I was on my way to interview rescued animals for the Whatcom Humane Society calendar when I came upon this eye-catching sight. The dogs’ human had popped inside the convenience store for a moment when – presto! They had commandeered the wheel and looked ready to take this regal boat for a spin.


Scenes from the hilarious Saturday Night Live skit Toonces the Driving Cat began scrolling through my head. The popular puppet character billed as the “toughest tabby in town” made repeated SNL appearances in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Toonces’ family is a dim-witted couple who are thrilled at first to discover that their cat can drive. As it dawns on them that he isn’t so good at it, they grow dismayed, but somehow Toonces always ends up behind the wheel. Each short inevitably ends with a scene of the car sailing over a cliff and smashing to pieces on the rocks below.


The only thing missing here was a cameo appearance by Toonces himself. If he’s out there, I hope he’s finally learned to drive. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to be shown up by a couple of dogs.

 

"Of course we have drivers’ licenses, officer!"