Watchcat protocol XII (Easter edition)

Rosie hadn't expected to meet two rabbits on Easter Sunday in 2007, but she took it in stride:

A professional watchcat is adaptable to her surroundings, after all.  She realized quickly that the rabbits meant no harm.

An impartial tabby judge

Judge Sammy had a favorable reputation in the judicial community for his carefully considered decisions.  Here he is in Spring 2016, listening to testimony:

Marking the occasion

Nemo the cat joined the family 10 years ago today.  I hope, at this moment, he's at least as happy as he appears in this 2012 photo:

In case anyone got the wrong idea from the previous photo of him trying to catch a feathered cat toy, I'm providing this photo for balance.

Unposed chillin'

When you have sibling cats, one cat's habits will influence the other cat's personality, at least occasionally.  In this Spring 2005 photo, Rosie took a cue from her brother, Sammy, and didn't pose for the camera:

Actually, I think she was just sleepy.

Finishing the sentence CXXVIII

An unfinished sentence I wrote and three of its responses from September 1991:

Persistence pays off handsomely when...

...your boss decides to give you a two-week paid vacation just because he's sick of your face around the office when he's trying to take a nap. (Miranda G.)

...you finally get the lug nuts off your flat tire and make it to your best friend's wedding on time, dress intact. (Charlotte O.)

...the day comes to assign a monetary value to it. (Eric S.)

Watchcat protocol XI

We all have to sleep at some point:

When watchcats both need to catch up on sleep, as Rosie and Sammy did on this day in May 2004, it's necessary to use an outside watchcat.  I had it on good authority that our regular visitor, Stray Cat, fulfilled this role during such times.

The ever-perplexing Pepsi

Whenever you introduce a new element into your cats' world, even one as benign as a two-liter Pepsi, you have to expect that your cats will examine it in great detail:

Spring 2004: Rosie and Sammy investigate a two-liter bottle of Pepsi.  To protect her brother from the danger it might contain, Rosie shielded Sammy's eyes with her tail.

Helpful closed captioning

It wouldn't have been realistic to expect Animal Planet or any other network to provide English translations of animals' speech.  Thus, on a program like "Sunrise Earth," closed captioning often read like this:

Human viewers would helpfully learn when animals were grunting or squeaking that way.  Cat viewers, such as Sammy in April 2008, however, were content just to hear and see the animals.

Watchcat protocol X

You might be taking a cat's photo and not posing any harm to anyone.  Nevertheless, you might still find yourself in a watchcat's direct line of sight.  It's nothing personal.  The watchcat is just carrying out orders:

June 2012: Watchcat Sammy keeps tabs on my every move while Watchcat Rosie keeps tabs on her sector.

Tours--not just for humans

I can just imagine the narration here.  "Just ahead, you'll see--the pond, in which you swim every day of your life..."

June 2015: A guided tour of Des Peres Park.

Watchcat protocol IX

Watchcats Rosie and Sammy used to tell me it was fine to take their picture, as long as it didn't interfere with their watchcat duties:

October 2010: Rosie and Sammy on watchcat patrol.

Finishing the sentence CXXVII

An unfinished sentence I wrote and three responses it elicited in April 1992:

The word, "mellow," is best exemplified by...

...pure, unadulterated, uninterrupted SLEEP. (Jenni S.)

...the state of being while listening to Debussy's "Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun." (Eric E.)

...the type of college student who sleeps until noon, skips classes, watches TV all day, and hangs out with friends all night.  I might refer to this as somewhat stupid, but Hey... (Paul H.)

A linguistic irritant XLI

There should only be limited occasions when someone should feel compelled to ask, "Guess what?"  When I hear that, I often think, "Please just tell me what you have to tell me.  If you feel compelled to preface what you're about to say, then how about saying, 'I have good news?'"

Watchcat protocol VIII

When one watchcat is starting to develop poltergeist eyes, the other watchcat must pick up the slack:

January 2006: Rosie and Sammy.

Grocery stores: Good for more than food

I hadn't expected to pick up a pet at the grocery store, but I'm glad I did:

2011: Sylvia explores a grocery bag.

Catering to a cat's comfort

Sometimes, you'll need to get up from the couch and run some errands.  The cat who is curled up comfortably on you might have other ideas, however:

April 2006: Rosie indicating that it would be best if I stayed put.

