by Debbie Robus

Created on: July 31, 2010   Last Updated: August 03, 2010

There are days when I'm sure my two cats, Mabel and Lucy, non-identical litter mates, are genius cats. These are the days when they open doors by themselves, sit and stare at a spider on the floor until I come along and collect it for disposal, and come tell me about a problem and lead me to it (usually an empty food bowl or some other "kitty crisis"). There are days when I wonder if they HAVE a brain! Lucy hides under the curtains, thinking she is invisible and that we cannot see half her backside peeking from underneath. She can be klutzy, and both of our cats are poor gauges of distance and heights on occasion. They will drink from the bathroom sink and cry when there is no water there, while their water bowl stands brimming full and freshly filled.

You want to talk about schizophrenia? Our cats are perfectly docile and sweet one minute, and the next, they are doing the racing-through-the-house-at-warp-speed thing back arched, tail fluffed, ears pinned back, eyes wild. Our "tuxedo cat" Lucy is particularly fickle. She will come and nuzzle your arm and purr and beg for attention, and then, in a nanosecond, she is growling, making ugly crying noises, and hissing and spitting, and you are left to wonder, "What on earth did I do?"

Our cats know when the suitcases come out, "Mom and Dad" are going to be leaving, and they pout, sleep in the open bags, and become super needy. When we return from a trip, we are sometimes given the cold shoulder for awhile, depending on the length of the trip and who fed them while we were away.

The cats are smart enough know when you get a telephone call that you are temporarily indisposed, and this is their chance to go a little nuts and investigate that potted plant on the shelf or take a look at what is atop the refrigerator! On the other hand, my cat Lucy comes running to me when I get a phone call, and I have read that some cats think you are talking to THEM rather than a party on the other end of the line. Lucy will paw at me and talk to me and do everything in her power to disrupt my conversation!

I think it is interesting that cats seem to know instantly who likes them and who doesn't. Our cats are extremely introverted, but let another cat lover come, and that usually asocial animal will waltz across the room and sniff the hand of the visitor, while we are shaking our heads and saying, "These cats are not friendly to strangers." Go ahead... make a liar out of your owners, won't ya?!

I had an accident and broke my ankle.

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