Zzzzzzzz . . .
Whew! After a wonderful week of celebrating the Word Wenches' 8th anniversary, Sparky is all tuckered out! Time to catch a little shut-eye to recharge the batteries.
And once those batteries are recharged, what better way to expend some of that energy than going outside to smell the air. This is something Sparky can't get enough of. I'm sure there are many new and exciting scents wafting about.
My, what a lovely, fresh smell!
Green grass, new leaves, growing things. Divine!
Next on the agenda is mouse hunting. In a very short period of time Sparky learned that patience is the key. Find a vantage point, sit absolutely still, and when a mouse or shrew appears, POUNCE!
High atop Mt. Lookout, waiting for an unsuspecting mouse or shrew.
Patience pays off! A nice fat shrew is the reward.
Play time! Toss that mouse, fling that shrew! (Sorry about the blurred picture. Mom was trying to get artsy.)
Now, for a bit of grass as a palate cleanser.
And finally, a nap in Mom's wastepaper basket, where I shall dream of plans for my very first birthday in two more weeks! (June 6, in case anyone was wondering) *g*
I am laughing myself silly! What a great ending to a nice Sunday. Your pictures are so great, and I think you *did* succeed in being artsy! How do you manage to have a camera handy? Is this planned? By the time I retrieve my camera when I see mine doing something cute (or naughty!), they’ve stopped and look at me like, “Ho hum, what’s up, Mom?”
I am laughing myself silly! What a great ending to a nice Sunday. Your pictures are so great, and I think you *did* succeed in being artsy! How do you manage to have a camera handy? Is this planned? By the time I retrieve my camera when I see mine doing something cute (or naughty!), they’ve stopped and look at me like, “Ho hum, what’s up, Mom?”
I am laughing myself silly! What a great ending to a nice Sunday. Your pictures are so great, and I think you *did* succeed in being artsy! How do you manage to have a camera handy? Is this planned? By the time I retrieve my camera when I see mine doing something cute (or naughty!), they’ve stopped and look at me like, “Ho hum, what’s up, Mom?”
I am laughing myself silly! What a great ending to a nice Sunday. Your pictures are so great, and I think you *did* succeed in being artsy! How do you manage to have a camera handy? Is this planned? By the time I retrieve my camera when I see mine doing something cute (or naughty!), they’ve stopped and look at me like, “Ho hum, what’s up, Mom?”
I am laughing myself silly! What a great ending to a nice Sunday. Your pictures are so great, and I think you *did* succeed in being artsy! How do you manage to have a camera handy? Is this planned? By the time I retrieve my camera when I see mine doing something cute (or naughty!), they’ve stopped and look at me like, “Ho hum, what’s up, Mom?”
LOL! Thanks for the compliment, Donna. I do love taking pictures of my critters, and Sparky is the most interesting subject of them all!
I always have my camera within arm’s reach, where I can grab it at a moment’s notice. You learn to do that when you live with comical animals. All my critters have been blessed with oversized funny bones.
It’s getting more and more difficult to get good shots of Sparky because she’s become very camera wise. Many of her pictures show her with squinted eyes or with her head turned, to avoid the flash. When I turn on the camera, she knows the sound when it fires up and will often stop whatever she’s doing, or disappear around the corner.
Also, mine is an older digital camera that makes a beep when you depress the shutter button halfway down to focus, and before I can press the button all the way down to snap the picture, she’s turned her back to me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve framed the absolutely most perfect picture, only to be foiled because the camera has a slight delay between the time you depress the shutter and the time it actually takes the picture. What’s especially frustrating is that just after you’ve pressed the shutter, you see the frozen image of that perfectly timed photo in the viewfinder and know you’ve hit the jackpot, only to realize that the camera’s delayed timing means you don’t get that perfect shot, but end up with a shot of what happened 1 or 2 seconds later.
Case in point: Sparky played with her shrew like a mad woman, tossing it in the air and doing acrobatic (and often hilarious) leaps after it, while I followed her, taking shot after shot, thrilled because I was getting such wonderful action shots. Of the 15 pictures I took, not one (not ONE!) turned out due to the camera’s delayed timing. It was heartbreaking, and I’m still mourning those lost pictures.
Still, I’m always the optimist, so I take pictures almost every day, and once in a blue moon I manage to capture a good shot. When I do, I’m happy to share them with Wench readers who, like me, are big cat lovers. *g*
LOL! Thanks for the compliment, Donna. I do love taking pictures of my critters, and Sparky is the most interesting subject of them all!
