Rolled up newspaper

The kitten is upstairs enjoying a mid-afternoon nap on - or perhaps under - our bed quilt. I thought we might take some 'down time' apart as I spent half an hour around lunch time pursuing him with a rolled up newspaper around the lounge. I wouldn't really murder him of course, not unless it was a day with curried feline on the dinner menu board that is. Luckily for him it is 'beans' today.

What part of "Don't jump on the d*mn table!!!" do you think that he doesn't understand?

Still, it is probably good for my health to have these sudden and violent 'blow-offs' of adrenalin, you can spend your time being far too sedentary and good willed. All animals can be just as 'ornery' and confrontationally minded as human teenagers if they decide to be. Shimaji-kun seems to adopt a scorched earth approach to existence just as soon as he is denied anything he wants. And that makes me just as determined to impose my will no matter what it takes or what the consequences. Parenting 101 I would say, somewhere in the small print of the "Don't let the b*st*rds get the better of you" module.

The difference with cats is that actually all they ever wanted to do in their lives was jump onto your table. The are no alternatives in their practical consciousness to occupy their stubborn little minds.

Anyway it is fun yelling and feeling that surge of adrenalin and brandishing the rolled up newspaper. All a part of having a strong-willed young cat in the family. And then when we have got all THAT out of our respective systems we can curl in in a purring heap for a while and I can stroke him and he can lick me. SO that's OK.