Coupdepaw

A coupdepaw takes place when a cat successfully steals something from under your nose without you noticing it.

Sweet Crystal, a Bombay Black with us decades ago, was a master of the coupdepaw. One Sunday morning in Columbia, SC, found us reading the newspaper on the floor while enjoying powdered sugar mini-doughnuts. With paper sections spread out on the floor, we had a plate of the doughnuts between us.

The doughnuts disappeared amazingly fast. Beginning to accuse each other of eating all the doughnuts, we looked behind us. There was sweet Crystal, innocently looking on, velvety black paws and face covered with white powdered sugar.