Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Animal Farm

Our menagerie has temporarily grown. We are currently babysitting a guinea pig for friends - they're at Disney, lucky dogs.

Oreo is completely delightful. She talks and squeaks and likes to be petted, although she's a little skittish about us picking her up. So we open the cage door and pet her, and she practically purrs. We're going to go through a lot of baby carrots this week, William has been having them for snacks and sharing with Oreo.

The cats are fascinated.

I can't tell if they consider her prey, or if she's just triggering that "curiosity" gene all cats seem to have. But they have spent a LOT of time watching her, and poking a paw in the cage, and sitting on top of the cage. They'll lose interest for a while, then they're back, trying to figure out what this thing is.

Oreo is unfazed by the attention. Even when they stick a paw in, or sit on the cage, she seems unconcerned (although she stays out of reach). She's got a little house to hide in, but she really seems thoroughly complacent about these predators hanging out nearby. Is she naive, and unaware they are predators? Does she just have an itty bitty brain and not realize?

Who knows? But it's hugely entertaining for both people and kitties. We're watching WPIG this week - all guinea pig, all the time.

1 comment:

Barb Matijevich said...

Ann, I couldn't find an e-mail address for you but I wanted to tell you that you are BRILLIANT!!! I went to the hardware store and sure enough, they had mason jars. Plus, you know, it was a hardware store so the people were just a little bit...don't tell anyone, I'm sure they'd be insulted but...SOUTHERN. I don't know why--maybe it's just how people in hardware stores are. Anyway, thank you thank you thank you!

(I just failed the word verification --what does that say about me?)