Busby!

In going through papers, I found Busby;s original file from the adoption agency. Clem (as he was known before Neta adopted him) was a character even when he was young. The Animal Welfare League handler recorded that he got more rambunctious as the exam went on and also circled "jumped off the table a lot", "was stressed as exam continued", and "didn't like restraint but was otherwise OK" while noting that at no point did he try to bite or scratch anyone. He didn't tolerate "kid handling" (being held upside down, being patted roughly, or having traction applied to his tail), was "wiggly" went his claws were clipped, and was "tolerant of brief grooming sessions". The written comment was "really sweet boy if you're not trying to do anything to him"--so, obviously, the child is father tot he man, where cats are concerned no less than rainbows.

Also, I found the Cat Adoption Handbook that came with him from the AWL of Alexandria. It had a suggestion I had not come across before that I tried out this morning. "Try putting [a lightweight toy ball] in a dry bathtub," they suggest, "as the captive ball is much more fun than one that escapes under the sofa." I can only say that this suggestion is brilliant and an unqualified success. I don't know why I never thought of that before, but it has proven a huge hit. I suspect that their follow-on advice is also wise. "You'll probably want to remove the balls from the bathtub before bedtime, unless you can't hear the action from your bedroom. Two o'clock in the morning seems to be a prime time for this game."