Avoiding a Catastrophe or They're Not Just Fluffy You Know

What can you say about cats
That hasn’t already been said
There are legends and myths
Even Hieroglyphics
And plenty of books to be read

Although they are not
Universally loved
And the reason for sneezing for some
Sheer numbers aside
Facts can’t be denied
To many they’re gifts from above

So why should I try to add even more
Beyond what's already been told
Compared to folklore and tales
My efforts might pale
So it might be considered quite bold

I love animals all
And I have to admit
Cats are close to the top of the list
I decided I must
Risk causing a fuss
And add my own words to the mix

As much as we love them
We must face the facts
Their finicky habits won’t keep it in check
We’ll love them to death
If we just can’t accept
Cats get Fat

Get Over It

There’s such a thing as stalking

            There are people I can call

 Why can’t you see it’s not meant to be

             No matter what you saw

 It wasn’t a tease or even a glance

             The whole encounter was just by chance

 The view through that window was dim at best

             I’m afraid you just imagined the rest

 You have got to stop calling late at night

             Your obsessiveness is just not right

 And even if I let you in

             What makes you think love would begin

 I really don’t want to break your heart

             But the only choice is to stay apart

 There are things you just don’t understand

             That would get in the way of romantic plans

 Long before her heart could be won

             The fix was in, the deed was done

 Makes no difference how you carry on

             She will resist your fatal charms

 I know you think that your all that

             But after all, Tom, you’re just a cat

Cats In A Box or Please Don't Try This At Home

Some dear friends asked me to house and pet sit while they were on vacation.  They had three beautiful cats with wonderful personalities and I wanted to photograph them as a Christmas gift.  The cats didn’t seem to mind my trying to arrange them in a group over and over again.  They just didn’t seem to understand the purpose and disassembled themselves after two or three seconds before I could frame a good shot.   The few times they stayed together they refused to look directly at the camera, at least all at the same time.  I knew if I wanted a picture developed and framed before my friends returned that I would have to come up with something fast.

There was a tall, narrow box waiting to go out with the trash and the thought struck me that it was just big enough for 3 cats to sit in comfortably.  If all went well, I would be able to get a good shot looking down into the box from above.  I carefully placed each cat inside then climbed on a chair next to it so it would look as though I was facing them at a normal angle.  Everything was working perfectly.  The cats were all staring up at the opening at the top with wide eyed wonder.

I am not sure what happened next.  All I know is someone hissed and the three beautiful faces in the bottom of the box became a writhing, hissing, screaming ball of fur.  I screamed too as I imagined my friend’s faces when they came home to 3 bloodied cats.  I knocked the box over hoping they would sort themselves out but that only confused them more.  I finally had to pick the box up and pour them out onto the floor still a tangled mess of heads, paws and tails.  Thankfully they scattered in different directions.  There were no injuries and I did get a good shot but take it from me, don’t try this at home.

Curiosity

Curiosity killed the cat

But satisfaction brought him back

You never hear that second part

For if you did you might just start

To wonder, question and inquire

The need to know a burning fire

Leading to obsessiveness

That gets you into quite a mess

Since 9 lives aren’t ours to spend

We best remember curiosity’s end

To find our satisfaction, face it

It’s safer on a need to know basis