How was Louis Catorze’s summer solstice? Well, I wouldn’t know. I barely saw him because he was constantly out, with his activities varying from sunbathing to fox-goading to Rodent Duty.

Oh yes, Rodent Duty. ‘Tis the season. Look at his silly little ears stood to attention:

Sunset Rodent Duty on the longest day.

In other news: another day, another Zoom call ruined. And it was with the same group of people as the previous, also-ruined, Zoom call.

For the first forty minutes of the hour-long call, my microphone didn’t work so, although I could hear everyone else, nobody could hear me and I was only able to communicate via the written chat. As I fussed and faffed with my settings trying to work out what had gone wrong, Catorze sat quietly beside me, well out of sight of the camera. Eventually he curled up into a little ball and went to sleep.

After forty minutes, I hit upon the magic formula which made the microphone work. And, naturellement, that was when Catorze bounced back to life.

He started by just walking across the camera field, dragging his tail across my face as he went. When it was my turn to speak, that was when he really decided to go for it (whatever “it” was), and the worst point was when he stood on my lap, his face in my face and his arse pointing camerawards, whining like a dying dog.

Everyone on the call responded in customary British fashion: ignoring it and pretending it wasn’t happening. Nobody’s face so much as twitched. And, as soon the call was over, Catorze decided that he no longer wanted to whine, and went back to sleep.

I shouldn’t be surprised, given that this little weasel DESTROYED my online lessons and staff meetings during lockdown. But at least, back then, there was a spate of cats doing the same thing. By now, the rest of them have found better things to do.

What is WRONG with him? What do we do?

I’d far rather the Zoom callers had seen this end than the other.

For more Catorzian capers, please visit http://louiscatorze.com

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26 responses to “L’enfer a appelé et le diable a hurlé”

  1. M - avatar

    Cats are wont to do what they want whenever they want.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Yup. Especially if what they want is the opposite of what we want!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. cat9984 avatar

    He just doesn’t want to be forgotten. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Absolutely no danger of that. And why didn’t he have this same urgency when the microphone didn’t work?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. cat9984 avatar

        You weren’t talking to other people. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

        1. iamthesunking avatar

          Ugh. That was probably it.

          Liked by 1 person

  3. mmechapeau avatar
    mmechapeau

    It’s also Rodent Duty season for Timon.
    And about the ruined Zoom call, what was the most awful? Louis’s performance or the microphone problem?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      More to the point: why did the performance have to coincide with the moment the microphone started working?

      Like

      1. mmechapeau avatar
        mmechapeau

        Such odd coincidences are always perplexing, aren’t they?

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Kate Crimmins avatar

    Here in the states, the call would have reverted to pets, animals and wonky stuff veering off course. I’m not telling my cats about rodent season.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Wonky stuff? I need to know more!

      Like

      1. Kate Crimmins avatar

        Everyone sharing their silly pet stories and pictures. You know how pet people are!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. iamthesunking avatar

          It’s a relief to know that others are as silly as mine!

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Kate Crimmins avatar

            Our stories are only silly to non-pet people.

            Liked by 1 person

            1. iamthesunking avatar

              I wonder if non-pet people even believe us. Sometimes what we report is almost too absurd to be true!

              Liked by 1 person

            2. Kate Crimmins avatar

              They think we’re weird.

              Liked by 1 person

            3. iamthesunking avatar

              It actually IS pretty weird that we put up with the grief cats give us!

              Liked by 1 person

  5. mcmcneil1 avatar
    mcmcneil1

    I have friends, and have had cats of my own, who get very interested when we are on the phone. Likely when your mic was off he couldn’t cue in on your voice so he had n reason to believe he “had a dog in the fight” (so to speak).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Yes, he’s deffo responded differently in the past according to whether I’ve been contributing or not. Oh good grief.

      Like

  6. Penny Cooper avatar
    Penny Cooper

    He’s a lad, he won’t be happy until he’s got everyone muting you!! 😂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      He’s a bastard.

      Like

  7. sevencatsandcounting avatar

    I personally get very excited when a cat appears in a virtual meeting.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      So do I, when it’s someone else’s cat!

      Like

  8. Marie-Luce, miaougraphe avatar

    Would you really rather they had seen this eye up so close ? Cause that gros plan of Louis-Catorze is mesmerizing… Who knows what he would have gotten those people to do if he had stared at them during the zoom call ?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      It’s terrifying, isn’t it? 🤣🤣🤣

      Liked by 1 person

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