I’d like to know whatever happened to presumed innocent until proven guilty.  Now, I don’t know how it works around your home, but here’s how it goes in mine.

Something is found to be out of order, oh, say a piece of paper is shredded.  The question is always asked:  “Do you know anything about this, Cricket?”  Just like that.  My name at the end of it, said in a way that you know, if printed, it would be both bold and italicized.  There are others in this house, but it’s always my name at the end of the question.

Okay, I will admit to doing some things that aren’t always approved of by everyone, but they don’t always do things I approve of, either and yes, I react, usually by biting or clawing.  Well, come on, how else am I supposed to let them know I don’t approve of something?  After all, they don’t speak my elevated language.

Here’s another example.  The other day the towel that’s supposed to cover the electronic keyboard was on the floor.  Again, I was asked if I knew anything about it.  It’s always like that.  If anything is knocked over, scattered, shredded, anything, I’m automatically suspected.

The thing is, sometimes I’m really not the one to blame.  Once in a while it’s one of the outdoor kitties that come in to get their treats when breakfast and dinner is served.  Other times it’s the wind from an open window that blew papers around.

If you ask me, jumping to conclusions has caused a lot of the problems over the years.  We see something we don’t like and immediately think we know how it happened, then strike out at the one we think is guilty, only to find out later we were wrong.  If only we’d taken the time to investigate first.

My big cats had something like that happen not too long ago and it really hurt them.  Someone found out that they don’t let the outdoor kitties stay inside when it’s really cold.  This person said the kitties would be better off at the shelter because there would at least be a lot of other cats for them to curl up with and keep warm.  Now, most of us know that a shelter is, for the most part, a death sentence for an animal, especially a cat.  So this person was, in effect, saying they would be better of on death row than with my big cats who really love the little kitties.  If this person had investigated first, here’s what they would have discovered.

The outdoor kitties enjoy coming in but, with the exception of one, Missy, they freak out if the front door is closed while they’re in.  One in particular starts screaming and slamming himself against the windows trying to get out and that, in turn, panics the other cats and they start running around, yelling, too.  My big cats can’t leave the door open when it’s thirty-two degrees outside and they can’t have the outdoor kitties being so scared and getting hurt by slamming into closed windows.  The only answer is to leave them out.  As for Missy, even she wants out after about half an hour and she becomes very upset if they don’t let her out.  She doesn’t care if it’s twenty-two degrees out and snow on the ground, she wants out.

It’s sad because a lot of hurt feelings could have been avoided if the person had simply taken the time to find out what the real situation was before accusing my big cats of being cruel.  My big cats tried to explain, telling this person that they have provided many places of shelter for the outdoor kitties and lining those shelters with blankets and serving them warm food both morning and night.  But I guess it didn’t help because this person hasn’t spoken to them since then.  How sad.

Have you ever had something like that happen to you?  You know, where you were accused of doing something bad when you were really innocent?  Do you remember how it made you feel?  Then, if you can, the next time you get upset about something, try to remember how you felt and gather all the facts before you act on your suspicions.  It could save you some embarrassment and save someone else hurt feelings.  What a nicer, kinder world we would have if everyone did that.

Until next time, happy mousing,

Cricket

P. S.

I just discovered I shredded something I shouldn’t have.  I wonder if I should ‘fess up or ignore it.  No, I know what I’ll do.  I’ll tell them Missy did it.  Yeah!