Tippy Tippy

Day 302: Every time I post a photo like this on one of the social media sites, I get a flurry of comments along the lines of, "If I tried that with my cat, she'd claw me to pieces." On the flip side of the coin, I am always surprised that people CAN'T do things like this with their cats. I guess the secret is in building a relationship of trust from the beginning.

Tip is a gentle and loving Boy, very easy-going and mellow. The hardest part here was getting him to look at the camera long enough for the 10-second timer to run down and trigger the lens. Don't go thinking I got this on the first try, either. I took at least a dozen, never once turning him rightside-up. I had to support his back with my knees to free up a hand to push the shutter button each time, but he knew I wasn't going to drop him. He trusts me.

On the other hand, Skunk is a crabby old gal. Still, when it's time for mama to do something wicked to her like brush her teeth or give her a bath, she doesn't fight me because we've established the parameters for how the job is done. She may not like what's going on, but she understands that I won't push her past her limits.

I treat my kitties like kids. I explain things to them, whether they can understand me or not. I have introduced them to scary concepts like bathing one slow step at a time. Those first baths weren't long or complete by any means, but now I can leave to get a towel with either cat standing in the sink, water up to tummy level, and not worry about them jumping out.

Y'know, it's like a relationship with another human: you get out of it what you put into it. If you play hard or tease meanly, you'll be repaid in kind. If you're patient and gentle, you'll be rewarded with trust. Tippy Tippy knows that.