually with two warm bodies occupying it. This has resulted in some terrible late night tantrums when he is confined to the living room (for those among you who might think we are being cruel I should just point out that he has the choice of a cat basket in the kitchen with a retired cashmere jumper to sleep on, or a persian salt bag stuffed with goose feathers in the living room, both are next to storage heaters).

This being a farm, activity starts at daylight, and we generally stir quite early, mostly to put the radio on and subside back into drowsiness until we actually have to get up. The cat has taken this to be an invitation to interract, and starts to shout the place down at the first sign of life. He can usually be placated with breakfast, but if you aren't quick enough, he'll have a trough, then follow you back to bed. As I am still on crutches, he has time to eat a three course meal, and will still beat me, so the Arts correspondent has been taking on those duties. If, however we don't let him come to bed for a bit, he will try to break down the door.

Once he gets his way, he jumps up onto the bed and curls into an inoffensive ball, purring politely whenever any attention is paid to him. The battle of wills comes once the Arts corrspondent has gone to work and I get up to do my physio exercises, the cat studiously ignores the wierdness with giant rubber bands etc, and pretends that he is not there. When the time comes to evict him, however, it is less easy, he can be gently lifted off the bed and propelled in the direction of the door, but then I have to get up on my crutches during which he scuttles past me and jumps back onto the bed. I then have to kneel down on the bed to evict him again (poking with a crutch has no effect, gone are the days when they scared him), and while I am getting up, he runs past me again. Repeat several times, adding variations like; hiding behind the curtains, under the table, bed etc, and you have my morning. Needless to say, once I have finally succeeded in getting him out of the bedroom, he goes straight to the saltbag, and curls up as though nothing has happened.

For those who appreciate these things, this is one of my favourite National Film Board of Canada animations;

http://www3.nfb.ca/animation/objanim/en/films/film.php?sort=cc&id=17537

or if it isn't playing

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/27652/the_cat_came_back/

posted by Lampy @ 11/11/2008 11:44:00 am