Okay, it’s very funny when a cat jumps backwards. But please, please, don’t let your cat up on the counter or the stovetop to mess around with appliances! You’ll be sorry if he knocks your toaster to the floor and breaks it. You’ll be even sorrier if he or she gets hurt.
My cat Buster was a world-class startler, and the way to get him was to wait until he walked past you, his mind on something else entirely, and then just scrape your foot against the floor. Kazow! Straight up in the air! And then, of course, he immediately put on an act of “I’m cool, you didn’t spook me at all, look how calm and cool I am…” Faker!
So, accept the humor value of this video–but train your cats to stay away from counter and stovetop and anything that’s plugged in.
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
YEAH—THEN, POOR CAT!
Cats are so easily spooked – but you’re so right, Lee. They recover their ‘cool’ really fast.
Training cats to stay away from certain areas isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but I had a method that seemed to work most of the time, but the main thing is to NEVER let them catch you. If they realize it’s you, it won’t work. Get a clean, new spray bottle or squirt gun, fill it with water . . and when the cat is doing something you would rather she wouldn’t do, squirt them one little squirt. Since they startle and don’t like water, and since they’re quite intelligent, it usually only takes a couple of times.
I should mention, the blame will be placed by the cat directly onto the object of interest, which is another reason it usually works.
Great Lee, now you’ve done it! Now I’m scared of toast. 🙂
Good call, Linda. As bright as cats are, there are limits to their understanding and we can use use those to our advantage to stave off that inevitable day when cafs take over completely and mankind is reduced to the role of opening cat food and sifting litter. Oops! I’m already at that point. 🙂
Mark Twain once said: “Of all God’s creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.”
– Notebook, 1894
I concur 🙂
Absolutely true! My little cat is the sweetest, most affectionate animal I’ve ever encountered, but ours is a partnership of equals. She marchss to the beat of HER drummer, not mine.