Feeling rather bored,
Young Cat yawned and sat,
While a little ball
He half-heartedly did bat.
Old Cat had looked over,
Thought, "This is not the way
A young cat such as him,
Should amuse himself and play."
Old Cat approached Young Cat
And asked what he was doing.
"I feel so very bored!
This feels like my undoing!"
Young Cat was so dramatic,
Old Cat just rolled his eyes.
"Oh stop and listen to me-
For I am old and wise."
"Cats are pros at playing-
How have you never learned?
After my master class,
Boredom won't be a concern!"
Young Cat followed Old Cat
To a large space in the den,
Where Old Cat had a white board
And some brightly colored pens.
Old Cat started off-
"Play is not just play-
It is a complex means
To teach the young our ways.
They seem silly, do they not?
The stuffed rabbit and toy mouse?
The way we stalk them close
And bat them all around the house?"
"It's how you learn to hunt!
To stalk them as your prey!
Learn how to be real silent,
And not let them get away!"
Young Cat then raised his paw-
"But they aren't edible!
Wouldn't stalking a live bird
Feel much more credible?"
"Yes, birds are nature's squeak toys,
But it's not up for debate.
This town's birds have been off limits
Since the pact of '88."
He cocked his head as he remembered-
"We used to have such fun.
Back before they organized
And formed their bird union."
"Anyway, that's not the point-
It's to develop your skill sets.
Cats are not domesticated,
We're just wild pets."
Young Cat said, "But our dad
Feeds us all our Fancy Feast!
Why the need to hunt?"
"Cause at heart we're wild beasts!"
"You might wonder why we runAround the house as if from doom-
To confound our household humans
Is why we do the 'zoom'.
We race from room to room,
Keeping them up and wide awake!
To remind them we're the boss,
For our Cat Pride is at stake.
It keeps us in top shape,
Building speed, agility.
So we can knock things off
Counters much more easily."
A way dad makes us submit.
He puts down a piece of paper
And on it we must sit."
But dad is indisposable.
To do this exercise,
Young Cat wanted practice,
You need thumbs that are opposable.
Now you have the knowledge
Of how you can have fun,
And why it's so important
For you to play and sometimes run."Young Cat then did agree,
Thanking Old Cat for his class.
Old Cat said, "It was nothing.
I'm happy to say you passed."
To show Old Cat talk wasn't cheap.
He asked his friend to join him,
But Old Cat was fast asleep.
