Oscar is a creature of habit. He likes his routine. He also picks up on patterns very quickly. So if you make the mistake of repeating an interaction with him more than three times, he assumes it is part of the daily routine, and will even initiate it.
Take the Daily Herding Ritual.
Yvette wakes up with the birds. Bright and cheery, she can’t wait to “get a jump on the day.” Why, I don’t know. The day has never expressed any animosity towards her. Continue reading Oscar’s Daily Herding Duty
Oscar likes to play dumb. But we have learned that he is about as dumb as a fox.
In the mornings, he knows I like to sip my tea on the sofa. He stares at me, relentlessly, until I pat the cushion next to me and say “up” to encourage him to join me. While I work on opening my other eye, he backs up a few steps, then hesitates a moment, as if uncertain he can make it. This elicits encouraging comments from me: “T’es capable, mon beau! Viens-t-en!” (“You can do it, Handsome. Come on up!”) Never mind that he has no problem jumping up onto much higher objects like the picnic tables at the park. But hey, it’s morning. He just woke up.
He then takes a running start, followed by a mighty leap, landing with a whump at the other end of the sofa. Having succeeded at this Herculean feat, he receives praise and a scratch behind the ear. Not bad for a quick trick. Continue reading Oscar’s Wily Ways