Day One Hundred Twenty Three

Cat Chat and Stank

All of the kids were here yesterday and, while we were in the kitchen, Fancy decided to put on a display of how he gets me to do what he wants. He was chirping and merping and meeping away, and I talked right back as though he was another person in the room. One of the little guys looked up at me and said, "Can you speak cat?" I laughed and told him I could sure speak "Fancy."

It's surprising how one can understand another species with nothing more than intonation. Fancy has learned how to imitate various sounds common to all human language. I can tell when he's saying, "yes, no, maybe, I don't know, please, mom, help and ahhhh!" That one is easy cause his eyes get big while his pupils turn into slits. Now, he isn't like those dogs on You Tube that can mimic, "I love you" only it sounds like, "I muv oo." And he isn't a parrot. He has mastered the art of communicating his needs to me. I feel privileged.

We pause here for a moment of extreme grossness...otherwise known as, "Every time you think you've got it all figured out, life throws you a stink bomb."

Now, while I was smugly writing on my apparent mastery of an animal's language, I was totally oblivious to something disgusting happening right under my nose! I could smell something gross - but in this house that's sort of c'est normal. Between kitty litter odors and Bully gas, the fans are almost always on high. I went investigating and discovered something that was even repulsive to me - and remember - I've had a horse placenta and a dead cat in my fridge.

If you're a regular reader of my blog you may remember me complaining about Fancy slamming into my arm at the exact moment I was carrying a bowl of Jack's food - the impact of which sent the kibble flying everywhere. Well, I guess some went under Jack's bowl, which is an elevated feeder designed to confine spills. It was also the perfect breeding ground for wet kibble to dissolve and make a fine baby food for tiny worms. They were too small to be maggots so I'm guessing baby fruit flies?  Who cares - they were worms. And the stench was unbearable.



What I honestly would rather
have found in that feeder!

Now, I have a strong constitution when it comes to all things animal - just not insect. I gag over human baby poop, but can handle just about anything that excretes from a dog, cat or horse. But this was too much. What purpose do worms (and snakes) serve anyway??? Don't tell me because it will be logical and I don't need logic right now. I need a glass of gingerale...

I took that worm infested feeder outside and doused it with Clorox. I felt awful wondering how Jack could possibly have eaten his breakfast with that stank right under his nose. Then I remembered, he is a dog, and they view stench the way I view Chanel #5. So now I'm just feeling guilty that I pretty much killed a whole generation of fruit flies. I can't win....