Kathryn (left) and Cait
I did not realize it had been a week since my last blog entry until I got some emails from you guys wondering if I am still on the planet. I am.
My seldom seen oldest, Cait, and her partner Kathryn are here for a visit. I have not seen them in several years, so the visit has been much anticipated and greatly enjoyed. I have not been blogging, sewing, or doing much of anything except visiting with them and feeding folks and animals.
Speaking of animals, Bella somehow got on top of the cabinets this morning, which are very high up due to the 9-ft. height of my ceiling. I came into the kitchen and heard her meowing in a most distressed voice. I knew it wasn't Taco, because he was on the floor in front of me. I searched and searched for her and couldn't find her anywhere--not shut up in a bathroom or closet, not under a bed or couch, not nowhere.
Finally I'm standing in the kitchen wondering where else to look for her, and I just happen to look up and there she is on top of the cabinet. I have no idea how she got up there. I would think it's too high for her to jump, and there is nothing for her to climb or get a foothold. Likewise, there is no way for her to climb down. She would have had a long jump to get down, and she refused to do so.
I got my stepladder and climbed up to her, but she was just out of my reach, and I couldn't get her to come closer. I got treats, but she still wouldn't come. I stepped from the stepladder onto the counter top (precarious, I know). I still couldn't reach her enough to get a grasp on her.
Then I realized I was stuck. Due to the inability of most of my joints (especially my knees and hips) to bend much more than a couple of degrees, I found I couldn't step from the counter top onto the stepladder, the way I had got up there. I also couldn't sit down on the counter top and slide onto the floor, again because not much on my body bends well anymore.
Just before I was about to give up and start screaming to wake someone up to come help me, and after much turning and stretching and a few words that aren't fit to print here, I finally was able to ease my foot onto the ladder and get down.
But the original problem, Bella on the cabinet, was still unsolved. I thought about calling the fire department, but only briefly. I don't know if they even really get cats out of trees. I was pretty sure they weren't coming to get a cat off the top of my cabinets.
So first I set the stepladder up on the counter top. Bella looked at it, but no go. Still too high, she said.
So then I got a kitchen chair and set it on the counter top, thinking she could jump to the back of it and down on the seat and get down. "Are you kidding?" her look seemed to say. She still refused to budge.
So I put the stepladder back up on the countertop and placed the kitchen chair on top of it. I spread of generous portion of kitty treats on the seat of the chair--and waited. Slowly she inched down onto the chair seat, very slowly and very nervously, but she made it. From the chair, I could reach her. She was covered with dust from the top of the cabinets, where neither I nor the cleaning lady can reach to clean. She went straight to the top of the cat condo and commenced to lick and clean herself. She has been asleep every since--several hours nows.
So that has been my day so far. I haven't even had a shower and got dressed, and it's going on 1:00 p.m. Gotta go.
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On 08/27/2014, Barbara Anne said ...
Welcome to Cait and Kathryn! You're looking good, ladies!!
Oh, Susan! Seriously, I've almost had to pick myself off of the floor while reading of Bella's trauma and your rescue efforts. Cheers for perservering and prevailing!! I'm glad no one was injured in the seqence of events and that no furniture toppled.
Years ago, when our Tom (cat) was young and not so round as he is these days, we couldn't find him when it was time for bed. We'd called and called and no little grey tabby came running as usual. Well after midnight, I became aware of hearing Tom crying and found him outside our upstairs window on the garage roof. I went outside and spent about 30 min. trying to coax him to jump to the rubbish bin lid and promised I'd catch him. He didn't believe me for ages, but finally screwed up his courage and took a flying leap - and I caught him! He'd thoughtfully kept his claws sheathed while in flight, a fact I am grateful for to this day.
How DID Bella manage to get on top of your cabinets??
Hugs!
On 08/27/2014, Rebecca said ...
I'm sure everyone has their stories so I do too. A neighbor's cat, Rooster, climbed to the top of a skinny pine tree and yelled for 2 days. The evening of the 2nd day another neighbor could stand it no longer so HE climbed the skinny pine to get Rooster. He only did this after much fortitude of adult beverages! What out fur babies do get into and Bella will probably try it again since she has done it once!
On 08/28/2014, Sharon Penney-Morrison said ...
Your daughter is lovely!!! I am happy they came to visit and that it was enjoyable for all of you. Family is all we have when the going get rough. As for Bella...shame on her. I hope she doesn't plan a re-do anytime soon!!!
On 09/01/2014, Ramona Chester said ...
That story is too funny and put a smile on my face this morning. Glad you are enjoying the time with those two lovely ladies. And glad your story had a happy ending, but do be careful. I think falls are the #1 injury around homes.
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