Conference misery::feline_v1

    My cat pulls a disappearing act on me every night, but comes into
    my room every morning to get her head scratched and to cuddle.
    
    I have hunted for her for hours sometimes to no avail.  However
    when I have found her I've been amazed at her ingenuity.  Some of
    the places I have found her are inside the piano (full grand)  
    inside a bureau drawer that my son forgot to close,  I have a bin
    type clothes hamper that someone forgot to close evidently she jumped
    in and it closed her in.  That time she was glad I found her, but
    she did scold me royally.  When she was very little she used to
    hide in the sofa bed.  Great fun aren't they?

    All of mine have displayed their skills at this.  The worse those
    is Doctor Who.  He can be gone for hours on end (but always manages
    to be around for food).  I figure he's got a TARDIS hidden someplace
    in the house, but, unfortunately, the chameleon circuit seems to
    be working.

    
    Jake has lots of hiding places but one of his favorites is  between
    the two pillows on the bed (under the spread) which is quite a suprise 
    for us when we go to bed - how dare we disturb him!  The funniest
    place I've found him was in one of the dog's crates.  Our two dogs
    sleep in crates at night (they love having their own room) and Jake
    must have felt left out.  One morning when I got up to put out Logan
    and Colby, Jake came sashaying out of Logan's crate too!  He must
    have already been in the crate before Logan went to bed and neither
    one of them seemed to mind "spending the night together".  I only
    wish I could have seen them curled up together sleeping!
    
      Conni 

    Niniane hides on me constantly (mostly right after she tips over
    the garbage can - but ha-ha, Mommy went out and bought one with
    a cover ;-) and then, after I've been calling for ten minutes or
    more, she suddenly appears.  She doesn't stroll in, she appears.
    I turn around and she's sitting there looking at me as if to say,
    "Mommy, you look ridiculous!" Most of the time she appears next to
    the stuffed loons.  Lest you think I'm crazy (my cat already does)
    I have a pair of stuffed loons (life-size, but cloth) sitting under 
    a table in my living room.  Niniane believes them to be surrogate cats. 
    She "grooms" them and sleeps with them, shovelling herself in-between
    them for naps.  When she wants to be fed, she will sometimes stand
    between the loons and speak for all three of them!!  Anyway, I'm
    getting off the subject.  The point is, I don't know where the 
    heck she comes from, she's just suddenly there!  She also likes
    to hide in closets.  She waits until you open the door and dashes
    in, so you invariably shut her in.  Then you here "mew, mew" a few
    minutes later, which sends you flying around until you remember
    that you were in the closet a while back!  Needless to say we're
    careful not to let her in, but she outdid my husband this morning.
    He had been in the closet and had shut the door.  Suddenly he heard
    "mew, mew" and went back to open the closet door.  Niniane flies
    out from under the bed where she was hiding and into the closet!!
    
    I don't want to teach her poker, that's for sure!! ;-)
    
    Mary-Michael (sorry so long, I brag too much about my Ninny!)

    re.4  Mommy had better not get toooo smug about the trash-can with
    	  the lid.  Mine has a lid, too.
    
    	  Both Milo & Maggie make trips to the "Kitten Zone".  [Maggie,
    being older, is much more expert at hiding her access points.  Milo's
    latest jumping off place is the 'nifty small room of the bathroom'
    d.b.a. the bathtub] So, when I didn't see Milo the other night,
    I wasn't too concerned.  Neither was I concerned when Maggie strolled
    through the kitchen and hissed quietly in my general direction while
    I was standing at the stove fixing dinner.  Up she hops on her
    supervisory perch on top of the trash-can lid, still no surprises,
    watches me at work for several minutes and hops down.  Dinner is
    now done, and as I'm getting out the plates to serve it up, the
    lid of the trash-can flies open, rebounds off the wall, and out
    pops Milo purring and chirping -- blissfully covered in the coffee
    grounds from breakfast!!
    