I always have my camera within arm’s reach, where I can grab it at a moment’s notice. You learn to do that when you live with comical animals. All my critters have been blessed with oversized funny bones.
It’s getting more and more difficult to get good shots of Sparky because she’s become very camera wise. Many of her pictures show her with squinted eyes or with her head turned, to avoid the flash. When I turn on the camera, she knows the sound when it fires up and will often stop whatever she’s doing, or disappear around the corner.
Also, mine is an older digital camera that makes a beep when you depress the shutter button halfway down to focus, and before I can press the button all the way down to snap the picture, she’s turned her back to me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve framed the absolutely most perfect picture, only to be foiled because the camera has a slight delay between the time you depress the shutter and the time it actually takes the picture. What’s especially frustrating is that just after you’ve pressed the shutter, you see the frozen image of that perfectly timed photo in the viewfinder and know you’ve hit the jackpot, only to realize that the camera’s delayed timing means you don’t get that perfect shot, but end up with a shot of what happened 1 or 2 seconds later.
Case in point: Sparky played with her shrew like a mad woman, tossing it in the air and doing acrobatic (and often hilarious) leaps after it, while I followed her, taking shot after shot, thrilled because I was getting such wonderful action shots. Of the 15 pictures I took, not one (not ONE!) turned out due to the camera’s delayed timing. It was heartbreaking, and I’m still mourning those lost pictures.
Still, I’m always the optimist, so I take pictures almost every day, and once in a blue moon I manage to capture a good shot. When I do, I’m happy to share them with Wench readers who, like me, are big cat lovers. *g*
LOL! Thanks for the compliment, Donna. I do love taking pictures of my critters, and Sparky is the most interesting subject of them all!
I always have my camera within arm’s reach, where I can grab it at a moment’s notice. You learn to do that when you live with comical animals. All my critters have been blessed with oversized funny bones.
It’s getting more and more difficult to get good shots of Sparky because she’s become very camera wise. Many of her pictures show her with squinted eyes or with her head turned, to avoid the flash. When I turn on the camera, she knows the sound when it fires up and will often stop whatever she’s doing, or disappear around the corner.
Also, mine is an older digital camera that makes a beep when you depress the shutter button halfway down to focus, and before I can press the button all the way down to snap the picture, she’s turned her back to me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve framed the absolutely most perfect picture, only to be foiled because the camera has a slight delay between the time you depress the shutter and the time it actually takes the picture. What’s especially frustrating is that just after you’ve pressed the shutter, you see the frozen image of that perfectly timed photo in the viewfinder and know you’ve hit the jackpot, only to realize that the camera’s delayed timing means you don’t get that perfect shot, but end up with a shot of what happened 1 or 2 seconds later.
Case in point: Sparky played with her shrew like a mad woman, tossing it in the air and doing acrobatic (and often hilarious) leaps after it, while I followed her, taking shot after shot, thrilled because I was getting such wonderful action shots. Of the 15 pictures I took, not one (not ONE!) turned out due to the camera’s delayed timing. It was heartbreaking, and I’m still mourning those lost pictures.
Still, I’m always the optimist, so I take pictures almost every day, and once in a blue moon I manage to capture a good shot. When I do, I’m happy to share them with Wench readers who, like me, are big cat lovers. *g*
LOL! Thanks for the compliment, Donna. I do love taking pictures of my critters, and Sparky is the most interesting subject of them all!
I always have my camera within arm’s reach, where I can grab it at a moment’s notice. You learn to do that when you live with comical animals. All my critters have been blessed with oversized funny bones.
It’s getting more and more difficult to get good shots of Sparky because she’s become very camera wise. Many of her pictures show her with squinted eyes or with her head turned, to avoid the flash. When I turn on the camera, she knows the sound when it fires up and will often stop whatever she’s doing, or disappear around the corner.
Also, mine is an older digital camera that makes a beep when you depress the shutter button halfway down to focus, and before I can press the button all the way down to snap the picture, she’s turned her back to me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve framed the absolutely most perfect picture, only to be foiled because the camera has a slight delay between the time you depress the shutter and the time it actually takes the picture. What’s especially frustrating is that just after you’ve pressed the shutter, you see the frozen image of that perfectly timed photo in the viewfinder and know you’ve hit the jackpot, only to realize that the camera’s delayed timing means you don’t get that perfect shot, but end up with a shot of what happened 1 or 2 seconds later.
