Ridiculous stress
I locked myself out of my mother's house today. I was annoyed at myself, but it wasn't so terrible - I walked across the street to a neighbor's, borrowed a screwdriver to take a screen off an open window, and clambered through. Then I walked to the front, UNLOCKED the door, and went around back to put the screen back up.
And here is where I got stressful - as I walked in again, I promptly noticed that the cats weren't greeting me. Oh no, I thought, where are the cats? I couldn't find them anywhere. Then I knew - they must have gone outside through the open window! What cat could resist? They're always trying to get out the front door, this would have seemed a godsend to them.
I called Jonathan and my mom to come home from shopping, as I needed the extra pairs of eyes. I grabbed keys, my cell phone, and a cat carrier so that when I came across them, I could scoop them back up. Then I wandered around our neighborhood for half an hour calling, "Simcha! Osher! Come here!" I couldn't find them.
By the this time I was in tears, envisioning them getting in fights with the local possums, getting run over, or just getting lost in this new country (we've always kept them inside since we've gotten here). I had gone to three neighbors, two of which were outside helping me look.
After forty minutes I finally headed home, still calling their names. And as I reached the house, I heard Simcha meow in response to my calls. Hooray! I thought. But where IS he?! I circled the house trying to find him, calling continuously so that he would meow back.
Then it hit me - he was calling from INSIDE the house! That couldn't be! I had checked everywhere in the house! I walked in the front door, still confused, and I realized the meows were coming from Beverly's room, which was closed. I opened the door, and who do I see? Simcha and Osher, sitting on the bed meowing, looking at me like I'm absolutely nuts for being so stressed.
After getting over my panic, and wanting to both kiss and kill them at the same time, I thought through everything that had happened since I locked myself out. This is what I think happened: One door of Bev's room opens into the house, the other door opens outside into the backyard. The cats aren't allowed in there because she has lots of decorative masks with feathers, which they like to eat and destroy. So we always keep the doors closed. But when I left to put the screen back up on the window, I left through the back, and I think I probably left her door ajar. The cats must have gotten in and accidentally pushed it closed. Then, when I came in through the front and saw they were missing, I checked every room in the house, including that one. But they know they're not supposed to be in there, so, following past precedent, when they heard me come in, they hid under the bed! Forty minutes later, they were bored and wanted to come out, and so Simcha meowed in response to my calls.
Madness.
So here I am now, frustrated, slightly bedraggled, and calling all our neighbors to thank them for looking for my cats who weren't even missing. And where are they? Sacked out on the living room recliners, relaxing in the sunbeams.
Does that seem fair to you?
And here is where I got stressful - as I walked in again, I promptly noticed that the cats weren't greeting me. Oh no, I thought, where are the cats? I couldn't find them anywhere. Then I knew - they must have gone outside through the open window! What cat could resist? They're always trying to get out the front door, this would have seemed a godsend to them.
I called Jonathan and my mom to come home from shopping, as I needed the extra pairs of eyes. I grabbed keys, my cell phone, and a cat carrier so that when I came across them, I could scoop them back up. Then I wandered around our neighborhood for half an hour calling, "Simcha! Osher! Come here!" I couldn't find them.
By the this time I was in tears, envisioning them getting in fights with the local possums, getting run over, or just getting lost in this new country (we've always kept them inside since we've gotten here). I had gone to three neighbors, two of which were outside helping me look.
After forty minutes I finally headed home, still calling their names. And as I reached the house, I heard Simcha meow in response to my calls. Hooray! I thought. But where IS he?! I circled the house trying to find him, calling continuously so that he would meow back.
Then it hit me - he was calling from INSIDE the house! That couldn't be! I had checked everywhere in the house! I walked in the front door, still confused, and I realized the meows were coming from Beverly's room, which was closed. I opened the door, and who do I see? Simcha and Osher, sitting on the bed meowing, looking at me like I'm absolutely nuts for being so stressed.
After getting over my panic, and wanting to both kiss and kill them at the same time, I thought through everything that had happened since I locked myself out. This is what I think happened: One door of Bev's room opens into the house, the other door opens outside into the backyard. The cats aren't allowed in there because she has lots of decorative masks with feathers, which they like to eat and destroy. So we always keep the doors closed. But when I left to put the screen back up on the window, I left through the back, and I think I probably left her door ajar. The cats must have gotten in and accidentally pushed it closed. Then, when I came in through the front and saw they were missing, I checked every room in the house, including that one. But they know they're not supposed to be in there, so, following past precedent, when they heard me come in, they hid under the bed! Forty minutes later, they were bored and wanted to come out, and so Simcha meowed in response to my calls.
Madness.
So here I am now, frustrated, slightly bedraggled, and calling all our neighbors to thank them for looking for my cats who weren't even missing. And where are they? Sacked out on the living room recliners, relaxing in the sunbeams.
Does that seem fair to you?
posted by Michal at 2:37 PM
3 Comments:
Dearest Michal,
While reading your vivid replay of your search for the missing cats, your anguish transmitted itself to me and I responded with heart palpitations and tearfulness. Poor Simcha! Poor Osher! Simple Jerusalem kitties gone astray in their dangerous new world.
What welcome relief was mine when you discovered them safe and sound!
Whew! I settled down and filled my lungs with deep breaths in order to regain my balance.
But then, when you explained what had probably happened, and how the guilt-ridden cats had hidden from you under the bed , I couldn't help but burst into laughter so hearty that it turned into hiccupping!
What a roller-coaster of emotions you elicited with your story. Thank you for sharing yourself so unreservedly, and so titillatingly!
Your loving Savta
btw, I didn't know you were so adept at housebreaking!!!! :)
...and another comment....
That picture of Simcha and Osher directly underneath your Stressful Story is THE PERFECT VISUAL ENDING
...like you did it on purpose!!!!
Your ever emotional Savta...
Man... I can't imagine having my cats missing, I would freak. We keep the balcony door open a lot for them, but they just sit on the rails and watch the world. I lost a ferret once like that... I remember how intense the stress was. We found him in a totally different neighborhood, some guy picked him up and noticed our missing posters. Extremely stressful, and I was in tears. And it was just a ferret! We gave the guy $100 finders fee.
- Ania
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