I have written about my little door-darter before. This time it was a bit different. I use the garage as a kind of air-lock. Go in, close the garage door, open access door to the house. Reverse the process when I leave, normally making a sweep of the garage to make sure no one is stuck in there.
Well, Jakie runs out there and is being coy... wants a tummy rub, doesn't want me to go, etc. I finally catch him and put him in the house. Lock the access door, press the button to open the garage and suddenly, there is a little black blur flying around the garage in a panic. Tex comes up the stairs and claws at the door but before I could catch him and/ unlock the access door OR close the garage door - he hi-tailed it out into the freezing cold night!
I follow, calling him, trying not to panic... first he goes in the neighbor's courtyard which they keep locked. Then he darts into some bushes on the other side of that driveway.
I find him back there with his tail poofed out and pick him up. We go back into the garage, I hang onto him and hold his scruff while I close the big door... and.... and... and.... my keys. Are in the car. With my purse. Where I had set them to go look for him.
By this time he is BEGGING to go back in. What am I going to do? There are no hidden keys in the garage. No carrier to stuff him in for safe keeping. I try grabbing and holding him while I once again open the door... and once again... he gets loose and RUNS!!!! AAAAaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!
This time .... he contemplates shinnying up a tree...Nooooooooooo!!!!!
Then darts across the street to a large stand of pine trees.
I run back inside and get a bag of Whiskas Temptations.. and go back to the stand of trees, calling as sweetly as I could and shaking the treat back... "Treats, Texie. Mama has trreeeeeats."
I crouch down to try to see if he is under there still and I see a flash of white paw... then a little face.... I toss him some treats... and he comes trotting out.
I scoop him up and carry him BACK to the condo.. and take him in this time through the front door... my intention is to just shove him in...
WELL ...WHAT DO YOU KNOW... ANOTHER CAT DECIDES THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE GREAT OUTDOORS. AND WHO MAKES A BREAK FOR IT??? Archie? Jake?? Nooo.... it was Ghost. Timid. Shy. Sweet. Goofy. Ghost!
Now thankfully he didn't go farther than the courtyard. No sooner did he get outside than he doubled back and began searching for a way in.. squeaking and crying in total terror. It must have seemed like Alice Through the Looking Glass to him the way he was behaving.
I managed to approach him, grab him and stuff him back in the house, yanking the door closed.! WHEW!!!!!
This was the longest 20 mins of my life. I could NOT leave with one of these guys stuck outside. It was 42 F with a biting wind chill and snow flurries are predicted.
I have now decided I absolutely need a spare key hidden in the garage... and keep a carrier in there JIC.
I already have boxes and blankets in there for them JIC one of them does get stuck in there for a few hours. At least they'd be warm.
But this is more than my poor heart can take.
Well, Jakie runs out there and is being coy... wants a tummy rub, doesn't want me to go, etc. I finally catch him and put him in the house. Lock the access door, press the button to open the garage and suddenly, there is a little black blur flying around the garage in a panic. Tex comes up the stairs and claws at the door but before I could catch him and/ unlock the access door OR close the garage door - he hi-tailed it out into the freezing cold night!
I follow, calling him, trying not to panic... first he goes in the neighbor's courtyard which they keep locked. Then he darts into some bushes on the other side of that driveway.
I find him back there with his tail poofed out and pick him up. We go back into the garage, I hang onto him and hold his scruff while I close the big door... and.... and... and.... my keys. Are in the car. With my purse. Where I had set them to go look for him.
By this time he is BEGGING to go back in. What am I going to do? There are no hidden keys in the garage. No carrier to stuff him in for safe keeping. I try grabbing and holding him while I once again open the door... and once again... he gets loose and RUNS!!!! AAAAaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!
This time .... he contemplates shinnying up a tree...Nooooooooooo!!!!!
Then darts across the street to a large stand of pine trees.
I run back inside and get a bag of Whiskas Temptations.. and go back to the stand of trees, calling as sweetly as I could and shaking the treat back... "Treats, Texie. Mama has trreeeeeats."
I crouch down to try to see if he is under there still and I see a flash of white paw... then a little face.... I toss him some treats... and he comes trotting out.
I scoop him up and carry him BACK to the condo.. and take him in this time through the front door... my intention is to just shove him in...
WELL ...WHAT DO YOU KNOW... ANOTHER CAT DECIDES THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE GREAT OUTDOORS. AND WHO MAKES A BREAK FOR IT??? Archie? Jake?? Nooo.... it was Ghost. Timid. Shy. Sweet. Goofy. Ghost!
Now thankfully he didn't go farther than the courtyard. No sooner did he get outside than he doubled back and began searching for a way in.. squeaking and crying in total terror. It must have seemed like Alice Through the Looking Glass to him the way he was behaving.
I managed to approach him, grab him and stuff him back in the house, yanking the door closed.! WHEW!!!!!
This was the longest 20 mins of my life. I could NOT leave with one of these guys stuck outside. It was 42 F with a biting wind chill and snow flurries are predicted.
I have now decided I absolutely need a spare key hidden in the garage... and keep a carrier in there JIC.
I already have boxes and blankets in there for them JIC one of them does get stuck in there for a few hours. At least they'd be warm.
But this is more than my poor heart can take.