Kisses

Today, I was making Gizmo's food. Now, generally while making it, I take brief breaks to go in, reach through the bars on his play-pen, and rub his ears and let him smell my hands and stuff. This serves two purposes. First off, it reinforces the idea that just because my hands smell like food, doesn't mean I actually have food in them. Secondly, it helps him make the connection as to exactly where his food comes from.

Well, today I went over for one of these mid-cooking visits, and Gizmo was waiting for me, with his nose stuck through the grid and giving air-kisses. I went to hold my hand out for him to lick, but he pulled back, still giving kisses to nothing. I reached in a little further, only to have him back away a few more steps. He then tilted his head and waggled his tail, doing his "Aren't I the cutest thing ever?" look, and then went back to giving air-kisses.

I couldn't resist, I went into the play-pen and sat down, and he immediately pounced into my lap and started giving me kisses all over and just slobbering on me in general. I just wasn't going to get my kisses until I went inside with him; none of this petting him through the grid nonsense.

Some days you train the fox, some days the fox trains you.