Tiki relaxes after his rainy-day adventures
I’ve been housesitting again this Spring, something I always enjoy doing for my friends the Lowrys (Alaire & Tom, also Ethan’s parents). They have three cats (Angel, Tiki and Jack) and I’m pretty good with them because I don’t mind changing the litter boxes and entertaining them. However, there’s one major “right” Angel and Tiki demand of me I can’t honor for my own sanity, their outdoor privileges. Due to the house’s location and vast yard, it is a playground for numerous species, including humans. At night, it’s another story when the coyotes come prowling for a tasty snack so I don’t let them out even during the day and they don’t come back when I call. Contrary to popular prejudice against cats, they will listen to the humans they know; Molly and Miette “obey” me and I’ve witnessed Alaire’s success. Jack isn’t a problem, he hides somewhere the whole time so I have more energy to expend on the stubborn brothers.
There were a couple of stomach-churning nights with the other two when they got out thanks to my underestimations of their cunning. With the house on cat lockdown when I’m around, I endure the meowing that probably means “I demand to go outside!” Most of it is from Angel, the more vocal of the duo. They got me again yesterday with an old trick from a few summers ago, the garage. I needed a flashlight to confirm Jack’s whereabouts (never can be too careful) and the garage is usually the best place to look when the kitchen is a bust. Tiki immediately ran in there, hid under a car to avoid capture and I saw the old cat door on the side blocked up; problem solved, he’ll grow bored and come back in was my thought. Angel joined him shortly, no problem I thought. I could only lure one at a time out with food and again, I counted on that infamous cat attention span. They burned me again, one of them moved enough of the obstructions on the old cat door to make a run for it in the rain. At least I had daylight on my side.
The rain worked in my favor with Tiki, he hid out under the stairs of the backporch and was willing to let me “rescue” him. He also purred loudly as I dried him off. Angel was a mystery and I had a horrible fear of him repeating his late night escapade from 2006, a multi-hour chase in pitch-black darkness. Fortunately, I spotted him hiding in the tool shed where I thought he was pinned, HA! Angel continued to elude me from there to across the bulk of the yard eventually fooling me into crossing the street. Fooled was correct because he double backed to the rear porch while I was quietly cursing through the rocks and underbrush. The solution ended up leaving a door open to give him the illusion of free will, making him appear that he chose to come in out of the rain. This only moved the chase indoors. I wasn’t going to let a wet cat run around. I only hope he’s more cooperative with the Lowrys on rainy days.