| General Non-Fiction posted March 8, 2023 |
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Flash -- 450 words
Kitten Competition
by w.j.debi
In an effort to tame the two feral kittens in my yard, I spent evenings dragging a piece of baling twine along the ground so they would chase it--sort of a video game for kittens. They found it fun, but sometimes I needed a break and would sit on the bench in the backyard to watch them scamper about, stare at me hoping for more, or entertain themselves in other ways.
Their personalities were evident. Peaches, the female, was obviously the daredevil. She was always the first to attempt anything. Cream, the male, was the thinker and would watch whatever Peaches was doing as if studying it intently. If it worked out, he would attempt whatever she had completed successfully.
One evening, I watched Cream climb up the tree next to the bench where I was sitting. He stepped out to walk along one of the tree limbs. I called, "Good kitty. Way to go."
When I glanced to my left, Peaches had jumped onto the bench and was sitting about eight inches away from me. We were at the, "You can look at me, but don't touch" stage at this point so I was surprised she was so near. She was watching me watching her brother. Was she jealous of the praise he was getting? She had climbed that same branch the night before, but I had just watched in silence.
Well, Peaches waited for Cream to turn around, walk back along the branch and climb down the tree. Then, as if to say, "Watch this!" she climbed up the tree and went one branch higher than her brother had. To make her point, she strolled confidently along this thinner branch and out farther than her brother had on the lower branch. The entire time, she kept an eye on me to make sure I was watching. Of course, I gave her the, "Good kitty. Way to go. You are so brave," encouragement.
When she climbed back down the tree, she jumped onto the bench again, sat a little closer than before, and looked up at me like, "Well, what do you think about that?" I didn't reach out to touch her because she would have taken off, but I spent several minutes praising her for her efforts and she seemed very pleased with herself.
Peaches knew what she was capable of even though she was only a few weeks old. She was special. She just wanted a little recognition for her accomplishment and the fact that she could do it even better than her brother. She was first, she'd gone farther, and someone needed to acknowledge the fact. If there were a medal, she wanted the gold.
In an effort to tame the two feral kittens in my yard, I spent evenings dragging a piece of baling twine along the ground so they would chase it--sort of a video game for kittens. They found it fun, but sometimes I needed a break and would sit on the bench in the backyard to watch them scamper about, stare at me hoping for more, or entertain themselves in other ways.
Their personalities were evident. Peaches, the female, was obviously the daredevil. She was always the first to attempt anything. Cream, the male, was the thinker and would watch whatever Peaches was doing as if studying it intently. If it worked out, he would attempt whatever she had completed successfully.
One evening, I watched Cream climb up the tree next to the bench where I was sitting. He stepped out to walk along one of the tree limbs. I called, "Good kitty. Way to go."
When I glanced to my left, Peaches had jumped onto the bench and was sitting about eight inches away from me. We were at the, "You can look at me, but don't touch" stage at this point so I was surprised she was so near. She was watching me watching her brother. Was she jealous of the praise he was getting? She had climbed that same branch the night before, but I had just watched in silence.
Well, Peaches waited for Cream to turn around, walk back along the branch and climb down the tree. Then, as if to say, "Watch this!" she climbed up the tree and went one branch higher than her brother had. To make her point, she strolled confidently along this thinner branch and out farther than her brother had on the lower branch. The entire time, she kept an eye on me to make sure I was watching. Of course, I gave her the, "Good kitty. Way to go. You are so brave," encouragement.
When she climbed back down the tree, she jumped onto the bench again, sat a little closer than before, and looked up at me like, "Well, what do you think about that?" I didn't reach out to touch her because she would have taken off, but I spent several minutes praising her for her efforts and she seemed very pleased with herself.
Peaches knew what she was capable of even though she was only a few weeks old. She was special. She just wanted a little recognition for her accomplishment and the fact that she could do it even better than her brother. She was first, she'd gone farther, and someone needed to acknowledge the fact. If there were a medal, she wanted the gold.
Their personalities were evident. Peaches, the female, was obviously the daredevil. She was always the first to attempt anything. Cream, the male, was the thinker and would watch whatever Peaches was doing as if studying it intently. If it worked out, he would attempt whatever she had completed successfully.
One evening, I watched Cream climb up the tree next to the bench where I was sitting. He stepped out to walk along one of the tree limbs. I called, "Good kitty. Way to go."
When I glanced to my left, Peaches had jumped onto the bench and was sitting about eight inches away from me. We were at the, "You can look at me, but don't touch" stage at this point so I was surprised she was so near. She was watching me watching her brother. Was she jealous of the praise he was getting? She had climbed that same branch the night before, but I had just watched in silence.
Well, Peaches waited for Cream to turn around, walk back along the branch and climb down the tree. Then, as if to say, "Watch this!" she climbed up the tree and went one branch higher than her brother had. To make her point, she strolled confidently along this thinner branch and out farther than her brother had on the lower branch. The entire time, she kept an eye on me to make sure I was watching. Of course, I gave her the, "Good kitty. Way to go. You are so brave," encouragement.
When she climbed back down the tree, she jumped onto the bench again, sat a little closer than before, and looked up at me like, "Well, what do you think about that?" I didn't reach out to touch her because she would have taken off, but I spent several minutes praising her for her efforts and she seemed very pleased with herself.
Peaches knew what she was capable of even though she was only a few weeks old. She was special. She just wanted a little recognition for her accomplishment and the fact that she could do it even better than her brother. She was first, she'd gone farther, and someone needed to acknowledge the fact. If there were a medal, she wanted the gold.
 Recognized |
#58 March 2023 |
*Baling twine-- twine used to secure hay or straw into a bale to make it easier to transport and store. On the standard 2 string bale, each strand of twine is about 6 feet long.
--At this time I did not know the gender of the kittens and had not named them. For ease in telling the story, I call them by the names they were given later.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. --At this time I did not know the gender of the kittens and had not named them. For ease in telling the story, I call them by the names they were given later.
Artwork by suzannethompson2 at FanArtReview.com
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