Saiga's Notes

Not long before age 15, my cat got tired of living. Her daily activities shrinked to eat / sleep / piss / sometimes groom. She lost affinity to playing and galloping around as before. Instead, she dragged along, a pale shadow of her lively self, skinny, uneven thin fur. Once or twice a year, a hormone rush turned her into a restless noisy creature with insatiable hunger for being caressed so that my wife dubbed her Scratchbelly. I was much worried and sought a solution. Through thinking, reading and conversations I finally found a fresh look on the life that we gave to our cat. She lived in a flat, always indoor. Never gave birth to kittens, serving as a walking decoration and an amusement for humans. In her dwelling, nothing stayed unexplored or unfamiliar. All games been played, all corners been sniffed. Sick of chasing balls and feathers. I was determined to get my pet out of that hole and my wife supported me. So we embarked on a plan to change the life of the cat... and us. Since ...

Pets and children are small and don't have the power, an adult's privilege. Yet, both are skilled manipulators thanks to well-developed intuition. My cat Shakira uses the family members to get what she wants. The other day she was messing about with my ankles demanding her supper. But I was busy and didn't pay attention. Then, she sat right in the middle of the gateway leading to the kitchen, the bathroom and the toilet. She was sitting there a few yards away from me quietly and patiently. It was brilliant. Soon, my wife stumbled upon her and immediately shared her surprise with me: "Watch the cat! Why is she sitting here?" Chalk up a point to the pet. But I was busy still. After waiting a little longer, the cat walked to the bathroom door and sat in front of it, her tail and back to the door. That was my son who called out: "Look, the cat’s a bathroom guardian!" Two points. I capitulated and fed the cat ahead of other work. Such ingenuity just has to be...