Just when you think you know how smart your pets are they do something to show you that you know nothing. I think they might be just doing it on purpose. Maybe they don't think that we can handle the truth right away and feed it to us in small portions? Poor things have to be quite resourceful to make us understand what they want. They must think we are the dumbest thing in creation. Maybe we are. In any case, it was unusual for me to be home so early in the evening and I knew nothing of my cat's habits during that time of the day. I was only vaguely aware that MJ was usually in the kitchen when I returned home from work because that's where my mom usually was. I didn't think too much about it at the time, though. I was quite alone, which was also unusual, and it was only natural that MJ was somewhere nearby. I was writing away, enjoying the peace and quiet that is a rarity when others are around. MJ was slinking in the corridor, rubbing against the walls, purring and making small mewling noises. I didn't really pay attention until she planted herself in the doorway to my room and began to mew in earnest while staring unblinkingly at me. I knew that it was my cue to go to the kitchen in order to fill her bowl with catfood or else shake it to show her that it was full. After that I returned to my room, certain that I'd done my duty and that she wouldn't disturb me again. I hadn't been writing long when MJ was back at her post in the doorway of my room: staring and mewing once again. I wondered if she needed some water and obligingly went to check if her water bowl (the one that she shares with our dog) wasn't empty. I found that it was full and having pointed that out to her returned to my room. This time she was back even sooner. I was growing irritated. I left my chair, approached the doorway and waited to see where she would take me. MJ likes to play in the bathroom and I wondered if maybe she wanted me to open the door for her. However, after rubbing against my legs, she took me back to the kitchen. I knew that she was neither hungry not thirsty and decided that she wanted to look out of the window. So I took her in my arms and approached the window. MJ began to sniff the air but very soon showed that she wanted to go down. I let her go and returned to my room. As soon as I took my seat she was back. I felt myself shaking. I stomped after her into the kitchen and just asked her "What? What do you want from me?!" MJ gave me that unreadable look that all cats seem to have in common and jumped onto a small sofa standing between the wall and the table. She looked pointedly at the sofa then at me and that's when I understood: MJ wanted me to keep her company in the kitchen! I shook my head and a second later was back in the kitchen with my laptop and my notes. MJ was waiting for me. I took my seat and looked at her. "Well?" I asked. MJ jumped onto her favourite chair opposite me and promptly fell asleep.
Earlier that day, I asked my sister to take our dog for a walk in exchange for cleaning her paws when she returned. It had been raining and I knew that her paws would be dirty. By the time my sister returned, my aunt had already come home and I had already had dinner. My aunt volunteered to clean our dog’s paws instead. She filled the basin with water and stood it next to our dog, waiting for her to get up. The dog wouldn’t budge. My aunt talked to her but nothing helped. My sister then said that she probably was waiting for me to clean her paws, because that’s what I’d promised to do. It was a fun theory, of course. But the moment I approached her and asked her, she stood up, ready to have her paws washed.