    Oh, the rapid shifts of emotions I was experiencing!  Completely
    startled and dropping a plate -- amusement when I saw it was Milo
    -- dismay at the coffee grounds -- horror as Milo and the grounds
    reached the eggshell carpet in the living room ...
    
    An there sits Maggie in regal splendour with that look on her face
    that says, 'Didn't I tell you to toss him out in the snow?'
    
    The lid of the trash-can now sports a jaunty cinder-block hauled
    up from the basement.  All the fashionable trash-can lids are wearing
    them now.
    
      Annie

    re: .5
    
    Oh no!  And I thought turkey skin drenched in grease on a beige
    carpet was bad!!
    
    I got the kind of trash can that has the pedal at the bottom
    that you step on to get the lid to open.  
    
    If Niniane figures this one out, I'm sending her to college!
    
    Mary-Michael (Ninny's Mom)

    In a fit of insanity, my friend kate left some meat object (maybe
    a steak, we vegetarians aren't too clear about such details) thawing
    next to the sink and she and her husband John left the house for
    awhile.  When they returned, John opened the door and stepped on
    the steak which had somehow moved out to the entryway carpet.  Casey
    Cat:  What?  Me?
    

    In my five-cat household, Paws is the worst offender. She disappears,
    and we _cannot_ find her. When she does finally make an appearance,
    it's always from a direction in which we had checked _every_ available
    hiding spot!
    
    The others are easier to find: in a cabinet under the paper bags,
    on top of a wall cabinet in one of the wicker baskets we store there,
    in the wood box pretending to be a piece of firewood, and so on.
    
    The one thing that _always_ gets all the kitties out of their hiding
    places and into the kitchen is the sound of a Bonkers carton being
    shaken. No missing kitties around my house when it's Bonkers time!
    
    Marleen

    Last night Silver did another disappearing act.  I looked for a
    while and all of the sudden I heard her meow when I was in the kitchen.
    I walked over and opened a drawer.  There she was, scrunched inside
    the silverware drawer.  She must have crawled in and someone must
    have shut the door.  I guess she thought that should be her drawer
    since it was the SILVERware drawer.
    
    Holly

                The strangest thing is to see a cat hiding in PLAIN
        SIGHT! It is not something that you get to see happening and
        realize just what you are seeing very often.
                
                I have been in someone elses house (owned by a cat of
        course) when their human has started looking for them. I guess I
        was honored in that the cat let me see what was going on, but
        their human walked by the cat (and looked in the right
        direction) many times before the cat allowed itself to be seen.
        Yet the cat (as I could plainly see) was there all along. It
        really is a riot to observe. (Needless to say, didn't betray my
        trust and give the situation away.) It's something that unless
        you experience, you can't really understand it.
                
                Now when I say plain sight, I don't mean hidden under a
        chair, or behind a couch, or in a drawer; but someplace like
        crouched down  (when a cat looks like its got a head, a tail and
        a body, but no legs) on a shelf amongst the other stuff on the 
        shelf and visible from half the room. You talk about chameleon
        circuits!
                
                /s/     Bob

    Mandy hides on us occaisionally and we will search high and low
    to no avail.  Inorder for her to come out of hiding we either turn
    the electric can opener on or run the water in the tub.  Wherever
    she is, she can still hear her favorite sounds and she will come
    running.  However, if she happens to be going to the vet even these
    tricks don't work.  
    
