Came home last night and noticed the window of my room was very far open -- it's one of two facing west, where the prevailing winds come from, so it's a good one to open. We rarely open it very far -- the screen isn't that strong.
I started dinner and went back to my room to change. My cat Huck was in the window and I thought I had better close it down to a narrow gap, just in case--
No sooner had I leaned across the bed to close the window than Holden came bouncing in at full speed, leapt onto the bed, jumped on Huck and knocked Huck and the screen right out onto the patio! I grabbed Holden just as he started over the windowsill, too. Huck bounded around the corner of the house and out of sight.
Carrying Holden into the dining room, I closed the door to the hallway so he couldn't get to the open window and shouted "Huck's out!" toward Tam. I dropped Holden, ran into the kitchen, clawed a container of cat treats out of the cabinet and hurried outside, shaking the bag and calling, "Huuuuck...." I figured he was gone.
Instead, he headed right towards me from the corner of the yard; I scooped him up, carried him back inside, and gave him a treat while Holden watched worriedly.
It took another trip outside to get the screen back in place. We will only open the window to a smaller than cat-sized crack from now on.
The alpha male (the alpha female allows him that delusion) of my brood has habit every few months of making dash for the outdoors when I'm opening the front door.
ReplyDeleteFirst time he did it, I thought he was gone for good, but his M.O. is to charge out to the middle of the driveway, take a noble pose, announce "I'm an apex predator, surveying my domain", and then waiting for me to pick him pu and bring him back inside.
It's happened enough times in the eleven years since I was adopted by him and his sister for me to know it's his thing.
Wait there are cracks that cats cannot fit through? This is news to me.
ReplyDeleteSo.
ReplyDeleteIt appears Huck has officially accepted you as a member of his staff.
we have one we sit and it does not like to be outside alone at all
ReplyDeleteBiggest critter in the yard but the biggest fraud by far
When I had a cat, he would make a mad dash for the outside, get about 10 feet and then it was "Oooh, grass." And then he'd be occupied with munching on that. Sometimes if you approached to scoop him up, he'd dart another 10 feet and repeat. The only time I really had trouble when he got outside was when he saw the neighbors cat, who he'd often have confrontations with through the window. Well, no window that time. He charged the neighbors cat and, being much larger, bowled him right over. He didn't much appreciate me interrupting his successful campaign for the neighbor cat's territory.
ReplyDelete" a smaller than cat-sized crack" Hmmmm...
ReplyDeleteGrowing up there was a white cat that lived in the barn next to our house(My folks rented the house, nearby farmer rented barn and fields). Our dog and the cat had a pretty well established truce with occasional flareups. They usually just ignored each other.
I don't know what started it but one day I was looking out the window when I saw a white streak heading towards the barn followed by a golden streak, followed by a loud bang and "yip yip yip". Our dog had discovered that cats can go through gaps under barn doors that dogs can't. Never saw her chasing the cat again.
One of our 100% indoor cats snuck out the kitchen door when we weren't looking several years back. I saw the tail disappearing beyond the door jamb and called out for wife to come help find it. It wasn't necessary.
ReplyDeleteIt ran under the nearest motorcycle, looked around and snuck right back in the house (okay, I've been there and now back to climate control !). One of their favorite haunts is the high window sill, but the only interests generated is when birds perch nearby (watching jaws pop is funny 1) and when we drive in. Wife thinks the other cat tells the other "They're back - hide the bong quick!" Lol.
Cats are some of my favorite people.
Between the dogs and the cats in our house we open all our windows from the top instead of the bottom. Its just easier than trying to be sure that the opening won't let someone out!
ReplyDeleteMany years ago, one of our cats pounced at a bird on the feeder, managed to dislodge the screen on the second-story window and ride it down, remaining upright and attached until landing in the bush below. Once he was on the grass, he began washing his ears furiously.
ReplyDelete