English As A Second Language

Doobie, our 15-lb. rag-bag kitty, might look like she has a learning disability, but she would surprise you.

Besides shocking us with the occasional bit of raunch launched from her haunches, she has also surprised us by learning.

Doobie knows English!

I have taught Doob the word "Brush". It was actually pretty easy to do, since the brush is her most favourite thing in all the land, besides her kitty-weed.

It started when Suz and I noticed that every time the brush was sitting out, Doobie would become super-duper happy, bite it, and unsuccessfully rub her face on it. We would then pick it up and brush her with it. Her excitement escalated every time this happened, even if she accidentally rammed her eyeballs into the sharp bristles.

One day, after the blood and pus stopped oozing from her eyes, I announced that I was going to teach Doobie the world "Brush". I would start by asking her, "Brush? Brush? Bruuuush?" She didn't understand.

I pulled the brush out of the drawer and continued asking, "Brush? Bruuuush?" This is when her tiny brain started to clue in. For the next 2 weeks I would brush Doobie's greasy fur, all the while saying "Brush! Brush! Bruuuuush!"

It didn't take long for our little kitty -- okay, big kitty -- to make the connection.

Now, whenever I say that word, Doobie goes nuts, just like when you say "Cookie" to a Lab and "walk" to a Retriever. Or "kill" to a Doberman.

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Exciting Stats:
The word brush (and variations of it) appears 15 times in the above post, which is also the weight, in lbs., of our sweet Doob.