I was lulled into complacency by two of the best lullers (not a word, but it describes them well) in the world. Things had been going so well for a long time. No accidents, no major Catastrophes, and I was feeling great about the taming of the gang of two. They were being perfect little angels.
Usually, during the day when I am painting, Roo stays up front in the window and Squad Car hangs out in her hammock in the back window. When a customer comes in, depending on how Roo feels about the person, she will either stay where she is or run to the back and get in her hammock until the customer leaves. They are so well trained by the master trainer, me. Lulled again!
It was a Thursday and I was just about done with a painting when a customer came in. Roo ran to the back and got in her hammock and I went to the front to greet the prospective art buyer. Nicely enough, she decided to purchase one of my larger paintings. We talked for about twenty minutes, I put her painting into an art bag, took the painting out to her car. A really nice way to start the day.
When I came back into the gallery, I noticed Roo had not returned to her favorite roost. Maybe Squad Car and her were playing or sleeping. Wrong again! As I came around the partition that separates the gallery from my studio, guess what I saw? The gang of two basking on my painting. What could I do? As I stood there, they both casually rolled over on their backs so I could scratch their fuzzy bellies. Of course, this smeared the painting even more and added much color to their hairy little bodies. What used to be a lovely seascape was now a very colorful and abstract piece of art. I did not even know they could paint.
After shooing them off the painting and depositing it in the trash can, I still had two moving pastel covered cats to corral and clean up. They were not cooperative at all. After many wet paper towels, lots of hissing and a couple of claw marks on my person, they were reasonably clean again. However, I was not. I looked like I was the one that had rolled on the unfinished picture. Neither one of the Rembrandts volunteered to help clean me up. They both went to sleep.
I learned a lesson today. Don't become complacent with healthy, mischievous cats. Sooner or later, you will pay for it. I now have a large box that I place over my painting when I have to go meet a customer or even go to the bathroom. Who knows how long that will work.
