THE SPARKY REPORT #37

If you think Sparky looks annoyed in the above picture, you're right. Sparky is very much her own person, and when she decides she's had enough of my camera and its blinding flash, she lets me know in no uncertain terms. There's no denying the look of annoyance on her face in the above picture!

Most of the time, Sparky loves it when I pet her, but sometimes she just wants to be left alone. In this picture, she's making it clear that she wants me to stop annoying her with unwanted attention. She doesn't bite to maim, just to warn. And she never uses her claws.

Should I dare to ignore her warnings, Sparky adds a little more emphasis to her admonishment. *g*

In this picture, I was trying to get a photo of Sparky napping in the wastepaper basket under my desk. Unfortunately, it woke her up when I tried to surreptitiously pull out the wastepaper basket for a better angle. Sparky popped up and gave my hand a good smack for waking her up.

Even as a youngster, Sparky let it be known when boundaries had been trespassed. After the dogs had poked their curious noses in her crate one too many times, Sparky let them know when enough was enough. Judging by the wary looks on the dogs' faces, they got the message loud and clear! 

Most of the time, Sparky is perfectly willing to be fawned over, but when she has had her fill, you'd better heed her warning! 

Related articles

The Sparky Report #36

Comments

[HJ]

Thank you for the update! I love reading them. Sparky is such fun, it's a wonder that you ever get anything done.

[Laura]

Hi, HJ. Indeed, Sparky is such a *presence* that it's often hard to get anything done. She's very good at inserting herself in the middle of any project you happen to be working on. This usually involves her sitting on the keyboard or sprawling over the paperwork on my desk, and in the craft room where I make cards (I'm a rubber stamper) I discovered numerous green footprints all over the work table. It turns out Sparky had walked on a green stamp pad when she jumped onto the work table, and then proceeded to leave green footprints everywhere. You gotta love her!

[Donna]

Another round of great pictures! She and Pierce really are twins of a different mother! Characters with strong personalities both!

Happy Solstice!

[Donna]

I think you could exploit this - leave the green stamp pad (and maybe add a red one?) along with blank cards spread out on the table and let Sparky design your Christmas cards. ;-)

[theo]

Typical teenage "why do you exist?" expression on her face! Great pictures today. She is looking so grown up. :)

[Laura]

Donna, you're a GENIUS! I love the idea! In fact, Sparky did anoint two of the cards I was working on, leaving green footprints on both of them. Unfortunately, they didn't really go with the rest of the cards, but I was able to disguise the footprints by stamping over them. *g*

Hey, perhaps I could develop a line of "Sparky Cards" that feature one or more of her footprints! LOL!

[Laura]

Ha! I'm sure if we went far enough back into Pierce's and Sparky's bloodlines, we'd find an ancestor common to them both. (Probably a saber toothed cat!)

[Jackie]

Good for Sparky for enforcing her boundaries !I wish we humans could be better at setting our boundaries and enforcing them too. The dogs' faces are very telling. They got the message loud and clear LOL

[Jo Banks]

Sparky cards sound like a great idea if you can get her to co-operate! Think she is entering the juvenile delinquant stage just like my puppy!!

[Laura]

LOL, Theo! Yes, I think Sparky's entering her teens. Thank goodness I don't have to deal with hormonal teenage angst, though. I had Sparky spayed a few months ago. *g*

[Laura]

Jo, Sparky has no hesitation enforcing boundaries. I sometimes wish she wasn't quite so persnickety. She can be very singleminded. For instance, if she intends to do a little sunbathing in the windowsill, nothing (and I do mean NOTHING) will deter her. Try to pick her up, and she'll struggle to get free, never once looking at you, always keeping her eyes trained on that windowsill. It's as if you don't exist. It's very disconcerting, as I've never had a cat that can so thoroughly ignore you!

[Laura]

LOL, Jo! I believe you're right--Sparky is very much into exercising her rights as a juvenile delinquent. In fact, she tolerates more nonsense from the dogs than she does from me. The brat!