Knock knock. Who's there?

[taurusmoon]

Early yesterday morning I heard someone knocking on my bedroom door. I cracked one eye open and squinted lopsidedly at my alarm clock. 5:20.

Groan.

What could my son possibly want at 5 in the morning? I couldn't figure it out, but if a 16 year old was up at 5 it had to be important.

I slid out of bed and opened the door. There was Marms (remember Marms? This is a post about Marms). He was the door knocker. And, by now, he had given up on me and was knocking on my son's door.

I swiftly closed my door again before the fuzz ball could finish his sprint into my sanctuary.

The next half hour was filled with the sound of alternate door knocking. Knock, knock, knock, then more faintly knock, knock, knock.

It became a test of patience. Would I win the war of nerves or would he? My son didn't count, a bomb could have gone off and he never would have heard it.

At about 5:50 Marms became irate and started grumbling. Quite emphatically. As soon as I opened my door, he bolted inside and plopped himself on my pillow.

I guess he won.


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A friend of mine raises chickens and ducks. Not for any commercial purpose, mind you, but just because she enjoys them.

A couple of months ago, she was working out in her studio which is in a converted barn on her property. Her office setup is raised up high where the loft would have been.

While she was busy concentrating on a project she was working on she heard a tapping noise. Odd, she thought. Where could that tapping sound be coming from? She looked around until she spotted the source of the noise. It was Miss Chicken, her rather remarkable nine-year-old matriarch.

She had climbed up a ladder that was leaning against the building and was tapping on the window with her beak. When my friend came out to see what she was up to Miss Chicken hopped off the ladder and led her to the shed where her nest was. The door had accidentally been shut.

Poor Miss Chicken had to lay an egg and was very uncomfortable. She needed someone with thumbs to open the door for her.

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How about your pets? What feats do they perform to get your attention?

Sara

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Buffy learned how to pop doors open as a little kitten, and his efficiency at this trick only increased as his weight and girth did. We lived in an older house and he discovered that by rhythmically drumming his paws on the door in an alternating pattern, the old doors would become unlatched and he could enter the room (at least with in-opening doors). Sometimes it would take a good long time of rhythmic thumping to make this happen. However, one day my grandmother was very ill. She was in her room, moaning, and Buffy thought the pounding trick would take too long. I found him in the hallway, meowing loudly in distress, on his back legs and fully stretched with his front paws around the doorknob. Apparently he was trying to figure out the human trick involving that shiny glass thing that sticks out of the door. Since then he has remained a watch-cat, but a much lazier one: he just stares at something until one of us notices (like when he saw water coming out of the radiator before we did, thus saving our carpeting). He does still do his drumming-on-the-door bit - at 6am on Saturdays, when we're still in bed and he wants to eat. Only the door he's pounding is open and he's banging the door against the wall. It creates a much louder sound than his little paws on the door could ever hope to accomplish. He also meows his fool head off -- but all this effort is only for food. (Did I mention he's been on a diet for 2 years?)

Astro is more quiet and subtle (sort of). When he's hungry, he nibbles my fingers or toes or whatever else seems to be sticking out. When he wanted me to get up, he used to lick my hair and let the wet strands land on my face. I have since changed my hairstyle to something just this short of a crew cut - problem solved! He still licks my head, not to get attention but because something about my hair makes him want to lick it, no matter what shampoo or other hair stuff I've used that day.

mj

[taurusmoon]

My Tasha is a hair licker too. And only my hair, she's never licked anyone else's.

I was always a little flattered by that. Even though I pretend to be disgusted.


Sara

[nicholmere]

Paris the cuddle boy cat.

When I go into my son's room in the morning Paris usually follows me in. As soon as my son is out of the crib Paris jumps in and starts playing baby. He lies on his back, tummy exposed, waiting for a tummy rub. The crib is in the middle of the room, so as I walk around the room picking up books/toys/bottles Paris rotates on his back (like a spinning top) following me around. If I don't pet him often enough he reaches his front paws outside the rails and tries to touch me - he does this while still on his back. I must admit he makes for a very cute baby - what cat lover can resist a little furry silver tummy? When I'm finished in the room Paris often stays in the crib and naps for a bit before jumping out.

[cyndilouwhoo]

Boswell the Wonder Dog has learned to articulate the human word "out" (Pronounced: "Owwwwoooooot) when he needs to get outdoors for his "constitutionals"

Did I ever mention that my boy is a genius?

I also lived with a cat who would drag her little plastic kitty bowl into the bed in the morning so she could plop it on my chest in for expedited service.

Cats can be a real pain in the ass sometimes

Cyndi

[magenta321]

My old dog Foxy used to be affectionately known as "El Kabong." The name came from the fact that any time she walked into my dad's room she'd knock over his guitar with her tail.

If the door was closed and she wanted in, she'd bang her tail against the wall, or better yet the hollow doors until the sound drove someone crazy.

My new dog Fraiser just wimpers, unless you accidentially fell asleep on the couch. Then he will stand with his rear legs on the ground and his front end laying on you and will poke you until you do whatever it is he wants.

My cat, Orph, meows like a siren until his needs are met.

As for the battle of wills thing. I don't want them to think that they can do this any time they want something (my cat would eat 30 times a day if we let him!) and I hate being woke up, so I ignore them. Sometimes its easier to just get up, but I still ignore them. Therefore, they don't bother me any more when I am sleeping, and not too much even when I am awake. It drives my parents crazy. because the animals then always come and bother them!

[hadassahchana[$]]

I also lived with a cat who would drag her little plastic kitty bowl into the bed in the morning so she could plop it on my chest in for expedited service.

ROFL! Cyndi, that is hilarious!

Sara, I own Marm's twin brother. Alexander knocks, too, and follows it by moaning. so, if my bedroom door gets closed, it is knockmoanknockmoan until I finally give up in disgust. All he wants is to lay on my head while he nurses on my Scrunchie, so as long as he gets his way, all is well.


Whose idea was it to let these rodents live in our homes, anyway?

Cindy

[sylvanb]

Originally posted by taurusmoon

How about your pets? What feats do they perform to get your attention?
Sara

Tucker:

Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow

Not very original, but it works.