Case in point: Sparky played with her shrew like a mad woman, tossing it in the air and doing acrobatic (and often hilarious) leaps after it, while I followed her, taking shot after shot, thrilled because I was getting such wonderful action shots. Of the 15 pictures I took, not one (not ONE!) turned out due to the camera’s delayed timing. It was heartbreaking, and I’m still mourning those lost pictures.
Still, I’m always the optimist, so I take pictures almost every day, and once in a blue moon I manage to capture a good shot. When I do, I’m happy to share them with Wench readers who, like me, are big cat lovers. *g*
LOL! Thanks for the compliment, Donna. I do love taking pictures of my critters, and Sparky is the most interesting subject of them all!
I always have my camera within arm’s reach, where I can grab it at a moment’s notice. You learn to do that when you live with comical animals. All my critters have been blessed with oversized funny bones.
It’s getting more and more difficult to get good shots of Sparky because she’s become very camera wise. Many of her pictures show her with squinted eyes or with her head turned, to avoid the flash. When I turn on the camera, she knows the sound when it fires up and will often stop whatever she’s doing, or disappear around the corner.
Also, mine is an older digital camera that makes a beep when you depress the shutter button halfway down to focus, and before I can press the button all the way down to snap the picture, she’s turned her back to me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve framed the absolutely most perfect picture, only to be foiled because the camera has a slight delay between the time you depress the shutter and the time it actually takes the picture. What’s especially frustrating is that just after you’ve pressed the shutter, you see the frozen image of that perfectly timed photo in the viewfinder and know you’ve hit the jackpot, only to realize that the camera’s delayed timing means you don’t get that perfect shot, but end up with a shot of what happened 1 or 2 seconds later.
Case in point: Sparky played with her shrew like a mad woman, tossing it in the air and doing acrobatic (and often hilarious) leaps after it, while I followed her, taking shot after shot, thrilled because I was getting such wonderful action shots. Of the 15 pictures I took, not one (not ONE!) turned out due to the camera’s delayed timing. It was heartbreaking, and I’m still mourning those lost pictures.
Still, I’m always the optimist, so I take pictures almost every day, and once in a blue moon I manage to capture a good shot. When I do, I’m happy to share them with Wench readers who, like me, are big cat lovers. *g*
Oh dear, aren’t I the chatty one! Sorry for the mini-novel, above. Get me talking about cats or cameras and I don’t know when to shut up! *g*
Oh dear, aren’t I the chatty one! Sorry for the mini-novel, above. Get me talking about cats or cameras and I don’t know when to shut up! *g*
Oh dear, aren’t I the chatty one! Sorry for the mini-novel, above. Get me talking about cats or cameras and I don’t know when to shut up! *g*
Oh dear, aren’t I the chatty one! Sorry for the mini-novel, above. Get me talking about cats or cameras and I don’t know when to shut up! *g*
Oh dear, aren’t I the chatty one! Sorry for the mini-novel, above. Get me talking about cats or cameras and I don’t know when to shut up! *g*
I hope you don’t find little “presents” from Sparky, unawares… The classic cat move is to put them where you’ll find them with your bare feet!
It’s been a delight watching Sparky mature. Given the wonderful photos which you do get, I can only gasp in awe at the ones which got away!
I hope you don’t find little “presents” from Sparky, unawares… The classic cat move is to put them where you’ll find them with your bare feet!
It’s been a delight watching Sparky mature. Given the wonderful photos which you do get, I can only gasp in awe at the ones which got away!
I hope you don’t find little “presents” from Sparky, unawares… The classic cat move is to put them where you’ll find them with your bare feet!
It’s been a delight watching Sparky mature. Given the wonderful photos which you do get, I can only gasp in awe at the ones which got away!
I hope you don’t find little “presents” from Sparky, unawares… The classic cat move is to put them where you’ll find them with your bare feet!
It’s been a delight watching Sparky mature. Given the wonderful photos which you do get, I can only gasp in awe at the ones which got away!
I hope you don’t find little “presents” from Sparky, unawares… The classic cat move is to put them where you’ll find them with your bare feet!
It’s been a delight watching Sparky mature. Given the wonderful photos which you do get, I can only gasp in awe at the ones which got away!
Never apologize for 1) mini-novels – you know I love to read, 2) cats – I’m a huge fan too, and Sparky has become a “virtual pet”, or 3) cameras – I used to take tons of pictures myself (which is why I asked), but once I made the switch to digital (my camera is two, maybe three, years old now), I just don’t love it as much as my old Pentax. I probably just need to learn more about digital photography and what my camera can do.
