"After scolding one's cat one looks into its face and is seized by the ugly suspicion that it understood every word. And has filed it for reference."

What strange creatures cats are. Sometimes, I suspect they are not natives to Earth but immigrants from a distant galaxy, mingling among us with intentions of their own. They have bewitched mankind. Charmed us with their eyes that glow in the faint light and their spry, willowy bodies that slink about like shadow. They chill us in the late hours of the night with a mysterious twitch of a whisker and ears that perk up at the approach of things we humans cannot see. Then there is that unmistakable air of superiority they carry about them. Maybe it was something they've always had or maybe something developed over time. Throughout history, we have worshiped them, sung their praises, invited them into our homes, fed and pampered them. I wonder, have we really domesticated them or have they domesticated us?

My cat Odin (and I hesitate to call him "mine") has me figured out. He knows the best way to torment me is to initiate playtime when I'm trying to sleep. Or ignore a full dish of dry cat food and go and chew a hole through the bottom corner of the bag. If I reprimand him for any type of misbehavior, he knows how to turn the table and make me feel guilty for the rebuke by giving me "the look." My cat has facial expressions.

Silent treatment is his method of choice as of late. I have been cool towards him since the other night when he knocked over and broke the mini-grandfather clock that I have loved since childhood. Yes, it was an accident, but it never would have happened if he wasn't so bent on keeping me awake with his scurrying around. The one thing that kept me from throwing him outside right then and there was the look of remorse on his face. Really tugging on my heartstrings. My sympathy didn't last long, though. Perhaps if he would have remained remorseful instead of making more racket under my bed, I would never have thrown him out to sleep in the snow.

I have a very bad feeling that his revenge, in one form or another, is coming soon.