5:11 p.m. - 2003-11-10
Animal Behaviour
Ok, ya'll have to forgive me 'cuz it's been a strange week. Topped off with Avalonte clueing me in on the fact that in England, "fanny" is slang for, uh, a certain intimate part of a woman's anatomy. Geez. I'll never be able to say "fanny pack" with a straight face again. And that trip to England I want to take in a coupla' years? Well, the said "fanny pack" is getting left here in America. Cuz' there's just no way I'll remember that it's called a "bum bag" across the pond.
So anyway, between simpy creeps and startling revelations about the English language, I got to thinking today about the way that various animals show their emotions. I actually started thinking about this while watching the bunnies having a snit out over a carrot.
It started with Loki grabbing the carrot and running under the table with it. Miss Bunny, a furious look on her face, started barking and hightailed it after him. She trapped him under the card table and started humping his head. I finally intervened (I could hear him hollering "uncle" but she wasn't about to stop) and got her a carrot of her very own.
A few minutes later, I went into the living room to find Burroughs washing Zesto's head, during which Athena walked over and smacked him. Totally out of the blue. It struck me (uh, no pun intended) that animals can get away with stuff that we humans could never even think of.
I mean, picture this. Bruce and I are walking down the street when he pulls a Peppermint Pattie out of his bag. He happily starts to eat it without offering me any. In fact, he actually tries to sneak away from me while I'm looking in a bookstore window so he can eat it all by himself. When I notice, I'm furious!!
"GRRRRRRRRRR!!! GRRRRR!!!! HERRRRRRRAHHHHHGGG!!! RRRRAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!" I growl, as Bruce frantically tries to hide under the bookstore's outdoor display table, clutching the candy to his lips. I corner him against the wall and throw myself at his head, humping wildly, all the while making strange nasty honking noises. The Peppermint Pattie goes flying.
Meanwhile a kind passerby, seeing Bruce's frantic state, pulls me off of him and gives me a Peppermint Pattie of my very own. I make a few final ruffing noises and take my Peppermint Pattie into the bookstore, to be consumed under their checkout counter.
Or how about this scenario: I'm happily hanging out on the sofa with a friend, maybe braiding her hair. And then another friend of ours walks over and, for no discernable reason, smacks me across the head.
Seriously, folks, aren't you glad you're human? Imagine if you spent your life trying to figure out social interactions like this?
Or am I just nuts??!! NO!! Don't answer that!!
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