Saturday, April 19, 2008
Velvet Saves the House
Velvet was my childhood pet, a longhaired, black cat. She was a mostly indoor cat, but did occasionally go out during the day. She was always in at night and remarkably well-behaved.
There was one night…
Our house was old with solid wooden walls that were covered with wallpaper. Under the wallpaper was a layer of cloth, the paper adhered to that layer. That one night, Velvet decided to remove the wallpaper and cloth from a large section of wall. She stood on a bookcase and worked upward, then moved to the floor and stripped paper from the lower wall. She worked for hours.
When my grandmother came into the living room the next morning, she was met with shambles. The wallpaper and cloth had been removed to the boards, and the floor was a litter of pieces of paper and cloth. Velvet had sense enough to hide and was nowhere to be seen.
My grandmother told me that she was ready to send Velvet packing or to, at least, become an outdoor only cat. I don’t think that she really would have done that to Velvet, but I do believe she was very upset.
Luckily for Velvet, my grandmother stopped to examine the wall that the cat had spent the night stripping. When she examined the wall, she discovered small insects were crawling all over it. She called my mother who had been raised in Texas. Mom knew instantly what my Wisconsin born grandmother did not. Those insects were termites.
Velvet was forgiven. Thanks to her, the exterminator was called and the termite infestation destroyed before any real damage was done. She must have heard the termites crawling between the wood and the cloth and gone after the source of the sound. Her diligence stopped the damage . Since then, we have had yearly termite inspections.
Velvet saved the house.
There was one night…
Our house was old with solid wooden walls that were covered with wallpaper. Under the wallpaper was a layer of cloth, the paper adhered to that layer. That one night, Velvet decided to remove the wallpaper and cloth from a large section of wall. She stood on a bookcase and worked upward, then moved to the floor and stripped paper from the lower wall. She worked for hours.
When my grandmother came into the living room the next morning, she was met with shambles. The wallpaper and cloth had been removed to the boards, and the floor was a litter of pieces of paper and cloth. Velvet had sense enough to hide and was nowhere to be seen.
My grandmother told me that she was ready to send Velvet packing or to, at least, become an outdoor only cat. I don’t think that she really would have done that to Velvet, but I do believe she was very upset.
Luckily for Velvet, my grandmother stopped to examine the wall that the cat had spent the night stripping. When she examined the wall, she discovered small insects were crawling all over it. She called my mother who had been raised in Texas. Mom knew instantly what my Wisconsin born grandmother did not. Those insects were termites.
Velvet was forgiven. Thanks to her, the exterminator was called and the termite infestation destroyed before any real damage was done. She must have heard the termites crawling between the wood and the cloth and gone after the source of the sound. Her diligence stopped the damage . Since then, we have had yearly termite inspections.
Velvet saved the house.
Labels: 7Vel.vet, black cat, grandmother, house, termites, wallpaper
Friday, April 11, 2008
Irene Stored
Last night, as I sat in my bedroom I heard a strange, muffled scratching sound. I looked around but could see nothing unusual. I decided that the sound must be some critter under the house scratching on an outside wall. My bedroom was made by enclosing an old porch. There is not as much insulation as in the rest of the house and the floor boards are not as thick. The sound stopped, so I went to bed.
The next morning, I heard a small, muffled mew. I could not tell its location, but I knew that it was a cat. I called “kitty, kitty, kitty” and the mewing continued. It was coming from my closet.
I opened my closet door. There is a small, blue cardboard chest of drawers in one corner of my closet. Most of the drawers are empty at the moment. I use it to store seasonal clothing. All the drawers were closed. The mews were coming from the cardboard dresser. I began opening drawers.
I pulled open the bottom drawer. Curled up and filling the drawer was Irene, my gray and white cat. The inside of the drawer had been shredded. She had made the strange noise I had heard the night before as she tried to get out. She cried and let me pick her up. I held her a minute, then released her. She went to the water bowl immediately and drank and drank.
