Letting Minnie And Smurfy Stretch Their Legs

I felt sorry that Minnie and Smurfy had been confined in the cage, so I planned a “stretching event” for them this morning.

I would use Jia-Wen’s room for them. Last night, I had already surveyed the room. It should be Minnie-proof except for the mosquito netting which Minnie could slide open to one side, exposing a way out to the roof. I think it would just take her 1 minute to figure it out.

So this morning, we prepared the room.

The only loophole I could think of was this and it’s now secured with a stick. There is no way Minnie could push this now. The room is now officially Minnie-proof.

I brought them up in a carrier. Locked the room, then only open the door to let them out. It’s all under maximum security.

Minnie went straight for the window.

She just HAD to get out and would spend the next THREE HOURS trying to escape…sigh.

I prepared this wardrobe with towels for them. I figured Minnie will probably give birth here when the time comes. Smurfy went around the room to explore, but Minnie only had one target – to escape.

She left no stone unturned.

Smurfy got a fright from his own reflection in the mirror and rammed into it in fear.

Tabs came to accompany them.

Well, they sure got to stretch alright. They were jungle-gymming throughout.

More than a good stretch. It was good exercise for them.

This was also secured.

Minnie only settled down for a few minutes before she would try to find a way to escape again.

That’s just your reflection, Smurfy. It’s not another cat.

Smurfy wasn’t bent on escaping, though. He was very curious and explored the whole room.

I knew Smurfy would find this crevice. He loved it.

I was also in the room throughout, teaching online.

Quietly, Minnie tried to move the stick…

Despite it being so tight, see? She managed to move it. Minnie is an engineer! I must say, what a genius…to be able to figure this contraption out. How did she know the stick was preventing her from sliding open the windows?  HOW??

Instead of drinking from the water fountain, Smurfy played with it by flicking water all over.

None of our cats drink from the fountain!

There she goes again….not giving up. I salute her for her perseverance, but I fear she WILL find a way out. It’s just a matter of time. The only way is for me to close the windows and turn on the air-cont.

Flicky, flicky!

I brought their litter box up too.

After 3 hours, it was time to go back down to the cage. It was also lunch time. I managed to catch Minnie and put her into the carrier, but Smurfy went to his safe house. The rules are, once in the safe house, I cannot catch him anymore. Anyway, I couldn’t. He was swiping and hissing like a wild animal.

So I left him alone and put Minnie back downstairs.

I fed everyone else first and waited until I was sure he would be hungry, then I brought his food up, very sure, being as greedy as he is, he would surely come out.

Well, guess what…..

SMURFY WAS NOT FOOLED.

No, sirree.

He did NOT come out for his bowl of food.

I push the food bowl in. He sniffed at it and started eating a wee bit. Then, I pulled the bowl out, inch by inch, but he knew. So he stopped eating totally.

“Nope, I’m not going to be tricked by you”, he said.

He just “tahan lapar” and simply refused to eat.

So, okay, two can play at this game. I took the bowl back downstairs and thought I would try again later. Surely he would be hungry after sometime, right?

But Minnie was getting worried as she was alone in the cage without Smurfy, so I thought of an idea, I will bring Minnie up again. Maybe knowing Minnie was in the room, Smurfy might come out.

So that was what I did. I carried Minnie up.

Minnie was let go in the room.

But Smurfy did not come out from the crevice.

I waited patiently.

And waited….

Until I was puzzled, why didn’t he come out, so I bent down to look and lo and behold!!

SMURFY WAS NOT THERE!!!

Oh no!!  Where was Smurfy???

I searched ALL OVER the room. I looked everywhere.

Smurfy was NOT in the room.

Smurfy had escaped!!!!!!!!!!!!

But how???

How???

I checked everywhere. There was no hole anywhere. HOW did he escape?

I looked again all over the room, just in case he was just evading me, keeping out of my line of sight, but no, Smurfy was nowhere to be found.

I was near panic by now.

Then, I lifted the bedspread and what do you know?

There he was, snuggled in between the bolster and pillow – he was hiding UNDER the bedspread.

Tell me…….is this not an incredibly smart little kitten?

So I tried to catch him but he went into reverse and tried to escape.

But I finally caught him under the bedspread.

Phew!

Back in the cage for lunch!

By then, I was exhausted. Enough adventure for the day…for me!

At mid-afternoon, I peeked and both were fast asleep. Well, that’s certainly enough adventure and exercise for them both too!

We will probably do this every few days just to let them stretch a bit.

Meanwhile, I am eagerly awaiting the lifting of the MCO so that our contractor can come and Minnie- and Smurfy-proof the patio.

I am still so tired!

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2020/04/29/letting-minnie-and-smurf..

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