We’ve heard about the clickers used to train pets and TV clickers, but how about Klick the cat?
Klick, a 15-year-old farm cat was named after Oregon’s scenic Klickitat River that runs through the Cascade mountains.
Russ Owens, owner of Automotive Specialties
located at 424 South Pacific Hwy. 99 is Klick’s dad. In a way, cats are like car transmissions. They may look similar, but you have to study them to see how they tick! They both need “fixing”(cats need neutering/spaying, often refurr-ed to as “fixing”) and once everything is up and running, the engine purrs and everyone is happy.
Russ has learned valuable lessons from Klick that helps him better understand people. “Sometimes people, like cats, get so
focused on one thing that they lose perspective of the larger picture.
My job is helping bring order out of chaos when vehicle problems interrupt peoples’ lives. I am still not exactly sure what Klick’s job is.”
Klick does not accompany Russ to work. Even though you will find Russ beneath vehicles fixing them, “Work is ‘beneath’ Klick,” he admits. “She thinks she is Queen of the universe. She invented the term ‘Paws-ive
Aggressive’ and demonstrates it by showing great disdain for the lowly humans who are late filling her food bowl. We, apparently, in her eyes are constantly NOT living up to her expectations.”
To Klick, the only form of life lower than a human was Murphy, their dog, and that's “... probably because he didn't have an opposable thumb and couldn't feed her or let her out.” Klick is a thinker and a stinker and Russ is still trying to diagnose her
cat-itude.”
Poor Murphy! Klick continually ‘steered’ him into play paws-ition by sliding up to him all sweet and purring and when he let his guard down, WHAM!
You might say, faster than a set of windshield wipers on high, Klick smacks Murphy with her furry front tire, pussy-pawing him in the kisser! She’s been seen to smile, as she nonchalantly saunters away!
A year ago Murphy passed and the family is still adjusting to
his loss. “Now Klick no longer has anyone to beat up,” said Russ, “but Murphy was family and it is apparent to us that even Klick misses him.”
“She didn't come to us as a lap kitty,” admits Russ, “but, with age her perfect evening is on an obedient human’s comfy lap having her head scratched in all the right places. She shows her gratitude by revving up her little engine and purring.”
A comfy lap to a cat must be as awesome to us as sitting
in a luxury car’s heated seat!
Here is the Klick twist to her tale! Just like Murphy, even Russ can’t relax because, “She bites you when you try to get up!” laughs Russ.
This makes one wonder if all the cat’s brain’s “nuts and bolts” are screwed on tight!
Cindy, Klick’s pet mom, calls the cat her “gardening buddy.” Klick considers herself the expert garden snooper-visor and follows Cindy around the yard making sure
everything is done to a feline’s finicky expectations.
“Klick, as with all animals we live with,” said Russ, “teaches us a lot about being human - about ourselves, about forgiveness and tolerance. About love and respect - and we all need more of that.
An important thing Klick has taught me is to recognize that, like many people, she only sees the world in one perspective and that is limited by the size of her universe and her absolute certainty
that her view is the yardstick by which normal should be measured; arguing is completely unproductive.
I've thought a lot about that and it has improved my interaction with people. And, like all humans and cats, no two are alike, so we’ve learned to love Klick just the way she is.”
