Daffodil�s Escapes�twice

Daffodil escaped yesterday and took Ginger and Tabs along with her.

It was late and the front door was not properly closed. I had just fed them supper in the kitchen and owing to a really bad osteoarthritic knee, I’m not very mobile these days.

Suddenly, husband noticed Tabs outside Stargate2, trying to get back inside.

So, Tabs came back in and next thing you know, Ginger was spotted in the porch. We brought him in as well and thereafter began the big hunt for the master of all escapees, the grand old dame herself, Daffodil.

We went out to look for her and found her FOUR houses down, staring at us from the driveway of the neighbour’s house.

Of course calling her out was a total waste of time.

I trudged back to the house and brought out a bowl of fish. I wasn’t sure if it would entice her out because she just had fish for supper. But there was nothing she loved more than fish.

By the time I got back out, I noticed husband looking for her under the car across the road. She was clearly enjoying this.

Civil disobedience. All defiant and anti-establishment souls like doing this.

I finally decided to play nonchalant and let her be.

After a few minutes, she started coming back towards me. The aroma of the fish must have been more tempting than a chance at civil disobedience.

I continued playing nonchalant and left the bowl on our driveway, but I stayed close enough to the bowl so that I could catch her…later.

She finally came back…and ate the fish.

I let her eat.

Nonchalance is the name of the game here.

Then, I scooped her up calmly and trudged back to the house.

Luckily the whole episode didn’t take that long too.

Brought her back to the house to continue eating her fish. I read that in such cases, any form of punishment will send the wrong message to the cat – they will think that coming back is wrong. So, a reward must be given (for coming back).

Eat up, Daffodil. Thank you for coming back. Or more accurately, for letting me bring you back.

All tired out after that.

Just now, she did it again. This time, the wooden door was not properly closed and she scaled the green netting on the grille and brought Ginger with her too.

Ginger remained in the porch. What a good boy he is.

And where was Daffodil?

Three houses away already.

She looked at us, claiming victory, from the neighbour’s driveway again.

Same game – nonchalance.

Actually, I didn’t have much of a choice. I could barely walk today, after a trip to the doctor’s. My knee is so painful it feels like my tibia and fibula (the bones below the patella) have been twisted ninety degrees. It’s just old age osteoarthritis – you can’t win them all.

So, I did the same thing again – FISH.

Thank goodness for fish.

This time, it took longer to get her back.

But she’s back now.

Fish and more fish.

Hopefully, no more escapes, Daffodil, please.

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2017/08/11/daffodils-escapes-twice/

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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