Yesterday,
I took Parker out for a walk. It was a very pleasant day, especially for
November. The sun shone, the temperature was reasonable, there was no wind. As
is often the case, I let the orange boy determine the route we would take.
We
walked down an alley that runs crookedly alongside my apartment building.
Parker sniffed the dead and dying grass, and tried to eat some; I would say, “No,
don’t eat,” repeatedly, and urge him along. Things were normal.
Then
he worked his nose along the base of the wooden-board fence that runs by one
side of the alley. Without warning, he leaped straight up and landed on top of
the five foot high barrier. From there he dropped to the lawn on the other
side. All of this happened too swiftly for me to react properly, so I now was
on one side of the fence, my foster-cat was on the other.
Still
connected by the leash to Parker’s harness, I tried to coax him to the fence so
I could pull him through a space between the boards, a space wide enough to
accommodate a cat, even of Parker’s girth. To emphasise my intention, I tugged
on Parker’s leash several times. When I did that once, he retreated – and slipped
out of his harness.
Now I
was on one side of the fence, my loose foster-cat was on the other. For the
moment, he was not moving, but if he saw something that interested him, that
could change, and I knew, despite his sturdy form, he could move fast, faster
than I. So while he was stationary, I ran
- not as fast as a cat but not bad for a human – around the fence,
hoping my untethered animal would still be on the other side. He was, and when
I approached him, he trotted over to me.
I
gathered him up then and there and took him inside. What a fright he gave me. I
brought him out again today, but have a new awareness of how easily he can slip
out of his fetters if the dynamics are right. Since the two loops of the
harness tug against the body in any direction but from the front – there they
work together to slip over increasingly slimmer portions – pulling from that
direction could undo the harness’s purpose. All Parker would have to do to
escape is lift his forelegs as the larger loop is pulled past them. A new
lesson has been learned.
Parker,
of course, felt that nothing was amiss. He came in, had his mid-day snack and
settled down to snooze in the sunshine. What a to-do these humans make of some
things - like heart attacks. These cats will kill me one day.
I would have needed a shot of rye after that. (If I'd had some on hand!)
ReplyDeleteI think I was almost having heart failure reading your post. I'm glad Parker came over to you, nothing wrong from his point of view, of course. And I sincerely hope nothing like that EVER happens again!
You sure have my sympathy. If that happened to me, I think I would need to join Kia for some "adult beverage". (You can join us if you like.) :-) It's either that or a trip to the hospital to be treated for a heart attack. One thing for sure - there is never a dull moment when there are cats around.
ReplyDeleteI too, thought my heart stopped. So glad your adventure ended well. Parker is certainly a character. I can only imagine you - so thankful to be home and have Parker safe - and Parker actin as nothing was wrong.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness Parker came to you as you approached him. He could have just as easily run in the opposite direction! Have you stopped shaking yet? As you said, a lesson learned. Thank God there was a happy ending to your story.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that Parker is safe and he came over to you. Miss pops would have been off like a shot. To her credit though she always comes home.
ReplyDeleteGive him a pat from us.
My heart also missed a beat as I was reading. That must have been a very interesting smell on the other side of the fence. Thank goodness Parker waited for you and then came to you when he saw you.
ReplyDeleteI would have panicked as sure as the sun rises. You did superbly! My heart would need separate conveyance back home as I would have been to flibberty jibbet to bring it home in my chesticle. Besides, it would have leapt from my body in alarm! I have even had two very bad dreams about this very thing. Whew!
ReplyDeleteI had a dream a few months ago about Tucker running loose. All I recall of it was seeing my roly poly running as fast as he could down a sidewalk in the middle distance. I am glad I could wake up from such a nightmare.
DeleteAhh, but what a way to go!
ReplyDeleteEasy to say, but when Chuck went missing one Saturday, I just about wore myself into a frazzle while walking the neighborhood and calling for him. Only after a few hours, I went online and read several informative posts about how far housecats will go, which isn't very far. So I sat at the end of the driveway, and shook the treats bag. Voila, Chuck raced inside within 10 minutes! I'm glad that Parker didn't do anything like that!
Glad you were able to catch him.
ReplyDeleteBeen there done that with dude and it was the last time he went
ReplyDeleteout and the last time I ever let any of his "ancestors" out. I understand the: well let me have a heart attack right here and now and hope someone can put said cat back into the house before the EMS arrives and frightens him into the next county...thankfully the fence was there...ya know !! ☺☺♥♥
Oh my, I'm glad Parker waited for you. I suspect one of my cats will kill me too, but it is more likely by tripping me so that I fall and break a hip. ;)
ReplyDelete