I don’t know how long she was in that drawer because she had come in during the afternoon. I don’t even know how she got in the closet, let alone in a closed drawer. A greater mystery is why she did not cry out the night before instead of just scratching. I guess I’m going to have to start a head count before bed each night.
The next morning, I heard a small, muffled mew. I could not tell its location, but I knew that it was a cat. I called “kitty, kitty, kitty” and the mewing continued. It was coming from my closet.
I opened my closet door. There is a small, blue cardboard chest of drawers in one corner of my closet. Most of the drawers are empty at the moment. I use it to store seasonal clothing. All the drawers were closed. The mews were coming from the cardboard dresser. I began opening drawers.
I pulled open the bottom drawer. Curled up and filling the drawer was Irene, my gray and white cat. The inside of the drawer had been shredded. She had made the strange noise I had heard the night before as she tried to get out. She cried and let me pick her up. I held her a minute, then released her. She went to the water bowl immediately and drank and drank.
I don’t know how long she was in that drawer because she had come in during the afternoon. I don’t even know how she got in the closet, let alone in a closed drawer. A greater mystery is why she did not cry out the night before instead of just scratching. I guess I’m going to have to start a head count before bed each night.
Labels: cat, closet, drawer, hidden, Irene, mew, scratching
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Horatio Disappears
Horatio was a black and silver tabby that came to us as a feral cat and became a pet. We had a doggy door at the time, so Horatio learned to come and go as he pleased. At night, I insisted that all the cats be in and the doggy door sealed. Usually, this went without a hitch, but one night Horatio did not come in.
I went looking for him. He was a cat that came when called, so it was unusual that he not come when called. As I searched, I called repeatedly. No Horatio. I was worried, so I walked around the block. This did two things (1) if Horatio had wandered farther than usual perhaps he would hear me and (2) I could be sure there was no cat body in the street. We live near two very busy streets and have lost cats to cars before. There was no sign of Horatio, dead or alive. I returned home. Horatio did not return that night.
The next morning, I once more walked the neighborhood, but on a much expanded route. I made a ten block search to no avail. I was really worried. Maybe someone had taken Horatio. I decided that was unlikely because he was shy with strangers.
That afternoon, I put up signs around my block asking for help in locating my cat. I also checked with the local animal shelter. No Horatio.
The next morning there was a knock on the door. A cook with the restaurant next to our house was there. He asked me if I had lost a cat. I said yes. He informed me there was a cat loose in the stockroom of the restaurant. The cat would not let anyone near it. I knew it was Horatio.
The cook escorted me into the restaurant and to the storage room. The owner of the restaurant was there. She pointed to an upper shelf. There was Horatio among the liquor bottles. I asked everyone to step back, then reached for Horatio. He was obviously glad to see me and came into my arms with no coaxing. He did not even knock a bottle over.
How did he get into the restaurant? The owner gave me my answer. She explained that they had worked on the heating and air-conditioning a few days ago. Only yesterday did they discover that a workman had left the vent open on the roof. I knew that Horatio loved to run along the edge of the restaurant’s roof. Horatio must have found the open vent and climbed down, then somehow gotten into the kitchen and then the stockroom.Whatever Horatio had done, it had been dangerous.
When I got him home, I checked him out. He had a long burn on his stomach. I don’t know where he got it exactly, but he must have had a tight squeeze next to something very hot. I put ointment on the burn. In a few days, Horatio was fine. He was confined to the house for the next week. He did not complain at all about his incarceration. When allowed outside, he stayed in our yard. It was a long time before he did any climbing again.
I went looking for him. He was a cat that came when called, so it was unusual that he not come when called. As I searched, I called repeatedly. No Horatio. I was worried, so I walked around the block. This did two things (1) if Horatio had wandered farther than usual perhaps he would hear me and (2) I could be sure there was no cat body in the street. We live near two very busy streets and have lost cats to cars before. There was no sign of Horatio, dead or alive. I returned home. Horatio did not return that night.
