Outsmarted...



I took one of those frivolous online quizzes, and the result predicted that in ten years I would live in Australia (yay!) and be a cat psychologist (what?). Is there such a thing? I need one.
My cat, Sebastian--there are stories. Many stories.
Seb is incorrigible in the morning. I'm determined not to give in. He knows this. But he gets to my husband. Seb starts his campaign for food at oh-dark-thirty. It gets on David's last nerve, so he feeds him.
A perfect storm.
In the book, " Why Do Cats Do This?" it lists a feline fact: "If you don't want your cat waking you up every day at 4 a.m. to feed him, never respond to his pleas. Not even once. Cats learn very quickly, and once they realize they can get you out of bed by yowling or meowing, you're history."
Too late. We're history.
In an effort to break the cycle, I get up when Seb starts percolating. He thinks food is on the way and dashes downstairs. Instead of playing the pied piper, I stay upstairs and barricade the bedroom door from the outside. Three large pillows stacked, two for me to "sleep" and one to protect the door from Seb chewing the wood door frame while I lay on the floor with a make-shift futon guarding the bedroom.
Yes, utterly ridiculous. I feel like I'm in boot camp.
All of this happens under the cloak of darkness. When I get up for guard duty, I usually hear the rumble of cat feet racing down the stairs. Seb ventures back to the barricade a time or two then, on a good day, settles down for another hour. It has been working, more or less, for about 2-3 weeks. I backed him down from 5:00 AM to 6:00 AM before popping open the can of cat food.
Success.
This morning at 5:30 AM Seb is at it again. I'm up.
"I'll get up with him."
Futon, pillows, action...
I settle in then hear the floorboards squeaking in the bedroom. David is up. What? I accidentally barricaded Seb inside the bedroom. Instead of darting out with me, he finally catches on to my strategy and stays behind to keep hounding David.
Outsmarted by a kitty-cat!
Game on. You will not win this one, Seb.

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