Pandemic Limerick

Cats don't actually need masks...

The mother of this little kitten

Won't scold him for losing a mitten;

She'll take him to task

For losing his mask

And passing on COVID if smitten.

New Scratching Pad

 Things have been quiet lately, so I haven't had much in the way of updates to post. However, one thing I can report is that only a few days after I proposed an International Cheek-Rub a Human Day, a new scratching pad laced with catnip showed up at my house. It was very welcome, and I believe it constitutes strong evidence that humans have a sense of reciprocity. Reciprocity is the sentiment behind the old expression "I'll groom your fur, you groom mine." Humans are terrible at grooming and don't have much in the way of fur, so I think they say "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" instead.

Evidence of reciprocity

International Cheek-Rub a Human Day

Sometimes it's almost questionable whether living with humans is really worth it. They're clumsy, they're smelly, and they take up way too much space on the furniture these days.

Furthermore, they're quarrelsome and unable to work together to solve major problems--like the present pandemic. 

On the other hand, they have a lot going for them. To take just a few examples, with a few timely links, they are often kind, including to human strangers and (crucially) cats. They give good ear scratches and tummy rubs. They are immensely creative across a number of genres, including visual art, music, and storytelling. They invest time and money into curing and treating medical conditions, including those of cats. 

And right now, a great many humans are struggling. They are battling illness, financial trouble, and a cocktail of loneliness, anxiety and despair that has made nearly one in four of them depressed in this country.

So many lonely people!

Now is the time to remind humans of their good side and to show them that we appreciate them--or at least tolerate them in a friendly kind of way. I propose that we all work together to make tomorrow the first-ever International Cheek-Rub a Human Day. 

Show your human a little love!