During a recent conversation with a client, I recommended she measure the pellets offered and make sure they are no more than 1/4 cup (for a rabbit). She asked me “which size cup?”. I was very confused.
Sometimes I feel the most difficult part of the job is communication. I didn’t know how to respond to the client – finally I suggested a dry measuring cup. She still seemed confused and was happy to learn that measuring cups are standard sizes. I recommended she go out to a store with kitchen supplies and get a fresh set.
“Whenever You Assume, You Make an Ass out of You and Me.”
I’ve been told stories, by dog and cat vets, that when asked to bring in the cup used to measure their pet’s food an owner brought in a 7-11 big gulp! That is, technically, a cup – if you assume cup is referring to the container rather than the measurement.
But really, anything you do for a while becomes natural. It seems like everybody does the same thing…until you find someone who doesn’t. Boy that keeps you on your toes. I shocked my father one year when I asked him for advice on a CPA – I needed some help with my taxes. He stared at me…”how have you been getting your taxes done?” I used to do them myself…he asked how I learned. After a minute, I informed my father that my mother sat me down when I was 15 and told me what to do. After that, I was responsible for my own taxes. He never knew…
At least we each learned something that day – she learned how measuring cups work and I learned that some people haven’t been taught how measuring cups work.
