Cat Herding

[pronker]

Comet



Dramatis Felis:

Comet: Tabby female. Outdoor cat, once indoors. Unhappy with this, but coping.

Willow: Calico female. Outdoor cat, once indoors. Even more unhappy with this, semi-coping.

Jack: Siamese male. Indoor cat, loves outdoors. Daily escape attempts, succeeds Friday p.m.

Poonelo: Buff kitten, sex, well ... so young, who can tell? Feral hanger-on, warming up slowly.

IOIOIOIOIO

Friday p.m.: Through distraction of household, screen door to deck is left unlocked. Jack, master at clawing door open, escapes to back yard to play with Poonelo, his little love. Jack is a royal pain to catch once he tastes freedom, yet does not stray; he and all the others except Poonelo are neutered, a possible reason for their content to stay home.

Late Friday p.m.: pronker retires, to dream of Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5 debut tomorrow morning at the worst possible time of the entire week. Honestly, 7:30 a.m. or even 8:30 a.m. would have done. But what can pronker do? Resolves to tackle cat problem in the morning.

Saturday 7:00 a.m.: Cat problem still there. Leave screen door wide open to entice Jack, who stares at his feed bowl just inside the door and does not succumb to temptation, meanwhile playing with Poonelo, his little bud. Comet, however, enters and helps herself to food. She wanders around the house as she used to. Willow steps inside for a moment, but backs out. Poonelo comes in as far as the sill.

Saturday 7:30 a.m. Finish breakfast, ready VCR tape for antedeluvian ritual of taping Clone Wars. Cats still improperly dispersed. Figuring out what to do about this when hear scratchscratch coming from bathroom. Dash into downstairs privy, where Comet has marked her territory in her usual way, in the bathtub neatly over the drain. She always scratches the bathtub to signal completion, just like she did on the washer when the catbox was next to it. She is one weird cat. She stares with innocent eyes at my dismay. Eventually, she will wander outdoors again with no coaxing. Unfortunately, she has a big owwie on her side and is immune to shooing with a broom, because pronker feels Residual Guilt over making the two girls outdoor kitties to make room for Jack.

Saturday 8:30 a.m. Tumult of Saturday morning begins as folks arise and plan their hectic weekend. One car for three people, important Plans and Appointments and Meetups scheduled. Cats still not slotted, but at least Willow has not re-entered the house. pronker wishes she could say the same about flies.

Saturday 9:00 a.m. Cranky pronker rattles food dish for Jack's attention. He enters, bolts out again, re-enters and goes not for food but careens around the perimeter of the dining room. pronker dashes for the screen door and locks it.

Saturday 9:30 a.m. Endeavor to tape program. VCR does not give anything but static. Watch program anyway! Yay! Resolve to figure out this dumb machine and tape on Sunday a.m.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. Sated and happy with this ep of the show. Would have liked to have seen Obi-Wan and Ventress give each other the bird as they go their separate ways at the end of their road trip from last season, but oh well.

Saturday 10:01 a.m. Usual mad Saturday morning begins.