Tabbycat at Play

One of the nicest things about working at home one day a week is that I get to spend more time with my husband and the Tabbycat. While I am usually working at my computer quietly in the master bedroom all day long, I occasionally take a break for a meal or snack (my husband gets to play the role of short-order cook), or a visit with my fellow house-dwellers.

While Dexter the Tabbycat can often be found napping throughout the day, after he has had his lunch, he is always ready to play! He often prefers an interactive game, with an actual human being (or even better, two) participating. So my husband and I take turns throwing toys for him (floofy, rattly mice are a favorite), or dragging things along the floor for him to chase. A played-out Tabby is a happy Tabby, so we have learned, and one less likely to get into mischief!

About two weeks ago, I received my two latest little photo books in the mail, and the big, exciting "free" gift they included (according to the Tabby) was the brown packing paper tucked in around each book. When you place the paper on the floor and a Tabbycat runs through it, or even better, POUNCES on it, it makes a delightful crinkly sound that some cats just ADORE!

And so after I fed Dexter his lunch, we had a quick play session that included one yellow stuffed mouse, the crinkly-rattly packing paper, and a large, empty brown paper Olive Garden bag that once held take-out food. A bag! Rattly paper! A mouse! What could be better?

But then Dexter took off for his bedroom and sat on his red blanket looking out the window. I brought the yellow mousie along in and we finished up our games with a round or two of tap-the-mousie-off-the-table.

This portion of the game is usually played gently, like so: Approach the mousie stealthily. Knit your white eyebrow whiskers in the very picture of concentration. Raise one startlingly clean white paw toward the mouse. Slowly now, slowly! Gently tap the mousie. Then push the mousie more firmly, sliding the paw until the mousie falls off the table. Watch with delight as the mousie lands, with a rattle, on the floor. Look sadly down at the mousie, and then beseechingly up at the human until she picks up the mousie and places it back on the table. Rinse, lather, repeat. :-)

The soundtrack: Kansas, Play the Game Tonight.