Cuteness Factor

I don't know if, like me, you subscribe to the theory that cuteness is a survival skill. As in, our parents would likely have killed all of us at some point when we were tiny and rather obnoxious (not like we are NOW) if we hadn't fortuitously been so danged cute. This is known to adults as the Cuteness Factor.

Well, don't think for a minute that small, cute beings like toddlers, kittens, and oh yes, dogs, don't know of this phenomenon and rely on it.

Like, oh, say for example, a dog....

Say, this dog, just, you know, hypothetically....

Say he were, one Monday morning, to go into his grandparents' bedroom, jump up on the bed (for which he does not have permission in the first place), and then proceed to urinate on his grandmother's side of the bed--including her pillow.

Purely hypothetically, of course.

One would think that said dog would be in danger of his life . . . or at least, in danger of being banned to his crate for the entire day (if not the week), or being sent outside on his own. Or not given any treats for the day. Something severe like that.

Well, see? This is where that Cuteness Factor comes in. Because (still hypothetically) by the time his grandmother had finished the umpteenth load of laundry (and after said dog's mother had folded a fair proportion of said laundry to try to make amends for her recalcitrant child), it's conceivable that said dog's mother could come home from work and find him and his grandmother cozily sitting together on the loveseat in the dining room window.

That Cuteness Factor. I'm telling you, it's powerful stuff, not to be toyed with.

Hypothetically, of course.

And before you say that you don't believe that such an angelic face could do such a heinous act, I have to tell you, there were (hypothetical) witnesses.

Oh--and before I forget. CNN is doing a survey on people's favorite past-times. Knitting is on the list, but not making the top 10 . . . You know what you have to do! We need to make our power known! Go vote!

Comments

[Chris]

What the heck prompted that?!

[Carole]

That's pretty out of character. Hope he's okay.

[Sheila]

OOOOH. He's lucky he's so cute!

[lisa]

Ha!!!! ha!!!! LOL!!! Our struggle lately is the 5 am super sharp bark that can raise the dead. From one of them. And then the other joins. Yeah, they are lucky they are cute too. Chappy? Wicked cute! Or as the old ladies around here say, 'wicked cunnin'!

[Debby]

The cuteness factor definitely gets them out of those hypothetical messes!

[Carol]

Yup, I can vouch for the cutenss survival factor. My kitties have also been bad in the past. but how can you resist such adorableness? BTW, I voted on CNN too!

[Mary]

Oh my! Is Chappy feeling OK?

[minnie]

i voted!

our problem around here is that the older cat is skittish, and if the kids are in the room her box is in (even though they are on the other side of the room(, she refuses to go in there to use the box. lately, she's taken to doing her business (both, unfortunately) in front of the french doors behind the dining room table. since i'm the one who does the cooking, i'm the one who usually finds it, sigh. i think we may have solved the smell issue though, as i've febreezed the living daylights out of the carpet, and it doesn't smell ilke her litter box. she hasn't done it in a week (she was doing it DAILY for 2 weeks!)

[Peeve]

Oh yes indeed it is! There are several cats who owe their lives to those big eyes and the pleading look!

[CindyCindy]

Wow, a display of domination. BTW, my mother is just as bad with the dog. He gets away with almost everything. And, my vote didn't put us over the top, yet.

[Kristi aka Fiber Fool]

Wow, said dog is lucky to have cuteness in spades!

[Rebekah]

Oh what a bad Chappy. Maybe he was just making sure she ws well marked as his grandma.

[frogger]

i've peed on mommy's bed (when i was younger) and i never got in that much trouble for it. i am pretty darn cute- that must be what saved me!

you are very cute yourself. i like your curly ears :).

[Beth S.]

Wonder why he did that? Did she throw out his favorite toy or something?

At least he didn't chew on her shoes...

[Kim]

That stinks! That seems like odd behavior for Chappy. The Cuteness Factor is indeed very strong!

[Madame Purl]

Ah yes... been there. My Sophie did that - oh lets just say a few times - always to DH's side of the bed.

[Judy H.]

Seriously, NONE of the animals in this house would still survive if it weren't for the Cuteness Factor. And, as a fan of Cute Overload.com as well, I can add that some seriously odd animals have adorable babies. That could only be true if we were programmed to think baby=cute!

[Tressa in NC]

Uh-oh! Chappy is one lucky boy to have such a loving and understanding Grandma. I can sympathize with Grandma regarding the laundry from such a (hypothetical) event. My female Springer has had 4 small "accidents" on my bed in the past 10 days or so. She isn't showing any signs of distress or illness, but will be checked out soon when she has her routine 6-month wellness visit to the vet. I hope that cutie pie Chappy doesn't let all that cuteness go to his curly head. I'll bet Grandma will help him "understand" if he gets any ideas to try to claim her bed again. Unless she's the "forgive and forget" type. Like most! Lucky Chappy!

[Susie]

Hmmm, maybe Chappy was mad at Grams for something? Dogs and cats seem to be pretty direct, even if we don't speak the same language.

[JessaLu]

I wonder what Grandma did? ;o)

My Dad used to remind me of the 'cuteness factor' all the time - and that was the sole reason why he hadn't killed me by the time I was 17 and REALLY screwed up...