I'm a lousy cat sitter (and gratuitous cat pics)

A friend is going on vacation, and I have agreed to look after her cat for three weeks.  I asked for her dog too, but the dog gets to go to the coast with them.


Racism is rampant.

(You'll notice the paw placement.  His favorite way to stand.  Friendly little fellow.  He also likes to give kisses there ... )

It's been years since I had a cat, and when I did, it was a cat that had been raised by a Samoyed, so it was a cat that fetched, and came when you called it, and sat in the window and barked if a car it didn't recognize came in the driveway.  Seriously!  Funny little cat-barks, but it did its best.

Any way, the cat was dropped off last night.  He seemed to settle OK, but he is disturbingly quiet!   He explored a bit, then settled beside me on the sofa. Once I went to bed, I think he returned to the living room window, but if I got up to use the bathroom he was always right there at my feet, trying to trip me; hopping into bed with me when I laid back down, staying for a minute, then back to wherever he was hanging out.

So this morning when I got up, I did a few things ... and no cat.  So I did some noisier things ... and no cat.  So I went looking ... under furniture, behind things, on top of things ... and no cat.  Then I got to the guest room in the basement ... and no cat, but a big hole in the ceiling by the window, and an acoustic tile on the floor ... damnit.

So I got a chair and a flashlight, and looked in the ceiling ... no cat.  I went into the rooms that were accessible from the ceiling, rooms I had shut the doors to and not cat proofed; a storage room, the laundry room, the furnace room ... no cat.

I was getting pretty stressed by this point.  I had tried calling, to no avail.  I had looked everywhere I could think of, multiple times.  No cat.  So I talked myself down, and sat in the living room, and said I would give it an hour.  While sitting there, answering some work e-mail, I thought I heard something in the sewing/craft room, which is also shut off.  So I got up and opened the door to look, and called him ... and he appeared beside me at the door, looking into this "new" room.  I have no idea were he came from, but he is safely found, back to conquering the furniture, and trying to get me to open the sewing room door again.  The ceiling access from the guest room is now blocked off!


Its going to be a long three weeks ...

I know this sounds like I have a lot of rooms shut off from him, but its an older country house - trust me, he still has lost of room to explore, and places to hang out.  I think he'll be fine.  He certainly seems to be enjoying the windows!