Trained

I was suspicious the other day when I found the books on training pets open on the floor. My wife said she had not been reading them. So I put them back on the shelf.
Then, the other day, while it stormed, I provided a warm lap for overwhelmed cats until the birds came to the feeder. Shortly afterward, I comforted the dog, who did not want to go into the sleety snow. I also gave the cats enough catnip that they got pleasantly tipsy.
In short, I provided hugs and warm security to the demanding little brats who complained that breakfast was late, the treats were inadequate, and the woodstove was not hot enough. I noticed fewer purrs, rubs, and licks. Frankly, I missed my treats.
Talking with my wife, I laughed about them training us. They let us know when we do poorly and reward us when we perform our tricks.

Every week, there is a TV show, YouTube video, or TikTok about the best or worst pets. That’s the people’s perspective. The animals have their take on things, and I suspect it’s not about best or worst. It’s about whether you are trainable or hopelessly incompetent. Our “pets” goal is to get us to give them the Greenie treats on time, get the litter box changed promptly, open the door, or get that wood stove going. We get points for prompt feeding times. And when we do good, we get “good boy” head bumps, rubs, and licks.

They assume that I can be trained.

Daily writing prompt

What animals make the best/worst pets?

View all responses