Your pictures are so great that you certainly make it look easy – even if it is a process!
Never apologize for 1) mini-novels – you know I love to read, 2) cats – I’m a huge fan too, and Sparky has become a “virtual pet”, or 3) cameras – I used to take tons of pictures myself (which is why I asked), but once I made the switch to digital (my camera is two, maybe three, years old now), I just don’t love it as much as my old Pentax. I probably just need to learn more about digital photography and what my camera can do.
Your pictures are so great that you certainly make it look easy – even if it is a process!
Never apologize for 1) mini-novels – you know I love to read, 2) cats – I’m a huge fan too, and Sparky has become a “virtual pet”, or 3) cameras – I used to take tons of pictures myself (which is why I asked), but once I made the switch to digital (my camera is two, maybe three, years old now), I just don’t love it as much as my old Pentax. I probably just need to learn more about digital photography and what my camera can do.
Your pictures are so great that you certainly make it look easy – even if it is a process!
Never apologize for 1) mini-novels – you know I love to read, 2) cats – I’m a huge fan too, and Sparky has become a “virtual pet”, or 3) cameras – I used to take tons of pictures myself (which is why I asked), but once I made the switch to digital (my camera is two, maybe three, years old now), I just don’t love it as much as my old Pentax. I probably just need to learn more about digital photography and what my camera can do.
Your pictures are so great that you certainly make it look easy – even if it is a process!
Never apologize for 1) mini-novels – you know I love to read, 2) cats – I’m a huge fan too, and Sparky has become a “virtual pet”, or 3) cameras – I used to take tons of pictures myself (which is why I asked), but once I made the switch to digital (my camera is two, maybe three, years old now), I just don’t love it as much as my old Pentax. I probably just need to learn more about digital photography and what my camera can do.
Your pictures are so great that you certainly make it look easy – even if it is a process!
What a bright spot in my day to read about Sparky’s day.
What a bright spot in my day to read about Sparky’s day.
What a bright spot in my day to read about Sparky’s day.
What a bright spot in my day to read about Sparky’s day.
What a bright spot in my day to read about Sparky’s day.
Aaaah, Donna, we must be sisters separated at birth! Love of cats, love of photography, love of cameras . . . yup, sisters!
I agree with you about cameras. I still have my ancient Minolta SLR, even though it is broken and hasn’t been used in eons. I miss the quality of the pictures that I used to take with that Minolta.
However, once I got a digital camera, I loved the instant gratification aspect of being able to see your pictures instantly. My digital camera was given to me several years ago by a friend who had inherited a newer model from his friend. So I shouldn’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth, but it is truly frustrating about the delayed timing aspect of my inherited digital camera.
Regardless, I’m delighted Sparky has become a virtual pet and that you enjoy my pictures. *g*
Aaaah, Donna, we must be sisters separated at birth! Love of cats, love of photography, love of cameras . . . yup, sisters!
I agree with you about cameras. I still have my ancient Minolta SLR, even though it is broken and hasn’t been used in eons. I miss the quality of the pictures that I used to take with that Minolta.
However, once I got a digital camera, I loved the instant gratification aspect of being able to see your pictures instantly. My digital camera was given to me several years ago by a friend who had inherited a newer model from his friend. So I shouldn’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth, but it is truly frustrating about the delayed timing aspect of my inherited digital camera.
Regardless, I’m delighted Sparky has become a virtual pet and that you enjoy my pictures. *g*
Aaaah, Donna, we must be sisters separated at birth! Love of cats, love of photography, love of cameras . . . yup, sisters!
I agree with you about cameras. I still have my ancient Minolta SLR, even though it is broken and hasn’t been used in eons. I miss the quality of the pictures that I used to take with that Minolta.
However, once I got a digital camera, I loved the instant gratification aspect of being able to see your pictures instantly. My digital camera was given to me several years ago by a friend who had inherited a newer model from his friend. So I shouldn’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth, but it is truly frustrating about the delayed timing aspect of my inherited digital camera.
Regardless, I’m delighted Sparky has become a virtual pet and that you enjoy my pictures. *g*
Aaaah, Donna, we must be sisters separated at birth! Love of cats, love of photography, love of cameras . . . yup, sisters!
I agree with you about cameras. I still have my ancient Minolta SLR, even though it is broken and hasn’t been used in eons. I miss the quality of the pictures that I used to take with that Minolta.
