Cleaning the House with Cats

Cleaning the house is a chore that becomes a lot more enjoyable if you have cats. My seven pound orange fluffball, Physgig, is convinced that the vacuum is a horrible demon that is going to destroy the world. While being terrified of it, she is also convinced that she is the only creature in the world that can destroy it. She watches it, hiding behind objects far smaller than herself (her logic is staggering). When the timing is right, she lunges in and attacks with viciousness and ferocity, immediately followed by a hasty scrambling retreat. I end up with extremely clean rugs because I spent extra time tormenting the cat. Sylvanas, my overweight gray cat, also hates the vacuum, but she has the good sense to grudgingly head upstairs away from it. She does deign to glare at me as if she intended to set me on fire before her departure, which is considerate of her, really. The black cat, Echo, doesn't move unless I actually touch her with the vacuum, in which case, she hits the ceiling. I only do so when I am feeling particularly evil.

The other wonderful part of house cleaning with cats is mopping the floors. Oh, the fun you can have. A little soap and water on the wood and linoleum goes a long way. Physgig has large fluffy feet and slides on the floor at the best of times, especially because she is usually running full-speed under the impression she is on fire (she is just orange an easily confused). Add wet floor, and the moment her foot touches it she freaks out, legs splaying out as she tries desperately to get away from the wet. Echo and Sylvanas find high dry places and glare at me. They have Physgig to warn them when the floor is wet. Despite both being fat and tuna addicts, not even tuna could lure them onto a wet floor. Sylvanas is far too dignified to engage in that nonsense, and Echo is too lazy.

So my house is clean now. All three cats are curled up sleeping in their favorite places. It took me hours to clean today, but because of them, it didn't feel long at all.