Hey, cat fans. Question of the week for you: is it possible for a cat to get embarrassed? Well, here’s an insider clue from me to you, Clog readers: cats are good actors. We’re so good, in fact, that you’ll never know the answer. Take this picture, for example. Do I look playful? Do I look cute? Yeah, well, that’s just good acting. In reality, I am stuck. Yep–wedged in there like a furry doorstop. See, I was sleeping behind the computer monitor and did one of those stretch-reach-and-yawn moves you humans think are so endearing, in the process pinning my paw between the screen and the computer. Subsequent contortions only twisted me up further, with my nose taking most of the damage. Some observers think they note a fleeting look of shame in my eyes–perhaps even a hint of panic–but most of you simply believe I’m just having a little innocent fun. Deception…it’s a talent all cats share.
There is a point, however, where we felines should just be willing to admit imperfection. Sometimes our stubborn refusal to accept fault makes us look silly. Take, for instance, all those “cat fail” videos that certain lowbrow YouTube fans find amusing. Here’s one that’s highly popular despite its very misleading title, “Funny Cat Jump Fail 2015”. I mean, really, any reasonable person would agree that the words “cat” and “fail” do not belong in the same sentence. And “funny”? Only to a sadist.
But I’m trying to be objective here. It’s clear to me that most of the cats in the video were the victims of circumstance–the sun got in their eyes, the wind blew unexpectedly, somebody opened a can of tuna in the kitchen at exactly the wrong time–or conspiracy. Some bitter human obviously greased up that toilet seat when the cat wasn’t looking.
But a couple of those cats…well, they just plain FAILED. And that’s fine. You know why? Because, even though we act like we don’t want it, all cats secretly crave attention. And even when you’re laughing at us, you’re still looking at us. Embarrassed? Maybe, maybe not. Like I said, you’ll never know. But at least you’ll always be entertained.