If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?

My pets are no longer with me, but if I could have told my cat anything, it would be: I can’t see through you.

In fact, that’s exactly what I did with this post way back in 2010:

Cats are not really see-through
though they want you to think they are
when they, ever so slickly,
flop
on your papers
as though it were by chance
as though they had no idea
as though they had not intended all along
to eclipse the sober confines of your surroundings
with all the wonderful essence that is themselves
and turn your pitiful, trusting heart
to the clever enticements of their ambience
of
purring
gentle strokes
scratching behind the ears
carefully caressed haunches
till, all at once your time is spent
and they are sound asleep
brazenly
shockingly
brilliantly
blissfully
opaque