Arrrgggh!

  

I have had a very stressful afternoon!

 

I have been letting the Demon Duo outside for short periods most days.  They go out in the early morning and come back inside within 20 or so minutes.  Then, they will go back out and come in before 11am.  They don’t like it when it’s hot or cold or wet or windy (yeah, yeah, spoiled housecats).

 Today, both went out, however only Daryl came in.  Hmmmmmmm.  This happens upon occasion.  If I go outside and call for him, Zack will jump out of whatever bushes he hiding in and come on inside.

 I must have gone outside a dozen times today calling him.  No Zack.  I walked up the street aways checking the yards and ditch.  No Zack.  It rained off and on.  No Zack.  It was windy all damn day.  No Zack.  Finally, I walked the perimeter of the entire acre and a half calling. 

 And then . . . . I heard him.  I kept calling, he kept answering.  He was in my next-door neighbor’s back yard.  My neighbor has two large very friendly dogs and I was hoping Zack was under the shed, afraid to come out.

 Knock, knock, knock.  Hi Cary – my cat is in your backyard.  Ok if I go and get him?

 And we went out.  Says Cary – he must be up the tree there.  Good call since both his dogs were sitting at the base of the tree looking up.  Yep.

 Found Zack.  Sitting in the middle of a tree limb 20-odd feet up.  I thought a variety of really bad words.

 

So, I called, Zack answered.  I called, Zack answered.  We did this for 30 minutes.  Zack did not move.  Since this was his first tree climbing experience, my guess was he didn’t know how to get down.

 We tried jiggling the tree branch.  No.

 Tried tempting him with treats.  No.

 

Finally, I said I would have to find someone with an extension ladder and see if I could get high enough to get him down.  Fortunately they had access to an extension ladder which arrived within minutes.  And, finally - it took me, three men, 2 ladders, and a really long piece of pvc pipe – he came down.  I climbed up the extension ladder (15 or so feet up) and one of the guys prodded Zack in the rear to get him to move.  Zack came down slowly and tried to jump to another branch. I made a marathon reach up and grabbed a handful of hair and skin and dragged him down to me.

 Then, I climbed off the ladder holding a squirming cat, thanked everyone profusely, and marched home.

 Zack is grounded.

 

I don’t think he cares.

 How was your day?

 

24 Nov 2020