The next morning, I once more walked the neighborhood, but on a much expanded route. I made a ten block search to no avail. I was really worried. Maybe someone had taken Horatio. I decided that was unlikely because he was shy with strangers.
That afternoon, I put up signs around my block asking for help in locating my cat. I also checked with the local animal shelter. No Horatio.
The next morning there was a knock on the door. A cook with the restaurant next to our house was there. He asked me if I had lost a cat. I said yes. He informed me there was a cat loose in the stockroom of the restaurant. The cat would not let anyone near it. I knew it was Horatio.
The cook escorted me into the restaurant and to the storage room. The owner of the restaurant was there. She pointed to an upper shelf. There was Horatio among the liquor bottles. I asked everyone to step back, then reached for Horatio. He was obviously glad to see me and came into my arms with no coaxing. He did not even knock a bottle over.
How did he get into the restaurant? The owner gave me my answer. She explained that they had worked on the heating and air-conditioning a few days ago. Only yesterday did they discover that a workman had left the vent open on the roof. I knew that Horatio loved to run along the edge of the restaurant’s roof. Horatio must have found the open vent and climbed down, then somehow gotten into the kitchen and then the stockroom.Whatever Horatio had done, it had been dangerous.
When I got him home, I checked him out. He had a long burn on his stomach. I don’t know where he got it exactly, but he must have had a tight squeeze next to something very hot. I put ointment on the burn. In a few days, Horatio was fine. He was confined to the house for the next week. He did not complain at all about his incarceration. When allowed outside, he stayed in our yard. It was a long time before he did any climbing again.
Labels: black and silver tabby, disappear, Horatio, restaurant, signs, stockroom, vent
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Horatio Loved Telephone Jacks
Horatio was a classic, black and silver tabby that I caught when he was about seven months old. A feral cat, he was living on the streets and totally wild. To my surprise, he tamed with ease. Horatio loved attention and totally lacked aggression toward humans. He was shy around strangers. In addition, he loved kittens and was always available to be a surrogate to stray youngsters.
As soon as I captured Horatio, I took him to my veterinarian. He was neutered, received a check-up and got his shots. Since he became so tame, he was allowed outdoors, but came in at night.
Horatio was a charming cat, but I discovered he had one very bad habit. He sprayed telephone jacks. He did not spray indoors otherwise. I discovered his bad habit when our phone went out.
I discovered that the wires and connections in the living room jack were totally rusted. Cat urine is very corrosive. Of course, I did not know which of my male cats had done this initially. I replaced the phone jack, but soon it was corroded again.
I replaced the jack again. Now I watched any cat that came in the living room. One day, I caught Horatio in the act. He was the mysterious sprayer.
To combat his spraying, I covered the jack with plastic. That preserved the jack, but did not stop Horatio from marking it. He also found the jacks in the den and the dining room. More plastic covers and new jacks. As long as he lived with us, he periodically sprayed the phone jacks. They were an attraction he could not resist.
As soon as I captured Horatio, I took him to my veterinarian. He was neutered, received a check-up and got his shots. Since he became so tame, he was allowed outdoors, but came in at night.
Horatio was a charming cat, but I discovered he had one very bad habit. He sprayed telephone jacks. He did not spray indoors otherwise. I discovered his bad habit when our phone went out.
I discovered that the wires and connections in the living room jack were totally rusted. Cat urine is very corrosive. Of course, I did not know which of my male cats had done this initially. I replaced the phone jack, but soon it was corroded again.
I replaced the jack again. Now I watched any cat that came in the living room. One day, I caught Horatio in the act. He was the mysterious sprayer.
To combat his spraying, I covered the jack with plastic. That preserved the jack, but did not stop Horatio from marking it. He also found the jacks in the den and the dining room. More plastic covers and new jacks. As long as he lived with us, he periodically sprayed the phone jacks. They were an attraction he could not resist.
Labels: cat, feral, Horatio, tabby, telephone jack
