Vaccuum cleaner tails....
 
   We've had a number of weasels over the years.  Our current critter,
Nancy (no jokes, please), counts coup on the vaccuum.  She was afraid of
it at first, but later she would run out, and touch it with her nose,
then dash away under some piece of furniture.  Lately, though, she's
gotten even braver, and attacks the motorized carpet brush, biting the
bumper strip that goes around it, sometimes hanging on and getting
dragged.
   Our first two, Otto & Eric, had diametrically opposed opinions about
the vaccuum cleaner.  Otto didn't even notice it.  Eric, who was
generally a bully (and amused himself by beating up on Otto), was
desperately afraid of it.  I put him in the cage while I cleaned, but
decided that that was too cruel when I saw that he had stuck his head
under his blanket (with his butt sticking out), and was trembling all
over.  It seemed only right to let him choose where he felt most safe.
   I would warn him when I was about to start cleaning, usually by
dragging the vaccuum around.  Once, he was standing on the sofa, staring
off into space, watching little movies in his head (or, more likely,
movies in his little head).  I said, "Hey, Eric, big noise!"  No
response.  "I'm gonna turn on the VACCUUM CLEANER!"  He just stared at
me.  So I _mimicked_ the vaccuum cleaner.  "vrrOOOOOOZZZZZHHHHH!"  I
must've gotten the pitch just right, because his eyes went wide, and his
shoulders drooped.  Then he emptied his bladder.
   So I didn't vaccuum that afternoon.  I just cleaned the sofa.  I
guess it was all I deserved.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0336]