This photo captures the opening scene of a ten-day booking caring for three cats: two adult females rarely seen by outsiders and one very active juvenile male we’ll call Bizzy. Jet black with amber eyes, his real name and photo have been withheld to protect the guilty.
Nearing 18 months of age, Bizzy had been with his new family for less than a year. Friendly, playful, self-assured, and utterly fearless, it wasn’t long before everyone in his life was reorganizing their behavior to accommodate Bizzy’s keen interest in gravitational fun.
The open stairwell in his modern multi-story home serves as Bizzy’s flyway, counters and tabletops his runways and landing zones. The adult cats actively avoid the cheeky youngster while his preoccupied owners try to stay a step ahead, whisking away glassware, plated food, laptops, and many potted plants before they are in free fall.
Before leaving town the owners took the kibble container from the cupboard, placing it on the counter for my convenience. They honestly believed Bizzy would not disturb it because three bowls of fresh kibble had been left on the floor, one for each cat.
I suspect Bizzy began maneuvering the container toward the brink while his owners were still in the same zip code.
After seeing the photo they realized Bizzy was leaving trails of shattered glass and potting soil in his wake because gravitational fun is his boredom buster. The kibble container never had a chance. Now it stays inside the cupboard, making only brief appearances every day at mealtime.
As for Bizzy’s hobby, his owners leave plastic containers around the house filled with an assortment of unbreakable items. By periodically shifting the contents and the containers, the owners also leave behind their unique scent convincing Bizzy these things are as interesting and valued as laptops and potted plants.
Bizzy has his fun, cleanup is a breeze, and he’s (mostly) leaving the valued stuff alone. Everybody’s happy.
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