    Every morning when my SO and I leave for work, Mandy hangs around and
    watches us get ready.  She then sits in the window when we leave
    (probably to make sure we are really leaving so she can start
    partying!), she does this every morning.  But the mornings that we plan
    on bringing her to the vet she disappears.  I don't know how she knows,
    but she does.  Maybe she saw me trying to secretly slip her kitty cage
    into the garage, or maybe she can read the calendar that says VET
    appointment.  Who knows but she always disappears. We end up searching
    everywhere and once we do find her she is in a place where it is
    impossible to get her out.  There is a small (tiny) hole between the
    cabinets and the refridgerator that she manages to wedge herself in.
    Once she hid in the christmas tree box which is way back in the corner
    of the eves behind every other box, impossible for humans to climb over
    but easy for kitties. Then there was the time that I got everything
    ready, the kitty cage was in the car, and I had the car door open (I
    have tried unlocking the car door with unwilling cat in my arms - not
    fun!).  Well somehow she got into the garage and hid in the open car.
    I ran around the house looking for her, and she was where I wanted her
    to be, and probably laughing at me too! 
    
    Because of this we now find it necessary to prepare to leave for the
    VET a half hour before any appointment even though it is a 5 minute
    ride.                                   

    Ok Holly, here goes....
    
    Lightning is my LOVE except when she doesn't want to be found. 
    Then I could wring her beautiful neck.  She normally comes to me
    for attention when I get home each evening. In fact she usually
    beats me to the door.  But sometimes.....She is so comfortable,
    that she doesn't want to move.  Then I go around the house calling
    Lightning, Lightning, oh Lightning.  I always worry about my `babies'.
    Are they locked up somewhere trying to get out, are they hurt, did
    they get out of the house, etc.  Finally after going through the
    house and looking around outside at least five times, I find her.
    Usually in a place that I searched at least five times before.
    
    The scariest time for me was when my daughters called me at work
    to let me know that Star and DejaVu had gotten out of an open window
    (no screen)(my daughter opened it).  Of coursce Lightning (bless
    her heart) stayed in that time.  Both daughters were getting hysterical
    because Star belonged to my oldest and DejaVu belonged to my youngest.
    Of course being the mommy that I am, I asked all the pertinent
    questions: Did you check under the beds? Did you check the closets?
    Did you check all the drawers?  Did you check under the Trailor?
    Did you check the neighborhood?  Yes, yes, yes, yes to all questions.
    I made them do it again.  When the `babies' still couldn't be found,
    I left work.  Both cats were declawed and DejaVu was just a kitten.
    Neither one had been outside alone and didn't know what a car or
    dog could do to them.  
    
    Needless to say,  mommy rushed home.  I just couldn't let my babies
    be hurt.  Also my oldest was really upset.  She loves Starfire so
    much.  Forty minutes later, when I drove into the driveway, everyone
    came rushing out to tell me that they had been found (under the
    Trailor).  That really scared me.  There is rat poison under there
    to kill the rats (huge) that periodically come into the yard.  DejaVu
    started showing sytems of having a hard time breathing and wouldn't
    drink any water or milk.  I didn't explain to the kids how worried
    (scared) I was but I thought we were going to lose DejaVu.  No,
    No, No.
    
    As it turns out, and Holly readilly knows this, DejaVu is fine.
    She couldn't have gotten into the poison because she is still alive
    and still a BRAT...
    
    I love my `babies' but SOMETIMES..........
    
    Sandi
      

    RE .9
    
    Good Holly, Good.
    
    SILVER in the SILVERware drawer.
    
    Sandi (Lightning's & DejaVu's mom)
    
    

    Sherlock doesn't hide from us very often.  But, when he does, he
    is nowhere to be found.  All I have to do to get him to come out
    is get the jar of Planters Peanuts out of the cupboard, and, presto,
    I have one Himi underfoot begging for peanuts (his very favorite
    snack).
    
