In which we adopt a ghost cat.
In the past week, I've apologized to my
husband many times for adopting a cat. I've apologized for taking him
by surprise. I've apologized because it wasn't a kitten. I've
apologized because it was so loud. I've apologized because we had to
keep it inside for a bit, that it somehow found its way into our
vents, and that it showed up on our bed last night when we had locked
it in the basement. Well, I am now done apologizing for our cat.
Mostly because I think it has made its permanent escape.
Guys, I don't even know what to say
anymore. Somehow I adopted either a feline ghost or Harry Houdini's
kitty incarnate. How do these things happen?
WELL, let's rewind and see. *Whirring
of a VHS tape* (if you don't know what that is, I've included a link
to a historical site that can explain it) and, roll film:
Me: “Blah, blah, blah . . . pick up
a cat . . . ?”
Alex: “WHAT?”
And later . . .
Me: “We should probably keep it in
the house until it gets used to us. Just in the back room/basement
area. It will be fine. What could happen?”
I now cut to an excerpt from Willa
Cat-her's diary.
Day 6: IT'S A TRAP! Having fully
explored my limited spaces, I approach madness. I don't think they
can hear my cries. If only I could get closer, perhaps then they
would listen.
The long winding tunnels have
brought me closer to the humans. I hear them, and know that they must
hear me, but they still ignore me. I have formulated a plan
that will get me out of here. This will be my last entry, as tonight
while they are sleeping, I will make my escape. I think for good
measure I will stop by and jump on them on my way out. Vengeance is
mine . . .
So, as you can see,
our cat was no ordinary cat. We fed it, gave it water, brushed it,
and pondered the best way to get it to stay with us when we let it
outside. We had plans to start feeding it on the back porch today and
transition it to the great outdoors. Unfortunately, once we became aware that the scheming demon
had somehow found her way into and out of our duct work, we knew we would
have to change our plans . However, we
didn't want to put her out at night, so we went to bed hoping that
she would be okay until the morning. My last comment was, “I think
she'll come out when we go to bed and turn off the lights. I mean,
there won't be any sound or light to attract her anymore. She'll come
out.”
And she did—just
not the way she went in.
We had been asleep
maybe an hour when we were awakened by the loud mewing that doesn't
usually come from our closet. I was ready to chalk it up to a crazy
dream I was having when Alex jumped up saying “SHE'S ON OUR BED!”
He was mad. And as
he chased the cat, she ran into to Melody's room and woke her up,
which just made things worse. And thus it was that once Alex got his
hands on the cat, she went unceremoniously out the front door along
along with all the psychology with which we had planned to gain her
trust. It was, as this entire cat and mouse business has been, quite
unfortunate.
This morning, in a
final effort to win our kitty's affections—if she's not already
back with her previous family—we put her towel, food, and water out
on our back porch. We keep checking for her, but I think she's long
gone. If that's the case, I don't think we'll play this game again
until it's kitten season. That leaves us lots of time to think about
what we've done.
The moral of this story is:
Don't
spontaneously adopt a full grown cat as a means of getting rid of
mice. You will only be astonished at just how easily cats (and
therefore mice) can find their way around the inside of your house.
Darn cat.
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