Bad Cat?

I have been told twice this week that I am a Bad Cat!

First I was called a Bad Cat because I was chomping on AAB Kathy's computer cord. AAB Christine was borrowing Kathy's desk on Tuesday night, and I kept walking under the desk to chomp the cord. Well, AAB Christine, not being cat-shaped, was unable to get to me, so I could chomp-chomp-chomp to my heart's content. She must've figured I was hungry, so she offered me treats. I came out from under the desk and had two.

Then I went back to chomping, so AAB Christine got the treats out again. I had two more, and put some furs on the monitor, and pulled a few hold slips out of AAB Kathy's books. Then I went back under the desk for some chomping.

Christine shook the treat-bag again, so I came out to have some, but guess what?

She didn't offer me any treats. She went "hrmph" and stuck them in the drawer! I waited very patiently and even stomped on the keyboard a few times, but I didn't get any treats.

So I went back to chomping on the cord again.

Christine shook the treat-bag, but this time I knew she was Lying to me. I knew I wouldn't get any treats, so I just looked at her for a while. She started hollering my name, and I just purred and purred, because I was under the desk with the tasty cords, and she looked silly on the ground like a Cat (only not so graceful or elegant).

So she got two treats out, and I decided I wanted to eat them. . . at which point she scooped me up, carried me out of the office (closing the door behind her), deposited me on the circulation desk, and declared me a Bad Cat. That would have hurt my feelings, but I was too busy being proud that I have effectively trained my first Staff member to reward me for chewing on cords. At last!

Then, the very next morning, I was again called a Bad Cat because my staff came in to work and discovered this:


What can I say? I got hungry in the middle of the night and I wanted a snack and I don't have thumbs. So I used my Sharp Teeth! I think I should be called a Smart Cat, and maybe the one who left the treats lying around can be henceforth known as Not-So-Smart Human.

None of this "Bad Cat" business would be going on if AB Karen were here--but she's on Unauthorized Vacation, so I'm having to suffer all sorts of indignities in her absence. Thankfully we will be reunited this weekend, and she'll call me a Good Cat and give me lots of tummy rubs and treats and Catnip.

For your weekend viewing pleasure, I have made a Movie:



It got a little boring after the apple toss, especially since I already found all the hidden gum-wrappers.

Happy weekend!

One Good Cat,

Tober

Another Illegal Vacation

If you will remember, I abolished Vacations last year. For some reason, my Staff have chosen to ignore me on this point. My Assistant Boss has left for somewhere with sunshine, and my staff has worked Very Hard to ensure my happiness in her absence.

I was presented with a wonderful ball of compressed Catnip!


You can see I have mastered the Art of Holding It Still with my right paw. This keeps me from having to chase it around. For some reason my AABs were a little put out by my mastery.


I have also received countless tummy rubs, treats, snuggles, and Cathie and Bonnie have come to visit me on Sunday, when the library is Closed. I may take it easy on Assistant Boss Karen when she returns. . . but we'll see how the rest of the week goes.

I was a little taken aback by the arrival of this book:


I do not know who ordered this or WHY they think it is appropriate for My Library. I have heard it is someone in the Youth Department, so I will have to have a talk with them. Mouses should not be in a Library! What if they get hungry and try to eat a book? What if a mouse scares someone, and the person runs screaming into AB Karen's office (assuming she isn't on Vacation, of course), and I jump onto my desk in surprise and knock my water cup over on Very Important Library Documents?

Because I am a good Library Cat, I will not demand that this book be sent back immediately. Someone could think that this is a Very Good Book, especially for our little customers who are learning to read. I realize that there may be wrong different opinions, and a good Library Cat realizes that all of these opinions should be represented. But still. . .

Wise and Just leader of the Thorntown Public Library,

Tober

My Garden

At my Library we have a Secret Garden:


I have infiltrated the Secret Garden and placed a decoy inside.


The Secret Garden is inspired by the 1914 book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Soon it will contain a sculpture of two children reading, as well as a bird, a fox, a frog, and a bunny-rabbit. It has lights in it, and benches, and plants and flowers that were mentioned in the book. People can borrow the Garden if they want to read or eat lunch or have a little gathering (but they have to give it back when they are done).

I like to spy on people when they are in the Garden. This is part of my Library Security Position. The Young Adult Room, in which Britta (my YA Librarian) recently installed a perfect Tober Nook, overlooks the Garden, so I can see what people are up to in there.

Here I am relaxing in my Nook. Thank you, Britta!


By the way, I am a little upset with my Assistant Boss Karen because she ran away from the Library to join the Boone County Fair. I was so lonesome today that I walked all the way to the other end of the building to get some company! I'm thinking Cathie and maybe Bonnie have a slight chance of getting Vacations reinstated. Karen will have to work Sundays when she comes back.

Fair-ly,

Tober

I do not understand Vacations.

My staff people keep taking these things called Vacations. I do not understand what they are for. Every time one of them has a Vacation coming up, they get all excited and start counting down days, and when the countdown is over they stop showing up to work. Usually, when multiple staff people are on Vacation at the same time, the Food Service around here gets pretty sketchy. (I almost experienced something called brunch for the first time last week. Assistant Boss Karen saved the day and insisted that I get my breakfast--although it didn't happen until 10:00am.)

So why do people have to take Vacations? I have heard many reasons, and none of them make any sense to me.

1. To get away. From what? I am a certified wasp-finder, so there is nothing scary chasing anyone in my Library.

2. To relax. Okay. . . what is more relaxing than cuddling with a warm, soggy, purring, handsome cat?

3. To recharge. I have already learned that library workers run on coffee and chocolate, so why don't we just have more of that?

4. To visit distant lands. I have ridden in a car before, and I don't see why anyone would ever want to do that. Everything they need is right here in Thorntown. . . especially Cat Love.

5. To visit with other people. Why don't they just have the people visit them here? They could introduce us, and I could get even more Tummy Rubbings and Treats.

6. To seek out entertainment. They work in a Library with exciting books and DVDs and internet access and me. They have all the entertainment they could wish for.

In conclusion, I believe that Vacations are absolutely Unnecessary for staff people who are lucky enough to work for a Cat (me) in beautiful Thorntown, Indiana.

As Boss, I hereby abolish Vacations at Thorntown Public Library.

Any leisure time can be spent giving me hugs and rubbing my tummy and fetching my apples from the floor. These are very fun, relaxing, and refreshing activities, and my staff will stay close so I can have my breakfast and supper on time.


In the picture above, I am very happily having my breakfast on time. (Thank you, Becki.)

Working with me is a Vacation,

Tober