Sometimes I leave the door open when I go to the bathroom. Especially if I am home alone. Don't pretend you don't do this too, I know you do. From the seat, with the door open, you can see our dining table. This is something that our cat is not allowed on- and he knows it- just like the kitchen counters, coffee table, and our bedroom when Chris is in there. While our cat may not like the majority of people who enter our house (he thinks he owns the place) he has learned that there are places he isn't supposed to be and it usually only takes a few loud claps of the hand and the words 'get down' firmly spoken and he'll jump off.
Back track... when I was a little girl I was pretty well behaved, you can ask my mom. It usually only took 'the look' to remind me that I was out of line and I would snap back into the perfect curly haired little angel that I was. Except when I wanted to challenge my parents. My mom will tell you the story of the time she was on the phone (back in the day when phones had cords and you couldn't walk around your house freely while you talked) and I was in my high chair eating peas. Just out of my mom's reach. Somewhere in the course of my eating and her talking I decided that she wasn't paying attention to me and that I didn't want to put the peas in my mouth anymore- instead I wanted to stick them up my nose and she couldn't do anything about it. I think my mom saw me stick one up there but it was too late- I already had three peas wedged up my nose.
Or the time when we were outside in the front yard and my parents were raking leaves. I think I was maybe four years old. There was a crack at the end of our driveway that separated the driveway from the street and my mom told me not to cross it or I would get a spanking. Really? A spanking? Just for crossing that little line? (You may see where this is going) Well, I looked at my mom from across the lawn, (I am sure she said something like- 'don't even think about it') and put my little foot right over that line. It was a test. I didn't pass. She brought be to the back yard and spanked my butt.
Fast forward back to our Brooklyn apartment. The last couple of times I have gone to the bathroom (and yes, left the door open- no one was here! I promise!) Just as I sit down, who do you think decided that he'll test me? Our cat Dubbs. First, he jumps on the chair and looks at me- 'don't even think about it' I say. He stares at me a few second more and then puts his two front paws on table. "Nooo" I say in a low, firm voice. He totally ignores me and jumps right up on the table. I clap my hands- which in any other situation he would usually jump right down. But no, he just continues to check out what's on the table and walk around. Right in front of me!! The audacity! You see.. he knows I can't do anything. The little stinker.
