personal space

Now you know how I feel, Peepers.  Now you know.

MOUSES!

Hey all you cats out there. you ever have problems with your peeps constantly wantin' to get too close to you for comfort?  Wantin' to pet you.  Wantin' to kiss you.  Wantin' to get in your PURRsonal space?

Well let me tell you, my friends:  I HAVE THIS PROBLEM ALL OF THE TIME.

Peepers is especially bad for gettin' closer than I want her to get.  Last night, she sat down on the chesterfield right next to where I was lyin'.  She wasn't on MY cushion, or anythin' like that, but she was definitely in my personal space.  She was on the cushion right next to mine.  We were inches apart, I tell you.  INCHES APART!

Well as you can imagine, that kinda intrusion into my personal space is unacceptable, for sure.

And then...

And then she reached over and tickled me on the back of my neck.  MY neck.

THE HORROR!

Okay, so technically, I kinda liked it.  But nevertheless...

Nevertheless, SHE WAS IN MY PERSONAL SPACE.

MOUSES!

So what did I do, you ask?

Well I seriously considered GETTIN' UP FROM MY SPOT AND WALKIN' AWAY.

Yup, I took that option under consideration, for sure, but as I said, I kinda actually liked the scritches, so I allowed her to continue.

BUT THAT DOESN'T EXCUSE HER FOR GETTIN' IN MY PERSONAL SPACE.

MOUSES!

But the funny thing is, with all these social distancin' measures in place these days, peeps out there are finally gettin' a taste of their own medicine, if and when other peeps get too close.

Why, earlier today...

No, no one reached over and tickled the back of Peepers' neck.

Actually, I think ticklin' the backs of strangers' necks is generally frowned upon, to say the least.

I imagine peeps have been kicked in the shins for less!

So no, no one tickled the back of Peepers' neck, but she did say that while she was shoppin' for groceries and stuff, even though most peeps out there were pretty good 'bout stayin' two meters away, there was this one peep who got just a wee bit too close.

But don't worry, no shins were kicked.

I don't think.

MOUSES!

All I have to say is, NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL, PEEPERS.  NOW YOU KNOW.

MOUSES!

And isn't it funny?  Isn't if funny that for all these years peeps out there thought nothin' of gettin' in OUR space but now, now that they're used to keepin' distance between themselves and others, they get all hot and bothered under the collar when someone else gets too close?

The shoe is on the other paw now, my friends.  THE SHOE IS ON THE OTHER PAW!

Which is kinda odd when you think about it, 'cause generally speakin', right shoes don't fit on left paws, you know?

And oh my mouses, can you imagine if some stranger peep actually did reach over and tickle Peepers on the back of her neck?

Peeps can't even stand havin' someone BREATH down the backs of their necks these days, ticklin' would be akin to assault!

MOUSES!

I'm just hopin' that as Peepers now knows how it feels when someone gets too close to her, she'll have a little more consideration for me, and start keepin' her distance.

Unless, of course, I happen to want chin scritches or back of the neck tickles at that particular moment.

The key is, ASKIN' FOR PERMISSION, first.

Or prepare to be smacky-pawed in return.

MOUSES!

***********************

And remember:

IF IN DOUBT,

DON'T. GO. OUT.

Continue to practice SOCIAL DISTANCIN' measures

AND KEEP WASHIN' YOUR PAWS.

MOUSES!