However, once I got a digital camera, I loved the instant gratification aspect of being able to see your pictures instantly. My digital camera was given to me several years ago by a friend who had inherited a newer model from his friend. So I shouldn’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth, but it is truly frustrating about the delayed timing aspect of my inherited digital camera.
Regardless, I’m delighted Sparky has become a virtual pet and that you enjoy my pictures. *g*
Aaaah, Donna, we must be sisters separated at birth! Love of cats, love of photography, love of cameras . . . yup, sisters!
I agree with you about cameras. I still have my ancient Minolta SLR, even though it is broken and hasn’t been used in eons. I miss the quality of the pictures that I used to take with that Minolta.
However, once I got a digital camera, I loved the instant gratification aspect of being able to see your pictures instantly. My digital camera was given to me several years ago by a friend who had inherited a newer model from his friend. So I shouldn’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth, but it is truly frustrating about the delayed timing aspect of my inherited digital camera.
Regardless, I’m delighted Sparky has become a virtual pet and that you enjoy my pictures. *g*
HJ, alas, Sparky does indeed bring her little “presents” into the house despite my admonitions. And yes, I have found them in the dark with my bare feet. It turns you into an instant Mexican Hat Dance expert.
I agree with you that it’s been delightful watching Sparky mature. I think she’ll always be a kitten at heart, but each phase of her development has been so much fun, and despite my camera woes, I’ve gotten some great pictures of her.
HJ, alas, Sparky does indeed bring her little “presents” into the house despite my admonitions. And yes, I have found them in the dark with my bare feet. It turns you into an instant Mexican Hat Dance expert.
I agree with you that it’s been delightful watching Sparky mature. I think she’ll always be a kitten at heart, but each phase of her development has been so much fun, and despite my camera woes, I’ve gotten some great pictures of her.
HJ, alas, Sparky does indeed bring her little “presents” into the house despite my admonitions. And yes, I have found them in the dark with my bare feet. It turns you into an instant Mexican Hat Dance expert.
I agree with you that it’s been delightful watching Sparky mature. I think she’ll always be a kitten at heart, but each phase of her development has been so much fun, and despite my camera woes, I’ve gotten some great pictures of her.
HJ, alas, Sparky does indeed bring her little “presents” into the house despite my admonitions. And yes, I have found them in the dark with my bare feet. It turns you into an instant Mexican Hat Dance expert.
I agree with you that it’s been delightful watching Sparky mature. I think she’ll always be a kitten at heart, but each phase of her development has been so much fun, and despite my camera woes, I’ve gotten some great pictures of her.
HJ, alas, Sparky does indeed bring her little “presents” into the house despite my admonitions. And yes, I have found them in the dark with my bare feet. It turns you into an instant Mexican Hat Dance expert.
I agree with you that it’s been delightful watching Sparky mature. I think she’ll always be a kitten at heart, but each phase of her development has been so much fun, and despite my camera woes, I’ve gotten some great pictures of her.
Jackie, if you think reading about Sparky brightens your day, try living with her! She’s definitely a pistol.
Her latest endearing habit? Doing a one-two hop onto my lap and then my shoulder when I’m in the bathroom . . . (ahem) sitting down. She comes into the bathroom and stares at me for a minute, and then faster than the eye can see, she (1) leaps onto my knee, and (2) flings herself against my shoulder, where she knows I will capture her in my arms and begin petting her, upon which, she breaks into chest-rumbling purring.
It’s a routine exercised many times a day, and now I use that as a training aid to make her go limp and compliant in my arms when I go out and fetch her and bring her inside for the night.
As you may guess, she doesn’t always want to come inside when I think she should, so I’ve learned that if I pick her up and hold her high against my chest, like a mother burping her baby, Sparky gets instantly compliant and begins to purr. That allows me to get her inside without a struggle.
I’m now working on getting her to come when called, by using tasty canned cat food as a reward. She gets 6 different varieties of premium (and expensive!) dry food free choice, but only gets canned food as a tasty reward. She used to come when called, but now that good weather is here and she is outside more often, she’ll sit hidden under a bush or behind a tree and laugh at me as I call and call and wring my hands. *g*
Jackie, if you think reading about Sparky brightens your day, try living with her! She’s definitely a pistol.
Her latest endearing habit? Doing a one-two hop onto my lap and then my shoulder when I’m in the bathroom . . . (ahem) sitting down. She comes into the bathroom and stares at me for a minute, and then faster than the eye can see, she (1) leaps onto my knee, and (2) flings herself against my shoulder, where she knows I will capture her in my arms and begin petting her, upon which, she breaks into chest-rumbling purring.
