Escape!

@ElicBxn (63235)
United States
April 25, 2010 9:31pm CST
So the roomie's nephew was here and we did some jobs around the house that having a strong young man helped to have. One of the last of these was taking the broken ac out of my bedroom window and putting the screen back in. We got it in and it looked secure, so we though we were in the clear. Then, when we got home from taking the nephew home, the roomie spotted a cat outside. Well, Gabby is a slippery cat, and we thought that maybe she'd gotten away from the other roomie before she went to work. Then the roomie spotted another cat outside... Uh-oh! Sure enough,they had pushed the screen out! Well, I look out the window and see Pong nosing around outside and Tony out too. Great! (NOT!) So, I go out and get the roomie to come out front with me. I catch Pong, hand her off to the roomie, then I catch Ping and do the same. I knock on the next door neighbor's house and tell her we've had another escape and can I get in her back yard. I catch Tony in her greenhouse and have the roomie come around back and had him over the back fence. I look around but don't see any more, so, just in case, I give the neighbor our phone number. A few minutes later she calls and says she sees a gray one. I go back there and there is no sign of the gray one. Still, the 3 that aren't fixed, Prissy, Taillight and Daisy, the baby, are inside, I also spotted 4 of the 6 ferals inside, so while Emily and Elizabeth might be out along with Zhaan, at least they can't get pregnant! So, that was my bad news for the day, at least those 3 have a better chance outside then some of the other... So, what was your excitement today?
8 people like this
16 responses
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
26 Apr 10
I feel so awful for you! I can so totally relate to having the cats escape. The patio was screened so that the cats could be "outside" without being outside. Unfortunately I have to do a ton of work on the patio so that the cats are secure on it. Right now there is so much wood and stuff propped up against the screening. Willy, Khuay, and Murphy aren't interested in being outdoors. They love the patio and will go sun themselves and sleep out there. Dinglebeary is the one who wants to go out. He'll find escape routes and use them. He gets outside and then is terrorized and hides under the house. I HAVE to go under the house and rescue him. So, I don't let them out on the patio if I am not going to be home all day, I worry too much that Dinglebeary would get outside again and it isn't my favorite activity to hunt him down and bring him back in the house. My big excitement today...I planted more garden and then Bill and I cut more firewood for next winter. (A neighbor gave us the wood from his old deck, and we've gotten about a cord of wood out of it. YEAH!)
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
That sounds like hard work, obviously I'm not into hard work... I do good to do light work
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
26 Apr 10
Is Dinglebeary the one in the picture? He is beautiful. My question to both of you is "Do you mean we are supposed to work?"
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
26 Apr 10
Loverbear, I'd be careful about burning that deck wood indoors. Unless it is very well weathered and has no trace of paint/stain/varnish it could give off noxious fumes.
1 person likes this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
26 Apr 10
Hey Elic! OMG! I hope that you will be able to get all the little Escapees back home safe and sound soon! How awful! I can't imagine how terrible it is to have to keep count of all those little monsters! I just hope that they will all find their way back home when they get hungry enough! Please keep us up to date about the latest events and I will pray that all the Escapees are returned home without any further problems!
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
The only one we are pretty sure is still out is Zhaan, who was living in her parent's back yard for several months before she was calmed down enough to be picked up, obviously not feral. We spotted the other feral tabby, Emily, so Elizabeth is the only feral we're not sure of, and she's spayed.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
26 Apr 10
Lol why do us Gaby's always get caught first it is just not fair at all Have you got them all back yet??? I really hope so No I have not had any excitement today well apart from reading this lol
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
actually, I think she was ready to come back in When we caught Pong, he went to the water bowl and just tanked up he was so thirsty.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
26 Apr 10
You had plenty of excitement today for both of us. I had none, I think. Hmmm. Now yesterday I did have to vouch for the cat that belongs to the neighbor to my south. He is a home owner and we know him, and his pets, etc. Things go pretty regular. On the other side, the north, we have a pretty constant stream of renters, some nice, some not so, some social, some very reserved. I do not even know them when I see them. There was a young lady and a kid, trying to sweet talk one of my kitties through the fence, and I asked if she needed help or thought she knew my cat, etc. She said, "Oh no, I am just visiting. But my friend here thinks that he has seen my cat I lost over around here." Being a cat lover I ask when her cat was lost, and from where, and what kind of cat, etc. Seems she lost her manx black striped female cat eleven months ago, about three miles from here. I let her know right away that the neighbors black striped manx is a neutered male that he got last January and he is only a few months old. That is about as exciting as it gets here.
