[ Loiosh, an orange tabby wearing a green harness with a blue bow tie, is sitting in a covered patio outside a tan building. A round picnic table with three benches and a clear spot for a wheelchair sit behind him. He’s staring off to the left, pensive. ]
I’ve been bringing Loiosh along on my ventures to the behavioral health place, even though he’s not allowed inside (MEAN, says I). It gets him out of the house, at least, & he does get people to pet him sometimes. Also, sometimes he gets pretty bored, & then, sometimes, he gets up to things.
[ Loiosh has turned his head to chew on his harness. ]
He’s not supposed to chew on his harness. He KNOWS he’s not supposed to chew on his harness. He’s pretending to wash his shoulder, & he often starts out by washing his shoulder, but then chomf.
I yelled at him, which rarely does more than stop him for a moment. He stopped for a moment, & glared at me.
[ Yep, that’s a glare all right. ]
Then he went right back to chewing on his harness, & I gave up & went back to making things.
Eventually he wandered over & occupied himself by getting in my way. I retaliated by turning the current piece of driftwood into a yoke.
[ The piece of driftwood is the perfect size to sit neatly over Loiosh’s shoulders. There’s even copper wire around the end, to which one could, hypothetically, fasten rope or something to, which one might, then, hypothetically, hope one’s cat might use to pull something. ]
He was Unamused.
[ Loiosh has turned his head, but not far enough to glare at me. Just far enough to stare past me, as if I don’t exist. The stick is still on his shoulders, though, so I win. ]
Then, having endured MORE than enough of his assault upon his dignity, he decided to leave the situation.
[ Loiosh is standing with three paws firmly placed upon my workbench, the fourth, a forepaw, in the process of being lifted over the board across the back of the bench. ]
A mighty leap!
[ Loiosh, in the process of disappearing over the back of the bench. Mostly what’s visible is his hinder half, tail trailing along behind with an extra flick. ]
& then? Back to chewing on his harness. Welp.
