Catch Me if You Can

"C'MON, you needed a good run!"

She looks so innocent, don't she?

Yesterday evening, Jen, Oni and I were sitting on the veranda, reading, staring at the waves and sipping adult bevs when the smoke detector in my kitchen decided to go haywire. I was roasting veggies and, apparently, the kitchen gods aren’t thrilled when I use the room for cooking versus painting.

Yeah, I imagine they’d have to look long and hard to find disagreement on this point.

In my effort to get to the kitchen/painting studio, to open windows and, hopefully, quiet the shrieking beast, I opened the front door. Not my most well thought out, smartest move.

ZOOM!

Out flew my spoiled kitten. While Jen attended to the smoky oven, Oni and I gave chase.

As always our escape artist headed for neighbor Andrea’s yard. Now, there’s no straight shot for us human types. Bushes, flower beds and trees stand between us but these are no match for a tiny, seemingly speed freaking, feline.

Our girl got into Andrea’s open, crowded tool shed to explore. We couldn’t reach her BUT, no worries, she soon got bored, dashed between our legs and headed home. PHEW! As I climbed the porch steps, SO close to scooting my devious darling through the front door, she helicoptered up (all four feet lifting off at once – you know, the way cats do) and sprinted around to the back of the house. After climbing the rickety back steps by the kitchen door, she dove into the vines and bramble below and beyond.

There was no way to reach her. PANIC! What if she slips through the fence and heads over to Bell Street? Will we find her?!? She could get hit by a car or eaten by a dog!!!!! At this point Jen made a brill suggestion, “get her bag of treats – shake it.” I did. No, this didn’t immediately draw her out but it acted as a prompt for her to, once again, bolt. This time she raced around the house to the front door which Oni gentlemanly opened for her.

Christ on kibble! It took three of us to corral her and, OK, there really was no corral and capture. This was Coco’s game – Catch Me if You Can. And we couldn’t. She won. Rotten, sweet, little beast.

I only mention it but this SO counts as my workout for the day!