Dead Cat

OK, first I did not do it.

The other night I was backing into our driveway and noticed the neighborhood cat, dead in the street by the curb. This is cat that had been sleeping on both our front and back porches the last few weeks.

I made a comment about it to Lori which Zane (our almost 4 year old) heard. So he asked about it. Lori stated that maybe I should take him out to look at it … teachable moment. So as we unload the van, Zane is all excited about going to look at the dead cat. I tell him we must first unload the groceries and get a flashlight. So he helped carry in groceries, of which there were several arm loads. After each load taken in he would ask, “Are we going to go look at the cat?” I would say, “After we unload the van and I get a flashlight.” This happened at least three times.

Lori has taught him very well to be careful around cars, “because they can smash you like a pancake.” So in parking lots and when close to a street he obeys very well by waiting for us and holding one of our hands or pant leg.

So after finishing unloading the van, I get the flashlight and we walk out, hand-in-hand, to view the dead kitty. As we walk I remind him about why we must be careful around cars and the street because, of the possibility of being “smashed like a pancake … you see cats are not as smart as you, so they don’t know how to be careful like you are.”

As we flashed the light on to the deceased cat we talked about how sad it was that the poor kitty was dead. We didn’t linger long but as we walked back to the house I reminded him that cats are not as smart as him at being careful around cars and the street, then transitioning to dogs as well, they are not as smart as him and that some day we will get a dog and that he will have to watch the dog carefully because they are not as smart as him either. They have to be kept on a leash or in the backyard.

Later on that night, he accused ME of killing the cat … I am like “what, I didn’t do it.” He said, “Dad you are being silly.”
“No, I didn’t do it, it was already there, I just saw it when we were backing into the driveway.”
He shakes his head, and says again, “daddy’s being silly.”
“No, I did not do it.”
“You’re not telling trufth.”
“Yes, that’s the truth, I don’t tell lies.”