The Kids of Today

Or, rather, Kittens- have no respect for their elders and betters.

It turns out that Big-Loud-Human and Springy-Curly-Hair-Human on the Oddly-Wide-Blue-Boat that moors next to the Warm-Home-Place boat has had the temerity- no, the pawdaciousness!- to invite a little ginger catkinkitten into their lives. I espied him last week through the windows of Oddly-Wide-Blue-Boat, and gave him a haughty stare- he must Know His Place.

But it turns out that he hasn't learned yet that kittens must be Seen And Not Heard, because two days ago, I was strolling down the bank quite happily inspecting my territory, and keeping an eye on the White-Hissy-Flappy-Things, when this little bundle of ginger fluff turns up out of the blue (literally) and wants to gambol and play and exercise.



Well! The cheek of it! He'd barely introduced himself when he started stalking my tail, and forced me to chase him around a bush. I saw him again today, and he hadn't learned a thing. Despite my giving him a Very Hard Stare, he decided to jump into my Warm-Home-Place-Boat, and I had to chase him off. He kept doing it all afternoon, and running round and around toolboxes and bags on the bank.

I give up, I really do- but- keep this to yourself- it was a little bit fun. I just couldn't show the Humans that, and break my facade of lazy indifference. I spend ages perfecting my act- despite them poking me and saying I'm getting fat, and need to get more exercise, pah! It's not fat, it's insulation for the harsh winter!- and then this little kitten goes and forces me to drop it, and the Humans see that, after all, I quite like playing and chasing.

And I have heard rumours of a tiny, one-month-old kitten on New-Arrived-Under-Tree boat, who is black all over- a far more sensible colour, but still not at all as good as my own brindlecoat- which will mean another youngster who will need keeping in line, and who will need to be Kept In Their Proper Places!