When it comes to making messes, it seems like pets are the pros! (Toddlers may be in the running for the Most Creative Mess title, too.)
Something my dog Lally ate this week didn’t agree with her. (She tends to have a sensitive stomach.) I woke up to find little piles of barf (mostly bile) in the hallway. But they weren’t just any piles of barf — they were arranged in a circle, as if Lally was turning around as she was sick. If you imagine a compass rose, she had barf at all the cardinal points — north, south, east, and west. Now that’s talent!
One of the feline guests at the cat only boarding facility amazed me with his creativity this week. First, he pooped on his little pillow bed — a padded cushion about a foot wide and maybe two feet long. Then he folded the bed in half, making what I can only describe as a poop taco. I had to laugh and show it to my coworkers before cleaning it up. Moose has left me interesting poop art before, too.
Then there are the dogs and cats who tear their toys to bits, strewing feathers, stuffing, and fuzz all over the place. That mess is easier to clean up, for sure — but still creative. Every time my brother’s two dogs get stuffed toys, it suddenly snows cotton stuffing in the living room. Instant snow for your holiday celebration — maybe we should rent Lily and Kuma out to decorate in December.
And I know I’ve mentioned the Houdini cat, who managed to relocate his water dish into the center of his bed. I’ve seen other creative messes at the cat boarding facility. There was one guest who liked to drown his toys in his water dish. Another spent the night tossing kibbles onto the floor underneath his cage. It was pretty easy to follow the trail back to the culprit!
I’ll say one thing for pet ownership — I’ve learned to see the humor in sickness and bodily functions. From what I’ve heard from friends with children, they’ve experienced a similar change in perception.