Those little satellite-dish ears! They're great. We do this thing with our kitties to test that response. Make little almost imperceptible noises, especially when the cats have their backs turned. It's amazing to watch those ears tune in and turn toward the noise. It's also fun to do that when they're snoozing and realize that their auditory senses are still fully awake the whole time.

Cats are very smart. We have dogs, too, and they're nice. Occasionally I can see them figuring out something. But they're not nearly as smart or perceptive as cats. We gave up a long time ago on the kitchen counter thing. My husband used to shout at our cat who likes to jump up there. I finally made him realize that he could shout all he wanted but that a cat is a cat and is going to do exactly what he wants. Even if the no-counter rule were strictly enforced at every opportunity, the first thing the cat is going to do when we leave the house is jump up on the kitchen counter and walk around. Dave has finally realized that that's true and stopped shouting at the cat. . . .