Ponder this:

Thursday, May 13, 2010

MiMau performs a random audit

Last year I wrote about MiMau's household management program. She likes to perform random audits just to keep it green in the minds of her subordinates.

A few days ago I was upstairs doing laundry, the poodles attached to my legs by invisible cords never longer than fifteen feet and quite often, much shorter lengths.  (Quick reverses and turns are dangerous for all of us.) I finished, descended the stairs, heard the be-dum-pe-dump, be-dum-pe-dump of eight poodle feet following me to the first floor. 

The sound stopped abruptly; no dogs in sight. 
Silence followed. 
Sometimes one or the other of the boyz loses their down-the-stairs rhythm and needs a little help. But not both at once.
Curious, I went to the foot of the stairs.
Angus and Max were held, huddled against the wall, by The Force of The Feline Eye. 
I hurried for the camera.
MiMau must have turned off the forcefield for a moment for Angus, whom she likes better. He bounced on down the stairs before I returned with camera in hand.

Max, more easily intimidated, was still stuck. 

I know, although I did not see, that it was MiMau's choice to resolve the impasse and allow Max to go on his way.
Later in the day, secure in her reinforced status, MiMau was back to sashaying around table legs, giving the dogs her come-hither look, enticing them to chase her to the foot of the stairs, which serves as the goal in their game of tag. 
She is a kindly ruler.

21 comments:

Autumn Mist said...

I absolutely love it!

rachel said...

Very funny. It never ceases to amaze, the power of a cat's particular gaze - The Look, we call it in this house. Keeps everyone nicely in line, and fully aware of who is really in charge.

Vicki Lane said...

Cats in Charge -- that's how our Miss Susie Hutchins sees it!

Wanda..... said...

I love how Max is hugging the wall!
So MiMau is a bully and a tease! Funny!
♥...Wanda

Hilary said...

Oh you gotta love cats.. and dogs of course. Great pic and description of events. One of my cats is "a bully and a tease," as Wanda put it, when Benny the Jack Russell Terror comes around for a visit. He used to intimidate him horribly but now it's a game of "Come get me.. I'll kill you!"

Anonymous said...

I love your reference to invisible cords. Two of the five canine children at the Hairy Hacienda have those too. The forcefield... ha! So funny and so true. MiMau, Angus and Max. I love all of their names.

Jo said...

Oh, goodness, this made me chuckle. Wonderful...!

You're a great writer! I could hear the eight little feet bumping down the stairs. *heh*

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a problem that needs to be addressed. The dog needs to chase the cat a couple of times.

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

what fun,
I like your sense of humor.

June said...

Thanks for all your notes!

Wanda, MiMau thinks of her role less as "bully and tease" than as "self-preservation specialist with a good sense of humor." :-P

Hilary, "Benny the Jack Russell Terror" has been trained by the MiMau method. "Come get me...I'll kill you!" is a good description.

MB, those invisible cords, yes. [sigh] I wove them myself when the dogs were tiny. Now I wish, sometimes...
The boyz have middle names too. ;-)

Jo, thanks for visiting and for the compliment!

Oh, Mr. Lincoln. There is plenty of chasing of the cat. It is a game played probably eight times a day indoors and outdoors. MiMau invites it, and the dogs happily oblige. But MiMau is the one who gets to decide where the goal is and just how long the game may go on.

Inay said...

Cat is mightier ever....

Let the dog wiggle its tail...and rufffff a little

God bless...

June said...

Inay, good to see you again. Angus will "ruff" at MiMau. Max fears Consequences. :-P

Friko said...

it was ever thus, the feline ruling the hound.
My huge Labrador will chase cats in the garden when I tell him to, but should the cat stop and turn and hiss at him he will come to a screeching halt.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi June, How are you feeling? Better I hope!!!

Cats are ALWAYS in charge!!!!! Cute post.
Hugs,
Betsy

Freda said...

Absolutely classic!

Carolynn Anctil said...

THAT is hilarious! I love Mimau's style.

Blessings,
Carolynn

LadyFi said...

Very funny.. such is the force of cats!

Cricket said...

Yep. In the cartoons it's always the dog chasing the cat, but most real dogs know better. A friend of mine once had a cat who would turn any dog's nose into hamburger at the slightest provocation. Ouch.

Congratulations on the potw.

Land of shimp said...

Hehe, yes, if the floor at your feet isn't alive with fur, the game is afoot! Wonderful picture, and good for MiMau.

My cat keeps beating up my dog, but my dog is a friend to all creatures of the Earth, and apparently thinks that when the cat chews on her head, that must be how they say "Hello! Lovely to see you!" in his country.

Congrats on the post of the week mention, and do let me know if MiMau is ever in the mood to give lessons. My cat is a suspect Evil Alien Overlord from some disdainful planet, but he doesn't quite have it in him to hurt the dog...so she doesn't fear him. Despite the entire, "But I'm an Evil Alien Overlord from a Disdainful Planet!! The heck? How could you not be impressed??" sound effects he makes.

Steve Gravano said...

Congratulations on potw, funny story. I am always amused by our cat and her attitude to the greyhound that intruded on her life.

Brian Miller said...

haha. i love it. our cat is a kindly ruler as well of my boys. smiles.

congrats on the POTW!