A cat's pride of ownership II

Sometimes, the right mixture of toys and brushes can be a pick-me-up:

June 2015: Sammy guards his supply of brushes and toys.

A cat's pride of ownership

In 2012, there was no mistaking that these were Rosie's shoes...

...except when they were also Sammy's.

Finishing the sentence CXXVI

Another unfinished sentence I wrote and some responses it received in November 1991:

It must be a quirk within the cosmos because it makes so little sense.  It is...

...people attempting to impose their morals on others. (Charles C.)

...(telling) an actor to "break a leg."  That would be the last thing I would want to do during a play. (James D.)

...the opposite sex. Enough said.  (Tamara P.)

...responding to a sneeze with "God bless you."  Why a sneeze, of all things? (Cindy D.)

Watchcat protocol VII

Even when (s)he's starting to fall asleep, a good watchcat keeps watching:

2013: Rosie and Sammy, watching different sectors of their residence.

Not a loss, just a shortfall

If you're a high school athletic director, here's how to stay positive when one of your teams loses.  When mentioning it over the intercom at school, praise the team's effort and don't give the score.  Just say the team "came up a little bit short."  The athletic director at my high school did this routinely.  Back then, I thought it was a double standard for him to announce only winning scores.  Now, however, I think it was the polite thing to do.  Besides, as one of my teachers used to say, "The kids who are really interested know the scores."

Accommodating the desire for proximity

Sometimes, you desire proximity instead of space.  This can work, as long as your sibling cat is fine with it:

Summer 2003: Rosie and Sammy.

Always ready for a photo op

When someone was about to photograph Sammy the cat, his attitude usually indicated, "You can take my picture if you want, but I'm not usually one to pose."  When someone was about to photograph his sister, Rosie, her attitude was generally, "Take my picture.  I'm posing for you now."  The end result of that difference in attitudes:

2009: Rosie, ready, as usual, for her photo op, and Sammy, in his natural state.

Watchcat protocol VI

It's fine for a watchcat to have an occasional cat toy break, provided that another watchcat still keeps an eye on things:

2010: Sammy stays on watchcat duty while Rosie takes a break to play with--and eat?--the Cat Dancer toy.

Finishing the sentence CXXV

From November 1992: Another one of my one-word unfinished sentences and some responses to it:

Inexplicably...

...one should have a career in mind before spending a great amount of money on higher education. (Becky B.)

...rabid hamsters should be cultivated for their redeeming qualities. (Eric S.)

...people have been known to vote Republican. (Karen B.)

...only Arkansas could come up with a viable Democratic presidential candidate. (Tre B.)

...many of those who are the most ignorant are also the most outspoken. (Matthew F.)

Finishing the sentence CXXIV

From November 1992: An unfinished sentence I wrote and some of its responses:

No one in his or her right mind could have predicted that...

...we would have an ex-hippie as our president. (Karen B.)

...he would have found his keys in her father's shoe. (Dave C.)

...when he removed his head, there were several small but significant creatures that lived within.  Coincidentally, each of them were singing a German version of "Mary Had A Little Lamb." (John F.)

Claiming your space

You can be one of the most sweet-natured cats, but sometimes, you just want to claim a space for yourself.  Sometimes, your way of indicating, "This space is mine," is all in your eyes:

2012: Sylvia, striking a tougher-than-usual pose in the middle of her Senses toy.

When you need to get away from it all...

...and make your world more self-contained, here's one way to do that:

Spring 2010: Rosie sits in her tube bed.

A linguistic irritant XL

I'm proud of never having used the term, "Okey-dokey," instead of OK.  At least, I don't think I've used it.  I've also done my best to avoid saying, "Alrighty."  Although these are minor virtues, I'd like to believe that most people share my distaste for those words.

Staking out separate quarters

Sometimes, you just need space, but you desire it from the same source that someone else does.  If the source is big enough, that might not be a problem:

Summer 2003: Rosie and Sammy, favoring different ends of the sofa.

A judge who knew how to read people

Based on Judge Rosie's facial expression, I'm pretty sure she had just listened to a plaintiff presenting an unconvincing case:

Judge Rosie, on the bench in 2013.