Dat! Dat! Dat!

Another of Dear Alex's first words - Dat! Dat! Dat! Daaaaat! We assume she's trying to say Cat!
Cat! Caaaaat! We have two - Emma and Gracie, both adopted, and two very good natured cats, to be sure - no claw marks on Alex yet as she has pounced, pummeled and slapped the cats in an effort to understand how they were like and/or unlike the in-animate stuffed animals in her ever-growing menagerie. The typical reaction is simple avoidance - as soon as the cats hear dear Slappy (from the sounds those hand and black and blue knees make) coming, they vanish. Smart cats, not-so-smart baby. I've been trying to explain the concept of 'stealth' and quietly sneaking up on said cats - but Dear Alex is having none of it. She announces her presence, (Dat! Dat! Dat! Daaaat!) then charges...