Pet Peeve #5

Dear Pablo and fan club members,

On the mornings that Tracy works, she usually gets this monstrosity out of our computer room and sets it up in the living room. It is a very large and dangerous item called an "ironing board". When she pulls it out, it is flat. Then she makes this hideous noise and it folds out to what you see above. Then she places some of her clothes on top and rubs them with that device you can see sitting on top of the board. I'm not sure why she has to do this, I don't see that the clothes are any different when she is done. When I see the board coming, I get as far away as I can. I'm sure that it would whack me if I got too close. Do you have one of these in your house? Do you have any ideas of how we can get rid of it?

Pet Peeve #4

Dear Pablo and fan club members,

This is called Bubble Wrap. You should watch out for it and stay away! It comes in boxes in the mail. The boxes are great, of course, but the Bubble Wrap is nothing but trouble. I know it looks harmless enough. But do you see how Tracy's fingers are holding it? She is squishing it and making a horrid popping sound! When she does this I slink away and hide. Then she apologizes to me and promises not to do it again. But it's like she can't help herself, she just keeps doing it. The best thing to do is carry it straight to your garbage receptacle and throw it away. Because the people are hopeless; they just can't resist the popping.

Pet Peeve #3

Dear Pablo,

So far Phoebe has done all the pet peeves, but I decided that it was my turn this time. This is our comb. Phoebe and I don't like it at all, but she doesn't have to endure it nearly as much as I do. Phoebe sometimes gets some fur knots especially under her armpits and on her rear-end and Tracy combs her for a little while. But for some reason, Tracy decides to comb me more often! She pulls out great loads of my furs and shows them to me and I am supposed to be happy about that? I don't get it. I groom myself plenty and I can take care of my own fur, thank you very much. Tracy says that if I swallow all that fur, then I will get more hairballs. What's wrong with that?

Pet Peeve #2

Dear Pablo,

These are my anti-vomit pills. I don't like them at all. They taste very bitter, but Tracy makes me take one nearly every night. Monica doesn't have to take them, which doesn't seem very fair. I used to put up a fight, or pretend that I had swallowed it and then spit it out. But Tracy never gives up and I don't ever get away with it. So now I just swallow it and get it over with. She always gives me some pets and cuddles before and after, which almost makes up for it. And shortly after the pill-taking, she, Denis and I go to bed and cuddle a bit more before I go back out to the living room to spend the night with Monica.

Have you ever had to take any pills? I hope you don't!

Pet Peeve #1

Dear Pablo,

One of my least favorite things to have done is getting my toenails clipped. Wouldn't you agree? First of all, you get scooped up onto your back which is a very undignified position to be in. Then the toes are spread apart and toenails pushed forward. THEN the toenail clippers are brought into close proximity to TENDER FLESH. It's a bit scary. This is repeated for 8 toes (we used to have to endure a full 18 toenails getting clipped, but since our decimal digit amputation, we are down to 8.)

It's not that Tracy isn't careful. She has rarely caused me any pain with those things, but the potential is always there. The thought of it makes me flinch sometimes. All that being said, I must admit that there are some benefits. One is less likely to get get scolded for jumping into (or across) a lap when one's toenails are short.