House Guest
By: Eleanor Blackford, Volunteer Program Manager
My house is currently foster-less, and with an impending mini-holiday on the horizon now is not the time to bring home a new critter. However, I’m suffering from foster-syndrome after only a few days of not having one – and decided the next best thing would be to bring home our MasCat instead, Mr. Gregory Xavier Pibb.
After checking with Hanna and Bridget, who heartily encouraged this endeavor, I picked him up from our WHS
What a weekend! Gregory is one busy little man. In order for our MasCat to do his job well, he has to have a lot of gumption. And gumption is definitely what Gregory has! At one point this weekend I noticed him out of the corner of my eye, dancing across my living room on his back two legs, waving his front paws in the air. Upon closer inspection, I realized he’d got his harness stuck around his bottom jaw – somehow (don’t worry – he didn’t wear the harness when I was gone. But, I didn’t really think he could get into that much trouble with it on! How wrong I was!). He also kept trying to dart INTO the refrigerator every time I opened it, accidentally getting himself shut inside for a brief second before I realized he was behind the spinach. There were also all those times he kept leaping onto something that just didn’t exist, instead creating a dull thud as he hit the ground. Always running, of course. (photo below of Mr. Gregory Pibb investigating my bike)
He LOVED my dogs. After a second or two of hissing when they first met, really more posturing than anything, he was racing around the house trying to get them to chase him. My two kept looking up at me with eyes that said "ok – so I know we’re not supposed to chase the cats, but look mom. He wants us to!’. This morning it took me the longest time to figure out why Elsie was barking. I realized Mr. Pibb was hiding under a blanket waiting to pounce on Ruckus’ tail, and Elsie was trying to join in the fun. Instigating it, actually, I’m sure.
Gregory also adores shoes (he’s a man after my own heart). All weekend long, he’d go to my shoe pile, pick up a flip-flop or heel, and just carry it somewhere else in the apartment. That’s all he’d do. Just carry it. I’d come home and find half a dozen shoes scattered all over the apartment, with a very tired kitty sleeping in the middle of it all.
Of course we worked on his training; went for walks outside, practiced ‘high five’, and met lots of different people. So keep your eyes out for our fabulous and very lively little MasCat at a WHS event near you – you never know when you’ll get to meet Mr. Gregory Xavier Pibb.
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