TABLE MANNERS

Mum is not herself.  I can tell because I know her very well.  She is tense as she sits at the table with Megan.  I put my paw on her knee and she smiles at me.  But it’s only half a smile, really.

Now I see what the problem might be.  Mum gets cross if I even put my front paws on our table at home.  Here, though, there’s a cat stepping over the plates and bowls! 

The question is, do I just bark at him – or jump up to send him packing?  While I’m deciding, Mum puts her hand on my head and strokes it gently.  This suggests she trusts me to do the right thing – and as it was wrong to chase the kitten it would probably be wrong to take action over the cat.

I stay where I am.  This isn’t easy as two of Megan’s dogs are pushing past me looking for scraps.  Then the cat drops down from the table into Mum’s lap.

Megan says: “You’re honoured!  Sheba shies away from strangers as a rule, but she seems to be settling down nicely with you.  Help yourself to more salad else it’ll only go to waste.  Salad’s the one thing I can rely on my lot not to snaffle.”

“Thanks, but I’ve had plenty already,” says Mum.  “You’ve been more than generous, Megan.”

“I’ve hardly started yet!  We’ll get to the pudding once we’ve cleared these dishes.  Pass me down that blue bowl from the shelf above your head and I’ll bring in the cream from the kitchen.”  I looked up to where she and Mum were looking – and saw the well-licked kitten helping himself to the bowl’s contents.  “Just push Tigger off it and no harm done – as long as there’s some rice pud left!” says Megan.

But Mum’s looking at her watch and asks:  “Gosh, is it three already?  I’m so sorry, Megan, but Sam and I are due in town in half-an-hour.  I can’t believe the time has flown so fast.”

“You’re leaving already?  Oh, there’s a pity!  Well, never mind – come back soon, both of you, and we’ll pick up where we left off.”

“Thank you - we’ll certainly do that!” Mum tells her as Megan slips me a biscuit and we depart.

I lick Megan’s hand to tell her that I’ve enjoyed her hospitality, even if Mum hasn’t.