Day to day musings of a cat minder/ sitter in North Tyneside and Newcastle upon Tyne . For details of services go to http://www.catminders.biz

Welcome to CatMinders

Welcome to CatMinders


Saturday 15 August 2009

Toby tries FreeRunning

This morning I am up at Six am as usual and brewing coffee and chatting to Guinea Pigs . All is rosy . I am looking forward to a leisurely start to the day and meeting my sister at Kirkharle for coffee .
I climb back into bed and after a few minutes reading wonder where Toby is though put his absence down to a late night last night . Marisa and Fred called on their way back to Clitheroe from Alnwick and I couldnt recall where Toby had settled for the night .
His usual spot when I'm coffee drinking is on top of my reading matter , either that or kneading my stomach ( with claws) , much to Alice's annoyance as she tries to slumber on ( in tandem with D , whilst his coffee slowly goes cold) .
Somewhere behind my head I hear a faint scratching noise ? Is that Toby , under the bed? I replace my coffee cup carefully and lean out of the bed . No sign of him . Pick up cup and take up cereal bar and book . Dog shifts uncomfortably and sighs heavily . D snores. I read for ten minutes . Scratch scratch . Knock knock . What is that odd knocking noise? It sounds a like a radiator knocking . I listen . Nothing . I read . Scratch . I sigh . I climb out of bed , pulling myself out by the radiator ( leaving a water bed is no mean feat) and into the hall . I stand still . Kitty is resting quietly on the landing . She looks and listens . Kitty , I say , have you seen that boy ? She looks at me . Nada.
Silence . I walk over to D's wardrobe , open the door . Silence . No cat is inside . But still no sign of Tobes . He would be here by now , taking part in the early morning bed routine . Strange?
I get back into bed .
Scratch , scratch , click , rustle .
I climb out of bed . I have to find him . He is locked in somewhere .
Funny this , one of our topics of conversation last night , the places our cats have managed to lock themselves .
I open the wardrobe door again . Silence .
I go into the bathroom .
Back onto the landing . Laundry basket . Toilet roll basket now holding cat litter . Chest of drawers where Kitty once lurked for twenty four hours . Nil .

I go downstairs and check the cupboard under the stairs .
Pearl appears . Although stone deaf she senses crisis and runs up the stairs after me . Jessie appears , also at a gallop . Kitty is on her feet . All three are standing poised on the stairs waiting for me to find him .
I go back into the bedroom .
D is still breathing heavily , fast asleep . I should not start calling Toby's name or I will wake him but it is the only way to locate him , to see if I call his name he will squeak . Toby does not do loud cries .He is the master of the tiny squeak .
I call out softly . D wakes and I hear him say Toby , where is Toby ? He is lost I say , irritably and D scraffles amongst the bed linens .
Just at that point Toby responds to my name , with a teeny squeak .
Toby ! I say , happily . I head in the general direction . All the cats head in that direction . We are all near the radiator , hard against the wardrobe . Toby has fallen from the top of the wardrobe and is trapped behind it, squashed against the wall . We can see his little face but he cannot move . He looks out at us and blinks.
D appears , pulling on clothes.
The wardrobe is emptied and gingerly moved , inch by inch . Toby emerges . We wonder if he has been trapped overnight ? Perhaps he fell during the night , after attempting a new hobby , FreeRunning .YouTube - Parkour and FreeRunning He has no broken bones and is very relieved when he emerges. Pearl sniffs him and then gives him a slap.
I get back into bed . Alice has not shifted from the bed , refusing to pay any attention to this silly misadventure. She opens one eye slightly then buries deeper under her blanket .

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