Some things that are cute, aminal edition
I am more of a mush than I like to admit to sometimes. These are, in no particular order, just a couple of the things that make me need to hold myself back from running over to whatever it is and smothering it with hugs and kisses:
- When a big dog being taken for a walk on a leash takes one of its dolls along. Just the other day there was this gorgeous chocolate lab walking through our neighborhood, trotting contently along beside its person, carrying a stuffed toy in its mouth that was a soft sculpture slice of chocolate cake. One of my good friend's dogs used to like taking around a "Thing 1" doll from the Cat in the Hat - I used to find it laying on the sidewalk sometimes when I came home from work and I'd pick it up and lay it on their step. Apparently arriving home to dinner became too distracting to carry his toy the rest of the way home.
- When I find my cats sleeping curled up around each other, or sleeping with one of them using the other as a pillow.
- When I find one of my cats sleeping someplace cute or strange. Example: my little one has taken to sleeping in one of the little nooks in a semi-decorated display shelf, often picking one of the empty ones that's pretty high up. It'll go: candelabra, picture frame, curled up sleeping cat, candlesticks, etc.
- When vocal birds say things that are precious, particularly when they indicate that the creature has an idea of the exchange it's having. Example: one Saturday we had the cats at the vet for a checkup and she yawned at some point during our visit saying that her African Gray had woken up at regular time that morning even though it was Saturday so she (the vet, I mean) could have slept in. The bird was saying "Good morning!!! Good morning!!!" and the vet said "Shut up, bird! It's too early!" A moment of quiet... and then from the birdcage in a sad little voice... "Bad bird."
- When my parents' silly guinea hen plays tag with their 100+ lb. dog. That chicken can RUN! It's kind of like watching a modern (and much more mutual) version of roadrunner & coyote.
- When other kinds of cross-species get along. One of my favorites was with this little cat that we had up on the farm who was too mucus-y to keep indoors. She made good friends with the other barn animals and I remember her getting kissed by the cows who were about 3/4 of a ton vs. her 4 or 5 lb. fluffy bulk. She had really long hair and was so light that when a cow licked her, she would stick to its tongue and get pulled up in the air about a foot drop gently back to the ground. Lick, stick, drop, lick, stick, drop.
- When horses think that they are dogs or small children. (Although they're sort of somewhere in between the two) and need to snuffle through all of your pockets because they know there's a treat in there someplace.
- When a big dog being taken for a walk on a leash takes one of its dolls along. Just the other day there was this gorgeous chocolate lab walking through our neighborhood, trotting contently along beside its person, carrying a stuffed toy in its mouth that was a soft sculpture slice of chocolate cake. One of my good friend's dogs used to like taking around a "Thing 1" doll from the Cat in the Hat - I used to find it laying on the sidewalk sometimes when I came home from work and I'd pick it up and lay it on their step. Apparently arriving home to dinner became too distracting to carry his toy the rest of the way home.
- When I find my cats sleeping curled up around each other, or sleeping with one of them using the other as a pillow.
- When I find one of my cats sleeping someplace cute or strange. Example: my little one has taken to sleeping in one of the little nooks in a semi-decorated display shelf, often picking one of the empty ones that's pretty high up. It'll go: candelabra, picture frame, curled up sleeping cat, candlesticks, etc.
- When vocal birds say things that are precious, particularly when they indicate that the creature has an idea of the exchange it's having. Example: one Saturday we had the cats at the vet for a checkup and she yawned at some point during our visit saying that her African Gray had woken up at regular time that morning even though it was Saturday so she (the vet, I mean) could have slept in. The bird was saying "Good morning!!! Good morning!!!" and the vet said "Shut up, bird! It's too early!" A moment of quiet... and then from the birdcage in a sad little voice... "Bad bird."
- When my parents' silly guinea hen plays tag with their 100+ lb. dog. That chicken can RUN! It's kind of like watching a modern (and much more mutual) version of roadrunner & coyote.
- When other kinds of cross-species get along. One of my favorites was with this little cat that we had up on the farm who was too mucus-y to keep indoors. She made good friends with the other barn animals and I remember her getting kissed by the cows who were about 3/4 of a ton vs. her 4 or 5 lb. fluffy bulk. She had really long hair and was so light that when a cow licked her, she would stick to its tongue and get pulled up in the air about a foot drop gently back to the ground. Lick, stick, drop, lick, stick, drop.
- When horses think that they are dogs or small children. (Although they're sort of somewhere in between the two) and need to snuffle through all of your pockets because they know there's a treat in there someplace.