Do Cats and Dogs Have a Sense of Humor?

 

Sassy grinned up at me, as if to say, "No! I will not sit next to Ronald McDonald on that bench. Never!"

Sassy Sue, the Three-legged Wonder Dog, pretends to ignore me at times. She has seeing and hearing problems, but it is more than that. 

Recently I was moving from the computer desk to the bed, a short distance. I began slipping down, not able to move back to the chair or all the way to the bed. Sassy was lying on her side, her eyes half open, watching me slide to the floor. She had a half-smile on her face but showed no movement or alarm. She seemed to be thinking, "Serves him right."

The solemn doctor said Bethany would not be able to use her eyes normally, but she had perfect vision (Cleveland Clinic) and followed everyone around the room with her eyes. Bethany had an angry fit in my arms, so I asked her, "Is this how you get your way around here?" She relaxed and laughed, conceding my observation was correct.

Today Sassy stretched out near me on the bed. She does not want me to touch her paws, so I stayed close without touching them. I closed my eyes and felt her paw slip under my hand. I looked over - she was grinning at me. That reminded me of tricks played by Bethany and Erin. They did not speak words, but they also knew how to provoke smiles and laughter.

Cats and dogs are four-legged psychologists, carefully listening to our symptoms and supplying remedies. They are very much like children, young and supposedly limited in knowledge, but very insightful and delighted by their own observations or questions.

Nurses were pleased to hear that Erin's middle name was Joy, because that was their private nickname for the ever-smiling and laughing girl. She was such a prankster that she would start laughing before the nurses finished their story about Erin's latest burst of joy. That often came from a spill or a loud, angry naughty word - from a nurse dropping a quart of yogurt or a huge three-ring notebook of patient records.

Sassy is the mouthiest dog ever, and she is eager to order me around. However, she stays just outside the chapel and listens quietly to the entire worship service. Sometimes one short bark will let everyone know she is attendance. What more can anyone expect from using a spare room in a rented house?

 Norma A. Boeckler took the picture and designed the graphic - from the dog park in the Bella Vista area, Arkansas.