It’s a routine exercised many times a day, and now I use that as a training aid to make her go limp and compliant in my arms when I go out and fetch her and bring her inside for the night.
As you may guess, she doesn’t always want to come inside when I think she should, so I’ve learned that if I pick her up and hold her high against my chest, like a mother burping her baby, Sparky gets instantly compliant and begins to purr. That allows me to get her inside without a struggle.
I’m now working on getting her to come when called, by using tasty canned cat food as a reward. She gets 6 different varieties of premium (and expensive!) dry food free choice, but only gets canned food as a tasty reward. She used to come when called, but now that good weather is here and she is outside more often, she’ll sit hidden under a bush or behind a tree and laugh at me as I call and call and wring my hands. *g*
Jackie, if you think reading about Sparky brightens your day, try living with her! She’s definitely a pistol.
Her latest endearing habit? Doing a one-two hop onto my lap and then my shoulder when I’m in the bathroom . . . (ahem) sitting down. She comes into the bathroom and stares at me for a minute, and then faster than the eye can see, she (1) leaps onto my knee, and (2) flings herself against my shoulder, where she knows I will capture her in my arms and begin petting her, upon which, she breaks into chest-rumbling purring.
It’s a routine exercised many times a day, and now I use that as a training aid to make her go limp and compliant in my arms when I go out and fetch her and bring her inside for the night.
As you may guess, she doesn’t always want to come inside when I think she should, so I’ve learned that if I pick her up and hold her high against my chest, like a mother burping her baby, Sparky gets instantly compliant and begins to purr. That allows me to get her inside without a struggle.
I’m now working on getting her to come when called, by using tasty canned cat food as a reward. She gets 6 different varieties of premium (and expensive!) dry food free choice, but only gets canned food as a tasty reward. She used to come when called, but now that good weather is here and she is outside more often, she’ll sit hidden under a bush or behind a tree and laugh at me as I call and call and wring my hands. *g*
Jackie, if you think reading about Sparky brightens your day, try living with her! She’s definitely a pistol.
Her latest endearing habit? Doing a one-two hop onto my lap and then my shoulder when I’m in the bathroom . . . (ahem) sitting down. She comes into the bathroom and stares at me for a minute, and then faster than the eye can see, she (1) leaps onto my knee, and (2) flings herself against my shoulder, where she knows I will capture her in my arms and begin petting her, upon which, she breaks into chest-rumbling purring.
It’s a routine exercised many times a day, and now I use that as a training aid to make her go limp and compliant in my arms when I go out and fetch her and bring her inside for the night.
As you may guess, she doesn’t always want to come inside when I think she should, so I’ve learned that if I pick her up and hold her high against my chest, like a mother burping her baby, Sparky gets instantly compliant and begins to purr. That allows me to get her inside without a struggle.
I’m now working on getting her to come when called, by using tasty canned cat food as a reward. She gets 6 different varieties of premium (and expensive!) dry food free choice, but only gets canned food as a tasty reward. She used to come when called, but now that good weather is here and she is outside more often, she’ll sit hidden under a bush or behind a tree and laugh at me as I call and call and wring my hands. *g*
Jackie, if you think reading about Sparky brightens your day, try living with her! She’s definitely a pistol.
Her latest endearing habit? Doing a one-two hop onto my lap and then my shoulder when I’m in the bathroom . . . (ahem) sitting down. She comes into the bathroom and stares at me for a minute, and then faster than the eye can see, she (1) leaps onto my knee, and (2) flings herself against my shoulder, where she knows I will capture her in my arms and begin petting her, upon which, she breaks into chest-rumbling purring.
It’s a routine exercised many times a day, and now I use that as a training aid to make her go limp and compliant in my arms when I go out and fetch her and bring her inside for the night.
As you may guess, she doesn’t always want to come inside when I think she should, so I’ve learned that if I pick her up and hold her high against my chest, like a mother burping her baby, Sparky gets instantly compliant and begins to purr. That allows me to get her inside without a struggle.
I’m now working on getting her to come when called, by using tasty canned cat food as a reward. She gets 6 different varieties of premium (and expensive!) dry food free choice, but only gets canned food as a tasty reward. She used to come when called, but now that good weather is here and she is outside more often, she’ll sit hidden under a bush or behind a tree and laugh at me as I call and call and wring my hands. *g*