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
Good news, we've seen Emily so if we have a feral out its only Elizabeth. Zhaan is most definitely out.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
26 Apr 10
My two blond boys - Creamery and Tiger in sleepy mode. Together. Tiger is short haired, Creamery long haired.
How do you ever keep them straight in your mind? I would be so confused, I am afraid. The only way I really keep my two blond boys straight is that one has long hair and the other short. Shall we say the long haired one gets called "Fluffy" a lot, even if his name is Creamery?
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
They are actually all pretty different, even tho some look a lot alike, the only 2 we actually can't tell apart at a glance are the feral tabbies, and that's why we got their ears notched differently - the 2 girls' left ear is notched and the boy's right ear is notched.
1 person likes this
26 Apr 10
Craftly little felines aren't they hun. I hope you have managed to catch them all again now, it's amazing what they can achieve when they put their little furry minds to it.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
Only one still seems to be outside, and she was an adult outside cat when we got her - so we may be all right.
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
26 Apr 10
Well, you should know; you cleaned up all my "excitement" today! Maggiepie "Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern which have come under my observation, none appears to me so pure as that of Jesus." ~~ Sept. 18, 1813, Letter from Thomas Jefferson to William Canby
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
I could do with somewhat less of your kind of excitement - thank you very much.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
26 Apr 10
My excitement for Sunday? Don't ask... involves unpleasant bodily functions...
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
see Maggiepie's response below...
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
ug - HATE it when that happens!
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
26 Apr 10
Me too, and it's threatening to happen again...
1 person likes this
• United States
8 May 10
my blue did that once by accident.he and his bro were sleeping in the window and his 34.5 bulk rolled them both out (first floor thank god).both were found safe and sound under the front porch waiting for me (and needing baths). ever since no window will be opened without metal screen barrier installed firmly. ace hardware sells them as replacement screens that fit in the window itself,and they can't budge them once the top is closed on it.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
9 May 10
gee, maybe that's what I need in my screen door between the front room and the rest of the house - we need the air circulation, but the energetic ones have torn up the screen!
1 person likes this
• United States
11 May 10
they work wonderfully. be prepared for the stink-eye tho.i got some dirty looks when they realized they couldn't budge it lol
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
26 Apr 10
They certainly keep you busy, don't they! The other day I was outside and the neighbor's 3 dogs were out. Maverick, the young Boston Terrier, was chasing my Gus up and down our fence. Gauge was following Maverick and the little girl whose name I don't know was just barking, encouraging them. I kept them in place verbally until my neighbor realized what had happened. I would have gone outside the gate and put them in their own yard but I had to put a lock on my fence and if I'd gone to get the key, Gauge would have wandered off. I had to lock the gate because around January someone decided to come in my yard and left the gate open. I have no idea why. But Gus escaped and he hasn't the sense God gave a flea. I finally found him and the gates have been locked every since.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
I have a few less than bright cats, its a good thing Scamp didn't get out, he'd panic and be hard to catch!
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Apr 10
hi ElicBxn nope not a bit of excitement here in Gold Crest except for several squabbles between several of the residents here. one bossy hungarian lady telling a bossy vietnamese lady just what she thought of her and finally George the president of us residents stepped in and made both calm down and behave like adults instead of teen agers. Neither of them were y oung, Josephine is probably fifty and the other lady a bit older. I do think Josephine the Hungarian said something uncalled for to the Vietnamese lady. We live here in California in a settlement of Vietnamese people who came to southern California in boats a few years back. I guess they liked our climate here. The Vietnamese people here are very nice neighbors, quiet and well mannered, and they take their elderly p;eople into their homes, no nursing homes for them. I love that about them really.
