Kittens and Their Training
T.S Eliot tells us that kittens these days are just not trained. “Now, these kittens, they do not get trained as we did in the days when Victoria reigned. They never get drilled in a regular troupe, and they think they are smart, just to jump through a hoop.” (From Gus: The Theatre Cat.) Well, in the Nefertiti Academy for Wayward Kittens, they certainly are. Graduates can climb trees, catch all sorts of woodland animals, keep inventories of the cupboards and carry out scientific experiments to prove the existence of gravity using keys, spectacles and ornaments (failing that, anything that comes within claw reach will do).
I’ve been watching the development of Ahmose’s kittens very closely these past five weeks. This is an important matter. As the matriarch, their education is of prime concern to me. That they are both queens is a good sign. I don’t usually waste effort trying to educate the toms - they make poor micecatcher generals and their investigative instincts are non-existent. As for tree climbing. oh, please, spare me…
Now, of the two kittens, Arsinoe (the tortoishell kitten) is perhaps the least equipped for the tasks I have in mind. She is a dear, but somewhat slow. Berenike (the black and white kitten) is the the one already showing good invesitgative instincts - just like her mother, she will be an excellent learner. She has already grasped the significance of keys. Excellent, excellent. This kitten will go places, just you wait and see. Of course, if their mother wasn’t so possessive, matters would be simpler…
Here are some pictures of the kittens in training:
And their mother, Ahmose in repose…
