I'm Running Away
I've always been extremely cautious about the doors to the outside being left open unguarded -- to the point of paranoia. The door in our ground floor apartment faced a busy street and when people came in, they knew to move very quickly into the door - squeezing by me as I blocked the entrance with my body. Also gave new meaning to the saying "don't let the door hit ya in the rear on your way out". If someone didn't move fast enough, that's exactly what happened! Winnie had never tried to get out the front door, she was perfectly content to be indoors, but I didn't take any chances.
When we moved to our upper apartment (same landlady, different building) -- different story. The minute the door opened, out dashed Winnie. Didn't go down the stairs, just sniffed around the hallway between our apartment and the one across from us. I'd try to grab her and the chase was on - round and round the small square hallway until I'd trap her in a corner, pick her up and bring her back inside. She'd protest quietly with soft but indignant meows and we'd be fine, 'til the next time.
Betty, our landlady, came to the door one day - didn't have much time, just pick up the rent and leave. We chit-chatted a bit at the door, me - as usual, blocking the doorway with my body so Winnie couldn't get out. Betty glanced about the hallway, then did a double take, as her eyes caught a movement at the bottom of the stairs. She said "Bev, is that Winnie down there?" I looked down and, sure enough, there was Winnie sniffing around the downstairs foyer. Fortunately, the entrance door was closed, but that could change at any moment. I ran down those stairs triple-time and didn't even have to grab her. She knew I was comin' after her and she was gonna beat me to the punch. Up the stairs she hightailed it - Betty opened the apartment door and in she went. Again, I think she has that "invisible" button that she turns off and on at her pleasure! I was extra careful after that escapade.
When we moved downstairs, I had to redouble my efforts at keeping her in the apartment. One unthinking moment, door open a split second too long and she'd be out. She now ran upstairs to our old apartment. I don't know what the attraction was - it was just a small, empty square hallway but she liked to sniff around, see who had been there. There were other tenants in the two upstairs apartment. One guy (no longer here) was of questionable character with whom I'd had a few run-ins. I surely didn't want him getting his hands on my kitty. The entrance door just outside our downstairs apartment was unlocked during the day so mail could be delivered. That door could open any moment and Winnie could dart right out. She doesn't often try to get out the door now, but when I least expect it, she sneaks up beside me and tries to go. I always have to be on my guard with her.
The most frightening time came when I had a large entertainment centre and a few smaller items delivered. I told the two movers before they came into the apartment to be very careful as I had a cat that might try to escape. I'll watch her, of course, but just make sure the doors are closed as you pass through them. They were in and out a few times and when they brought in the six-foot high entertainment unit, Winnie just panicked, running all over the apartment, looking for somewhere to hide. I managed to scoop her up and put her in the bedroom - the only room through which they wouldn't be passing. After they left and things had quieted down, I went in to get Winnie. She was nowhere to be found. A search of the apartment failed to produce her; a second frantic search was fruitless. I ran up the stairs to see if she was there -- no Winnie. Back to the apartment, I went through it top to bottom and still no Winnie. Knocked on the neighbouring tenant's door and asked her to keep an eye out her window for Winnie and out I went, frantically searching the yard, all around the building, peering under cars, asking neighbours if they'd seen her. Went around a few blocks, calling her name. I was crying as I searched, I was absolutely terrified. She could be anywhere out here, all alone and scared. Back to the apartment, gonna' call the SPCA - she's microchipped; the neighbour and I would drive around the neighbourhood - cover more ground in the car. Before we left, decided to have one more search of the apartment - four eyes were better than two. So we looked and we looked, to no avail. Until.... I looked under the couch for the umpteenth time; previously I had looked behind the couch, under the skirt of the couch, around the couch. This time, I got flat on my back and got as far under the couch as I could and there - two big, shining eyes peered out at me. I don't know how she managed to squeeze into the tiny space between the floor and the steel bars, but there she was. She was scared to come out but we managed to coax her through the opening. Little body trembling as I held her (or was that my body still trembling?) and told her it was ok, those people are all gone. I think I need to put a cow bell on her so I know when she's moving.
When we moved to our upper apartment (same landlady, different building) -- different story. The minute the door opened, out dashed Winnie. Didn't go down the stairs, just sniffed around the hallway between our apartment and the one across from us. I'd try to grab her and the chase was on - round and round the small square hallway until I'd trap her in a corner, pick her up and bring her back inside. She'd protest quietly with soft but indignant meows and we'd be fine, 'til the next time.
Betty, our landlady, came to the door one day - didn't have much time, just pick up the rent and leave. We chit-chatted a bit at the door, me - as usual, blocking the doorway with my body so Winnie couldn't get out. Betty glanced about the hallway, then did a double take, as her eyes caught a movement at the bottom of the stairs. She said "Bev, is that Winnie down there?" I looked down and, sure enough, there was Winnie sniffing around the downstairs foyer. Fortunately, the entrance door was closed, but that could change at any moment. I ran down those stairs triple-time and didn't even have to grab her. She knew I was comin' after her and she was gonna beat me to the punch. Up the stairs she hightailed it - Betty opened the apartment door and in she went. Again, I think she has that "invisible" button that she turns off and on at her pleasure! I was extra careful after that escapade.
When we moved downstairs, I had to redouble my efforts at keeping her in the apartment. One unthinking moment, door open a split second too long and she'd be out. She now ran upstairs to our old apartment. I don't know what the attraction was - it was just a small, empty square hallway but she liked to sniff around, see who had been there. There were other tenants in the two upstairs apartment. One guy (no longer here) was of questionable character with whom I'd had a few run-ins. I surely didn't want him getting his hands on my kitty. The entrance door just outside our downstairs apartment was unlocked during the day so mail could be delivered. That door could open any moment and Winnie could dart right out. She doesn't often try to get out the door now, but when I least expect it, she sneaks up beside me and tries to go. I always have to be on my guard with her.
The most frightening time came when I had a large entertainment centre and a few smaller items delivered. I told the two movers before they came into the apartment to be very careful as I had a cat that might try to escape. I'll watch her, of course, but just make sure the doors are closed as you pass through them. They were in and out a few times and when they brought in the six-foot high entertainment unit, Winnie just panicked, running all over the apartment, looking for somewhere to hide. I managed to scoop her up and put her in the bedroom - the only room through which they wouldn't be passing. After they left and things had quieted down, I went in to get Winnie. She was nowhere to be found. A search of the apartment failed to produce her; a second frantic search was fruitless. I ran up the stairs to see if she was there -- no Winnie. Back to the apartment, I went through it top to bottom and still no Winnie. Knocked on the neighbouring tenant's door and asked her to keep an eye out her window for Winnie and out I went, frantically searching the yard, all around the building, peering under cars, asking neighbours if they'd seen her. Went around a few blocks, calling her name. I was crying as I searched, I was absolutely terrified. She could be anywhere out here, all alone and scared. Back to the apartment, gonna' call the SPCA - she's microchipped; the neighbour and I would drive around the neighbourhood - cover more ground in the car. Before we left, decided to have one more search of the apartment - four eyes were better than two. So we looked and we looked, to no avail. Until.... I looked under the couch for the umpteenth time; previously I had looked behind the couch, under the skirt of the couch, around the couch. This time, I got flat on my back and got as far under the couch as I could and there - two big, shining eyes peered out at me. I don't know how she managed to squeeze into the tiny space between the floor and the steel bars, but there she was. She was scared to come out but we managed to coax her through the opening. Little body trembling as I held her (or was that my body still trembling?) and told her it was ok, those people are all gone. I think I need to put a cow bell on her so I know when she's moving.