try, try again! We believe we have found our new motto. Actually, it’s our first motto. We didn’t even know what a motto was before today. But this fits our current and future plans purrfectly.
We weren’t very successful with our purrfectly planned payback session thanks to Chris cleaning up after us. But she did miss the fact that Lily Olivia managed to get herself into the living room* and knock over several gifts Dad received when he was traveling. None were damaged, but Maggie ratted out Lily anyway. And one of us had gotten into the transom above the backdoor, which Mom left open so we could get some whiffies, and pulled out most of the weather stripping in an effort to escape. But those were mere triffles.
So we have been super busy ever since then getting back at the humans. One of us did leave that nice gooey vomit right next to bed so that Mom stepped in it when she got up to use the facilities a couple nights ago. And the fur balls have been flying. The humans can barely turn around without finding a hacked up present. We don’t know if they have found the one Austin (CATachresis) hid ’cause he didn’t even tell us where he put it.
An exhausted Fiona opens her eyes when Dad snaps her photo.
But Astrid, with a little help from Fiona, has been the linchpin in our plan. She’s now done the Houdini routine three times. The first we already told you about in “Payback Foiled.”
Her second disappearing act occurred two days ago when Mom was letting one of the big kids in the front door. Astrid bolted out through the three-inch opening. She gave Mom a two-hour run-around in the yard. She finally decided she was hungry (kitty dinner time had come and gone) and so returned, but not until Mom was panting and super frustrated. We were all laughing our furs off.
Then it was Fiona’s turn. She refused to come in off the catio at bedtime two nights ago. She had both Mom and Dad chasing her up and down the stairs, both inside and out, from one level to the next.
The photo of Lisbeth Dad was taking before Astrid escaped out the window.
But yesterday was the best…Dad left the screen up on the kitchen window in order to take a photo of Lisbeth on the catio. Astrid was out the window and gone before either of the humans could scream, “NO!” She didn’t even stop for a nano-second on the deck before she jumped to the yard. Mom knew she wasn’t going to be easy to get in so decided to finish her breakfast.
When she went out Astrid was nonchalantly exploring the yard and totally ignoring Mom’s pleas and promise of treats. (She’d just eaten breakfast and had no interest in treats.) So Mom decided to work in the garden until Astrid got tired or hungry. After two hours of cleaning flowerbeds, trimming trees and dragging branches to the curb, Mom was dirty and sweaty and decided to come in the house. She wanted to save some energy for biking later in the day.
She assumed (very, very misguided human) that Astrid was ready to return to the house as she had come looking for her. Of course, Astrid had no intention whatsoever of doing this.
As it was Wordless Wednesday, Mom decided to take the computer to the catio and do some hopping and commenting. That way she could check on Astrid frequently. She also took our treat jar, but only after dispensing some noms to those of us hanging around the kitchen. We had been forced to stay in the house so the outer catio door could be propped open.
The human’s frequent jiggling of the jar lid and trips through the yard shaking the treat pouch did nothing to convince Astrid that she should return to the house or catio. After circling the house a couple of times while using the special kitty call the humans have for us, either with no sighting of Astrid or Astrid running from her, Mom would return to the computer.
Astrid in her favorite napping spot shortly after coming back in the house.
After two hours of alternating typing and house circling, Mom decided it was lunch time. As she was getting ready to pick up the treats and computer she looked down to see the darling, sweet, lovable, stinker Astrid sitting next to her.
As soon as Mom opened the backdoor, Astrid was off like a shot for either food, water, the litter box or a nap. We don’t know which, but as you can see, she was found napping a short time later. Finally, the remainder of us got to have our catio time.
Astrid figures that as long as our humans keep making mistakes when it comes to managing the doors and windows, she can keep this up until the cows come home; though, none of us knows exactly what this means. We didn’t have any cows to start with; though, there is a pony buried in the backyard. But that’s a story for another day.
* As the living room is generally a cat-free zone, it does not need cleaning each time Chris visits.
Purrs and hugs, Lily Olivia, Misty May, Mauricio, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Josette
