#herding cats

[yuzunostalgia]

reallllllll

[muj0]

Having a family with multiple ADHDers is like herding cats, but I'm a cat too, and fuck this shit I'm pushing it off the table.

[perrettatheinjured]

Sure, herding cats is chaos, but have you tried singing them a bedtime song?

My husband is a very light sleeper, so at night we herd our two cats into the little room downstairs that used to be my office but is now a storage and cats room.

As you can imagine, this is sometimes difficult. The cats double back, you get one downstairs but not the other, the first runs back when you finally wrangle the second one, etc. "Herding cats" is the metaphor for a reason.

After a while, husband realized that the cats were much better behaved every time I put them in. He had a classic cat-herding experience, but for me they would simply trot in front of me, go into their room, and go to sleep.

"You should put them to bed tonight," he said one night. "They listen to you."

Feeling lazy and not wanting to go downstairs, I said, "Have you tried singing them their goodnight song?"

Every time I put the cats to bed, I would walk behind them and sing a little song that basically consisted of various inflections of the words, "kitties go to bed."

He had heard me singing the song. He thought the song was very funny.

"That cannot possibly be it," he said.

But that night, he put the cats to bed while singing the song

and they went in the room with no trouble.

Fluke, right?

Every subsequent night that he put the cats to bed, he tried the song and got the same results.

I don't actually think our cats are particularly musical. My guess is that something about hearing a persistent yet non-aggressive voice behind them keeps them going in a single direction without causing a panic. But it works great, so now they always get a goodnight song when they go to bed no matter who is tucking them in.

This has, however, resulted in me having a different reaction to the "herding cats" metaphor. Because now i'm always like, "yeah herding cats can be chaos, but have you tried singing them a bedtime song?" Sometimes all you need to calm the chaos is a persistent yet non-aggressive voice, patiently encouraging you to go in the right direction.

[emrinalex]

Best Cat Commercials EVER EDS Cat Herders

[annabellecrump]

The Cat Herders

I'm not much of a sportsball girl, but the Superbowl inevitably reminds me of possibly the best commercial in the history of TV.

[nnschneider]

Me, 35 minutes ago: "We need to leave in 30 minutes"

Me, 5 minutes ago: "We need to leave now."

My family, now: "I just need to finish putting on my socks. Wait, no, not those socks. Well, maybe those socks if I change the rest of my outfit..." (wanders off to do something completely unrelated)

[internutter]

Challenge #04429-L045: Yes You Have To

What's a human to do when the researchers they're supposed to be protecting get so caught up in their work they lose all sense of danger? This is getting frustrating! Hey, all you, I know it's weird for the HUMAN to be saying this but... safety first for once?? -- Anon Guest

They say curiosity killed the cat. It also works on silly fluffy Havenworlders who are equal parts rambunctious kittens and Rikki Tikki Tavi[1]. Only without any teeth and claws to defend themselves.

That's my job. I'm the teeth and claws.

That said, it's not easy being the Expedition's Human to twenty curious little fluffballs all determined to go in every different direction they can think of. A better description of my job? Honestly? It's Team Parental.

[Check the source for the rest of the story]

[saphirabluish]

Love it. 🧡