The blinking cat had what he calls a situation this morning. For him, it’s adventure with a hint of danger. For me, it’s life and death. My own slow, painful death by the hands of my daughters if anything happens to this cat while he’s in my care. And he knows it. And he generally flaunts it.
I went out to the garage to clean the litter pan and heard a bunch of thumping and whumping type noise. Looked around. Couldn’t really ascertain the exact location or reason for it. Figured my husband was moving stuff around in the cellar and the noise was just carrying somehow. Until I remembered Moody was in the garage. And he wasn’t visible. I called him. Nothing but more thumping. Then it dawned on me that the thumping could somehow be related to the missing cat in the garage. No problem, figured he was just meandering around behind some plywood that was stacked in there. Went around to the back of the pile and called him again. He’s very verbal and always answers. Nada. More thumping. Clueless I just figured he had a mouse cornered back there and was purposely ignoring me. So I decided to ignore him back.
Then the plaintive meow. His “Oh shit, I’m up a creek” meow. Where? Again the meow. “Look up, you dolt” the meow seemed to say. Yeah. He was stuck between the eaves and the 2 x 6’s that are inside the garage wall. Looking at me as if I was completely stupid for not noticing him earlier and hanging on for dear life.
“Crap, get down here before you fall inside the wall,” I said. “Remember all our previous conversations about getting down out of trees and lofts. You can do it.” I walked over to an 8′ ladder leaning against the corner he was closest to. Probably the way he got up there. Tapped it encouragingly. No dice. All I got for my trouble was a patronizing look and a cat’s equivalent of an eye roll. And then the sound of his back legs slipping……..
He managed to get himself to the corner but no way in hell could he get his back legs out of the void between the studs to jump down. He could only try to go up, and he was already as high as he could be. I eyed the pile of crap piled around the base of the ladder. I tapped the ladder encouragingly again and showed him that I really had confidence in his ability to get himself down. He wasn’t buying it, but he at least began to look interested.
I hate ladders. Mostly because I seldom bother to tie my shoes at home and always seem to forget that until I step on a shoelace when I’m on a ladder and come close to killing myself. Give me a tree to climb any day. Today, though, looked like I had no choice. Move the crap, pull out the ladder, climb to the top of it and grab the cat under his front legs. No way. He wasn’t going for that. Besides, he still could only go up because his rear legs were straddling the divide. Okay, well, there’s only one way to get any higher for me. Yeah, that sign “This is NOT a step”? They’re right about that. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Ladder shaking, knees quaking, claws digging in I lifted the damn cat straight up and out.
Was he grateful? Did he lick my face and cling lovingly to me all the way down the ladder so I could focus on not falling 8′ to my discomfort if not death on the concrete floor? Nah. He stuggled and drew as much blood as he possibly could through my 2 sweatshirts. Finally we made it to safety and I opened the kitchen door figuring he would fly into the house kissing the ground at his feet. Did he? No, he turned right around on his heel and made a beeline for that pinking ladder……….
Well, the next time he gets stuck up there I’ll get the last laugh. I’m pretty sure he’ll wet himself……when he hears me start the chainsaw…heheheheh.
Posted by trudysgarden 
Posted by trudysgarden 
Posted by trudysgarden 
