I recently discovered that a great way to get Winnie to stop begging for whatever I'm eating (in this case, carrots) is to merely present him with the hand that I'm not eating with. That is distraction enough, it turns out. Very, very intelligent animal.
I know that this is just further confirmation of what we already know (Winston is a dolt). Whatever. I like feeling justified.
What song was in the background?
Posted by: Amber | March 23, 2010 at 01:44 PM
is it possible you're more handsome than ever!
Posted by: artemioolopez | March 23, 2010 at 01:48 PM
What Amber said.
Posted by: Martha | March 23, 2010 at 02:20 PM
Good use of the 12" version of Cloud Busting! And when Kate sings "I just know that something good is gonna happen," I totally started cackling. Poor Winston - nothing good was gonna happen!
Posted by: seeldee | March 23, 2010 at 02:22 PM
I wish that I had realized years ago that a cat could provide the same entertainment as my idiot ex bf but without all of the frustration & arguing.
Posted by: Chaely | March 23, 2010 at 02:27 PM
My cat doesn't beg for food because she knows she won't get any. If I *do* give her people food, I still put it in her food bowl, so she doesn't associate it with whatever I was just eating.
I also trained her to stop begging when her food bowl is empty by only refilling it when she's not paying attention. But that one backfires when I lose track of time and realize it's three hours past her feeding time and she's sitting next to her bowl looking sad. I should set an alarm clock or something...
Posted by: Oz | March 23, 2010 at 03:06 PM
That was amazing. I especially loved Winston's theatrical straight face at 1:22.
Posted by: lizzy | March 23, 2010 at 03:07 PM
I agree with artemioolopez, you are looking great in this vid! Winston too :)
Posted by: Sara | March 23, 2010 at 03:25 PM
lol I love Winston, he's such a special boy!
Posted by: Erin | March 23, 2010 at 03:26 PM
Winston wasn't fooled- he was just eating the aura of the carrot. He's an advanced being.
Posted by: BonzoGal | March 23, 2010 at 03:43 PM
that was awesome. and holy crap, rich, you get cuter and cuter.
Posted by: dalia | March 23, 2010 at 04:07 PM
- your look: contemplative, mischievous, divine -
Posted by: veg | March 23, 2010 at 04:08 PM
I live for your blog. I wish you never slept so you could post constantly.
Posted by: Krystale | March 23, 2010 at 05:30 PM
also a good song for cutey winnie and rudeboy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLPPlRDOZx0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvNMaqH7J1o
Posted by: miks | March 23, 2010 at 06:05 PM
Oh Winston. :)
I do a similar trick with my dog all the time, but of course she always gets a treat in the end because I can't help it. It's the eyes.
Man, I bet Winston's life soundtrack is pure bliss.
Posted by: Trang | March 23, 2010 at 07:02 PM
Awww, Winston.
We do something similar with my cat (because he begs and will want to eat anything we are eating.) If I'm eating a turkey sandwich, Eddy's favorite, and he begs, I'll give him a bit of whatever else I'm eating (i.e. the bread, an empty cup, a water bottle, a napkin) and he'll think it's not turkey and walk away.
Well, most of the time, at least.
Posted by: Stabitha | March 23, 2010 at 08:08 PM
Poor little goblin face Winnie!
I have been listening to Cloud Busting a lot lately. Kate Bush is amazing. The video is also pretty incredible and CRAZY. I think Winston's next Halloween costume should be Kate Bush dressed as the little boy in that video. Rudy can be Donald Sutherland.
Posted by: Rob | March 23, 2010 at 08:09 PM
The downside of this method... you are training him to love the taste of human flesh... EEP!
Posted by: Jules Dixon | March 23, 2010 at 08:37 PM
Oh Winston, you are special in an Olympic kind of way. But, that's why we love you!
And, I concur with the others, Rich. You are freakin' adorable!
Posted by: Mandy | March 23, 2010 at 08:39 PM
I'm so glad after all his work Winston still gets a little bit of carrot to eat.
I love at some point he even sees you eating with the other hand but goes back to the empty one because he's so 'sure' there's some food there.
Posted by: CP | March 23, 2010 at 09:47 PM
whenever I offer cats a carrot, they just say, "oh, it's only a carrot. That's not meat."
Posted by: Mark Nockleby | March 23, 2010 at 09:55 PM
Love that song! Thank you for reminding me of it.
Posted by: Kim | March 24, 2010 at 01:00 AM
In all these years I never noticed the similarity of "Cloudbusting" and Pebbles' "Girlfriend" - do you hear that too??
Posted by: chikochevere | March 24, 2010 at 02:07 AM
winston the DOE DOE bird LOL
Posted by: HEIDI | March 24, 2010 at 07:53 AM
i also noticed winston's 'straight faced' look at 1:22-hilarious.
rich, not only do i love you because you're gorgeous, but also because you made that bindi gif your 'hero'. i really hope you wind up doing a post about that wretched movie.
Posted by: gem | March 24, 2010 at 08:54 AM