Living with and observing M has led to some conclusions about cats as house pets. Like I said, M is dumb, really dumb. Short of hundreds of dollars for pain inflicting shock mats to cover all kitchen counter space, claw removal surgery to save furniture and carpets not already destroyed, eviction or moving target practice would be the best options ‘cuz she’s clearly too stupid to be taught anything.

Yep, I’m sounding like an outright cat hater and that’s not true. But when excess efforts and expenses have been used to teach a critter where it should not go (kitchen counters, table and such) and what it shouldn’t use for clawing to no avail Curmudgeon cops an attitude.

So what’s my thing about a cat jumping onto kitchen counters? M uses one of the litter boxes, kicks litter over her deposit with her paws (front, rear or both), wanders into the kitchen and navigates every above the floor kitchen space including the table and range top. Then I decide to make a sandwich. First, what to do? Scrub down and disinfect every food preparation surface every time before making food? If not you might as well just go to the litter box and scoop out what the cat deposits there and chow down!

Yum!

Kitty cookies anyone?

Shortly after we were seated a family of four got seated at a table next to us.  It was hard not to notice the two boys (approximately 5 and 6 years of age) following their parents.  Each boy was far to occupied with their portable game units to pay attention to anything else.  Once seated the gaming continued through the ordering and until their food was place before them.  Mom and dad conversed approximately as much.  With food in front of them, each parent dutifully cut up pancakes and made sure the boys didn’t overflow syrup onto the table. Conversation remained sparse during their entire meal and soon as the boys finished eating their game units were once again activated.

Please don’t misunderstand me here, if I were to get started with one of those game things it would probably be all over but the shouting for some time.  At the same time I look back on my childhood (OK, maybe it was so long ago that memory is seriously fogged) and wonder how mom and dad would have reacted to that sort of lack of interaction at meal time.  Not acceptable comes to mind.

Then there are the pre-teens and beyond that are much too involved with texting to engage in verbal conversation with their parents.  The big question is do the parents give them the cellphone so they don’t have to talk with their kids or what is the deal?  Observing how little some parents and offspring communicate with each other from such early ages really frightens me.

That’s the Newcastle Brown Ale moment for tonight.