There’s that little something lurking in that corner…not that one…yes, over there.
Don’t be afraid, unless you want to be. Maybe you get a little shiver of a thrill from a teensy bit of fear.
Not judging.
There’s a little something on that shelf that probably should be left alone. Maybe you have itchy fingers that are twitching to grab it, but it could be bad, very bad. Maybe you’re a little excited by the temptation.
Not judging.
For me, that thing on the shelf is most likely a book. For me, they are the ultimate household danger. Dinner might not get cooked, kitties might not get groomed, kitchen might not get cleaned, and a host of other things might go undone because of a book.
Worse than what might not get done is what might get done. When I read the likes of Calvin Trillin, not only do I flounce down memory lane, but I also get the munchies. Trillin makes me miss the literal and metaphorical spice of New Orleans, the fun of Chicago, the pulse of New York City. And, he makes me want to eat…way…too…much. Dangerous.
Please don’t judge.
On the whole, however, amongst all those dangerous little things, it is the little things that lurk in corners, or on bookshelves (not the books), on beds, on sofas, and even in kitty condos that have the most allure. They know it. They use it.
Mary knows she can just slip into a lap, leave an un-preferred little gift, and be perfectly and completely forgiven, even if there is a dry cleaning bill.
Claire knows that if she plants herself in the right position, all attention will be redirected, appropriately, in her direction.
Amy knows why she gets sung to so much (or is it just me?). Amy approves of the adulation.
Snoop knows how to work a floor. Shifty knows how to work a door (thankfully not a doorknob).
Marjory knows how to get just exactly the right amount of whatever she wants from any of us (I saw what she did to that water bottle. All cats are Newtownian physicists at heart, constantly re-proving the laws of gravity.)
Recently, Billy Jean has discovered her power. It’s the power of all the lurking, purring, stretching, yawning, sleeping, walking, meowing felines in every place and all the time. Theirs is the power of winning our love whether or not they, or we, deserve it.
And cat love?
Well, that’s a something that is very wonderful, but also just a little bit dangerous.