Katya Graymalkin here.

I used to go meow at the door to be let out, and Mom or Charlie would stop what they were doing and let me out. When I was ready to come in, I would sit on the porch swing and meow in the window, or I would stand on my back legs and bounce against the storm door so it would make a terrible noise.

But there’s no fun in it, once they’re trained. Now, my favorite thing is to pretend I’m going the other way when Mom goes toward the door. Then, when she opens it, I streak out like a bullet! Sure, we both know she would let me out if I asked her to, but it’s more fun to play Escape. Charlie even calls me Bullet sometimes. Or Slick.

You should try it. It’s fun! Here’s a picture of me, pretending I’m ready to bolt if Mom tries to recapture me. But here’s a picture of me in my natural habitat. No, Mom, I wasn’t going to say, “Hogging the covers!” I was going to say, “Waiting for Mom to sit down so I can snuggle up to her.” Apology accepted.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR ANIMALS: What’s your favorite game to play with your humans?

KG