Last week she was playing in the heavy pottery bowl on the side table which, before this particular incident, housed the clickers. There was a chap stick in the bottom of the bowl and one of her favorite games involved trying to get that chap stick out to bat around the floor. Until last week when she knocked the bowl off the side table, scattering the contents, shattering the bowl, and ran off to curl up under the dining room table. When I finally pulled her out, I could see that she was holding her right leg up and limped terribly on it; is still limping on it. The vet said it's not broken.
One night recently, Tim and I went to a funeral. Before we left, I shut the closet door in Alex's room. When we returned five hours later, Mac mentioned that she hadn't seen Babycat in a long time. I instantly panicked. The wind chill was below freezing outside. We called for her. We shook the treat jar. Nothing. Then. Something reminded me that I had shut the closet door in Alex's room. I crept past where he was sleeping and could hear her crying inside the closet. I opened the door and she ran to the food bowl, evidently relieved that she didn't starve to death that night.
Several nights later, Babycat was playing on a dining room chair, jumping up at the back of it, chasing some unseen fun. While at the top of a jump, she managed to stick her head between the slats and practically strangle herself as she came back down. For the slats narrow at the bottom of the chair and she isn't tall enough to push herself back up. Luckily, I happened to be standing Right There and was able to lift her head up and out of the deathtrap, shaking at the realization that if we hadn't been home, or even in the same room with her, she would have died. I turned to Tim and said, "We need new chairs. These are a safety hazard." He just smiled and told me, "Ok." (And he totally would, you know - buy new chairs to save my baby girl.)
The next night, she jumped off the spiral staircase from over 6 feet up. She flew through the air, only to land and run, once again, under the dining room table, curled up in a ball. She appeared to be fine several minutes later when she started batting a ping pong ball around the room.
After this last incident, Tim gently approached me and pointed out, "Didn't you remove Babycat from a home with terrible living conditions and bring her here to protect her?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Baby," he tenderly said. "Maybe she would have been safer there?"
And all I could do was laugh and recall the Social Worker's mantra: "We're not looking for The Best environment. We're looking for a Safe environment."
...and consider how ironic it would be if I rescued Babycat from that home only to have her die in an accident in mine.
4 comments:
Oh Babycat sounds like a fun girl. The whole chair incident makes me cringe. Eeeks. Remember Winki our Japanese cat? I had to have her front claws removed because her idea of fun involved a sneak attack on Goose and Newman. She would plant all of her claws in their skin and ride cowgirl ride! Goose still has scars on his stomach. She did the same thing on the curtains and tried to climb up the side of my gigantic Japanese cabinet. I don't recommend de-clawing, we did it as a favor to the little dogs. Seriously, we didn't have a safe environment either. She's older now and still alive...much to my dismay.
Babycat's a trip for sure. It does sound like she and Winki are related. Except that she doesn't attack the dogs. Unless she is eating their dog food and she wants privacy. Then she growls at them. Brio runs away, but Tyke growls back. It's pretty hilarious to see a 5lb Babycat rule the roost! I remember you telling me about Winki attacking the boys. Poor dogs. Tim wants to have Babycat declawed (she likes to sharpen her claws on the new sofa) and I really don't. We'll see who wins. Probably me because he spoils me. :) At this point, with 4 pets in the home, Darwinism states that the population is too big and there should be some natural selection taking place. I just hate to see who it's going to be...
Oh now. Four pets really isn't too much. We have four, they just don't all live here. Newman resides in St. Louis with my mom. I would have brought him to DC after Christmas but that brat wouldn't leave with me! Someday I really hope to have one pet. I would spoil that one pet rotten. It's hard to do with three animals!
Babycat sounds like an awesome cat! Your stories about her made me laugh!
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