Frequently
heard
Our companionable pets like to accompany us at all times. Where we go, so go they. Going to the loo? We’ll come, too. Having a shower? We’ll show you the way. Bedtime? Up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire we all go.
One of the favourite places for them to join us is the kitchen, the heart of the house, where interesting things happen and titbits may be available, especially for good dogs. If something very tasty and possibly fish or cheese-related is being prepared, Jellicoe is at the head of the queue. He has the advantage of the dogs because he can – and does – leap onto the worktop, ready with teeth and talons to help himself to what is NOT on offer to him.
Hence he finds himself enticed into the conservatory from where he watches through the internal patio door in disbelief that once again he has been fooled into entering a temporary, though extremely comfortable, prison. Loud miaous and scrabbling, if not falling on deaf ears, elicit no reprieve until all preparations have been completed and the repast has been safely stowed in fridge, freezer, cooker or stomach, depending on the stage of preparedness. Then is he released, to caress and purr and otherwise express his delight at being allowed to rejoin the family.
Herschel is a cat of a different cast. He is not as greedy – or desperate – as his brother and does not push forward to steal whatever he can hook with his claws. When Jellicoe is incarcerated, Herschel enjoys a transitory respite from his sibling, who, though smaller and lighter, nonetheless bullies him, swiping him as he passes on his innocent passage elsewhere. It must be said, though, that occasionally the claw is on the other paw, resulting in a feline boxing match as each brother tries to gain the ascendant. The sharp order, ‘Stop squabbling!’ usually halts them in their tracks.
Meanwhile, the dogs sit to attention, closely watching every movement, helping to tidy away morsels that drop to the floor, though some things are sniffed and rejected. Raw onion is not appreciated, but carrot, cucumber, blueberries, tomatoes and most savoury ingredients are gratefully consumed.
Sometimes, though, the situation becomes untenable and then the kitchen has to be cleared of all four-footed chums. It is not possible to move quickly when furry obstacles present themselves at every turn and the frequent cry of ‘Mind away’ is heard with increasing desperation. This utterance is a contraction of ‘Mind out of the way’, with an implied ‘please’, naturally. As with all friends, our cats and dogs deserve courtesy and respect.
‘Mind away’ is probably one of the most commonly heard expressions in our house.
