Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Hoist a Paw
It’s late afternoon and I’m in the kitchen making dinner. The boys hear the pantry door open and show up with eager eyes. I know why.
“Who wants a snack?” I say. “Raise your paw.”
They answer by dancing around.
I find the treats in the yellow package and dispense their allotted portion of the nuggets. Benji finishes first then helps Tiger with his. When they understand there will be no more treats they scoot outside.
But sometimes they linger hoping for more, as Benji did this week.
“C’mon Sue. You know how I love them.”
“Sorry Benji. It says right on the package only 10 pellets a day. Out you go, to run it off.”
I can’t blame him for trying. I sometimes eat more treats in a day than I should, too.
Now in case you wondered – I really did say, ‘raise your paw,’ but I didn’t invent it. The inspiration comes from my college days and a professor, an authority on Northwest Coast Indians, and an expert in their native languages.
Wearing a tweed jacket, he addressed us properly as ‘ladies and gentlemen’ with a smile in his eyes and a pipe in his hand.
“Hoist a paw,” he said, if we had any questions.
I wish I’d paid more attention to his lectures though I do remember the fragments I put to song.
‘”Queets, Quinault and Upper Chehalis are all Salishan,” reminded me that the native tribes on Washington’s coast spoke Salishan. So did the professor as I recall and we occasionally heard him speak it.
So when I ask my cats to raise a paw and they start to dance around, I remember the well spoken professor with the smiling eyes asking us to ‘hoist a paw.’
And that is all for today. 🙂
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
Nice to remember a teacher in that way. But Benji should leave Tiger’s treats alone! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
(Have you changed themes, or is it my eyes?)
I’ll never forget that professor. I got such a kick out of his exquisite speech! And you’re right about Benji. I do my best to protect Tiger’s treats, but since he’s a bit overweight I sometimes let it go. 🙂
I just noticed your theme question. I kept the same theme but changed the color background a couple months ago… I like the pretty green better! 🙂
That explains it. 🙂
Very cute!!
Thank you! 😻
Aww! They’re so cute, and sneaky trying to procure more snacks than it says on the package!
I guess you can’t blame a cat for trying! 😻
Yep that’s for sure 😋
Uh-uh! I never read the package- I give out more than that.
It’s by body weight I think. 10 for a 10 pound cat or something similar. I sometimes go over. 😻
I never knew that Salishan was a native language. How dreadful that the Oregon resort took the name for its own.
I agree unless it’s owned by Native Americans.
Not at all. Built by Portland businessmen.
It’s nice when something reminds us of a former teacher. So many memories were made during our schooling!
Yes indeed! We often remember the teacher more than any subject matter.
So true!
Such a nice story about school and your cats.
Thanks so much! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it!