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
26 Apr 10
yeah, the Vietnamese are good about looking after their own - we have a large Vietnamese population here too.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 10
Oh geez, not fun. My excitement was when we were halfway to school and I discovered naomi hadn't brought a jacket. It was raining, so I dropped the other 2 off, then took her home to get one. She was 10 minutes late, but I wasn't going to leave her in the rain with just a t-shirt and jeans...
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
27 Apr 10
how old is Naomi? There comes a time when they have to responsible, but I think she's not quite there yet...
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 10
Naomi is 9. If it had been homework, I would have said sorry, but it was too cold to send her without a coat...
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
27 Apr 10
As i have told u before u &those cats, u sure never have a dull minute w/them around. The only excitement around here was this morning when i was taking all my meds i dropped a pill & before i could get it my dog ate it. I want even tell u what i told her, lol.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
27 Apr 10
The roomie always calls me in when she drops a pill for fear the dogs will eat them, but so far they are smarter than that! Of course, they aren't seeing them fall, so its not like they think its a treat or anything... Zoe once caught a pickle, and spit it out in a HURRY - she was MUCH more careful for a while after that grabbing stuff in mid-air.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
27 Apr 10
Guess zoe doesn't like pickles.lol. Have a good tuesday, elic.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
27 Apr 10
oh my. kitties always find a way dont they hope you've found the others by now. if this was sunday you posted this, that was my day of excitment and all heres also. vet for coconut and shots, bloodtest, the whole enchilada things are pretty quiet now though for last few days.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
27 Apr 10
The only one still out is Zhaan, and she is more used to outside than some of the others. Honestly, she's probably happier out there where there aren't tons of cats!
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
27 Apr 10
Oh dear, they can be so hard to catch! One of my cats escapes and runs around the house and I have trouble grabbing him, let alone if he took off outside! I am so glad that you attempt to keep all your felines indoors and I hope the three that are still missing will be back inside really soon! My day has certainly not been as action packed as yours. Went shopping grabbed a couple of excellent bargains (that always makes me happy) and met a friend for lunch. Not a bad day at all...Good luck with the kitties!
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
27 Apr 10
we actually spotted the 2 feral girls inside, so we are only missing Zhaan, and she was an outside cat before she was here, so I think she's pretty capable of taking care of herself. At least she's spayed. and the 2 that aren't spayed yet aren't out.
1 person likes this
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
27 Apr 10
I know how terrible it can be to have lost your babies. One of mine got out and I stayed outside on the porch in case he came around. I had just moved there and he didn't know where he was yet. I tried to stay awake, but I couldn't do it. I had my mother come down and help me look for him. He wouldn't of come to her anyway, but if she saw him I could get him. Another one got out of a window while we were away for a weekend. My husband and I put posters up, walked all over town looking for her, called all the shelters etc. When I had pretty much given up on her, she came strolling onto the front porch crying to be let in. She stunk so bad, the other cats wouldn't go near her and would hiss at her. We gave her a couple of baths, but it took time for the smell to go away. After her being gone for almost a month, I didn't care what she smelled like I was just glad to have her home and okay. At least you don't have to worry about them getting pregnant. Then you'd have more kittens to find homes for.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
27 Apr 10
Very true, and why we spay Actually, if I have a least favorite cat, this is the one... She's a Russian Blue type, with the whole attitude of hating other cats and all so I'm guessing she's looking for a new home!
@kaylachan (57674)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 Apr 10
I hope those cats return to you and are doing fine. Perhaps it would be wise to fix that screen. Lucky for you it looked as if most of them didn't get to far. Good luck with those cats.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
27 Apr 10
we shut the window until we can get it fixed, probably won't be before next weekend