    Ande

    I'd like to share this hide-and-seek mystery with all of you.  
    It was Easter, and my husband's whole family got together for dinner.
    My brother-in-law brought his large, but shy cat "Corky" with him.
    But, after about five minutes, Corky slid away to hide.  From 2:00
    pm until 8:00 pm, all 10 of us combed every inch of the 9 room house
    at least 20 times, in search of Corky, but she was no where to be
    found.  We opened every closet, flipped over every chair, looked into every
    container-like object, checked every chest, but still no Corky.
    We drove and walked down the roads around the house, just in case
    she got out, calling out her name, but still no Corky.  We even
    checked in between the ceiling of one floor and the floor of the
    other, and along pipes, but she was still not found.  My
    brother-in-law, sad that his little companion had vanished, finally
    left.  The other family members left, including us, but my in-laws
    remained, for it was there home.  We left food on plates all around
    the house, thinking that if she's still in here, she'll come out
    at some point to eat.  Then we'll know what room she's in, and we
    planned to close the door and lock her in the room to search her
    out.  Well, my father-in-law saw that the food was missing in the
    family room.  He closed the door, and started to search each inch
    of that room, but Corky was not found.  How could this be?  He left
    the room and closed the door behind him.  Minutes later, he returned
    to find Corky laying all streached out on the couch.  Once she caught
    eye of him, she ran back into her secret hidding spot.  Were could
    that be....well, in the TV.  Yes, there is a 27" console T.V. in
    that room, with a opening underneath, that no one knew of, except
    for Corky.  She cleaverly hid herself inside that TV.  What a great hiding
    spot for a shy cat!
    
    How's that for a mystery.
        

    re: .16
    
    Aw, come on Karen, you hid the keys in case a burglar got in!
    Trying to blame it on the poor little fuzzies...  ;-)
    
    I had a similar experience.  I was stunned to see one of my
    cats trotting down the hall, keyring swinging from mouth!
    Never saw any cats express interest in the keys again.
    (GLAD I caught they keys as they were being carted off --
    Karen, you were lucky you found your keys!)
    
    	P
    

    Hahahaha!  I love it!  I've seen this trick with the keys before!
    
    I used to date a man who had a litter of kittens (well, actually,
    his cat had the kittens, he didn't;-).  The kittens took an intense
    disliking for his roommate.  Every morning at their house, the scene
    was the same:
    
    The roommate would go into the shower.  After getting out and
    blow-drying his hair (I think the hairdryer noise was the kittens'
    cue), he would tear out of the bathroom wrapped in his towel, to
    chase whichever kitten had his keys on that morning.  Yes, and he
    *never* caught them!  The kitten-of-the-day would then drop the keys
    behind a *heavy* sofa that took two people to move.  (snicker;-)
    
    The guy eventually learned to take his keys into the shower with
    him;-)  It was *really* funny to watch while it lasted!
    
    Rita
    

    Well, my boys hardly ever make off with my keys (they weigh too
    much!), but there was the time I found my diamond ring in the litter
    box......
    
    Mary

    Mandy loves gold! She knows how to open my jewelry box and grab
    my gold necklace - there are other necklaces, some costume and some
    silver but she never touches those.  My gold necklace disappears
    all the time - I've found it in the basement, near the litter box
    and under the bed.  Of course she never plays with it while I'm
    home so I can never scold her - smart kitty.  Fortunately, I've
    been able to find my necklace every time it disapears.  Unfortunately
    she got into my jewelry box and stole one of my pearl earings -
    lost forever - she has expensive taste!

    Every year I cat-sit some friends cats when they go on vacation.
    That is, I go to their house, and feed and water the beasties. 
    They have two wonderful indoor kitties - the male is extremely
    affectionate, and welcomes me at the door.  The female is extremely
    shy, and hides, and no amount of coaxing will bring her out.
    
    The first time I cat-sat, I was FRANTIC because I couldn't find
    the girl-kitty.  I looked around - as best I could in *someone elses*
    house - but no kitty.  A couple of days of this went by, and still no
    girl-kitty.   
    
    The owners had left mostly dry food, but 2 cans as "treats" twice
    a week.  When I opened the first can, the girl-kitty materialized,
    as if out of thin air!  Ever since then, I make sure that I serve
    a can-a-day, or a can-every-other-day just to make me feel better
    about the girl-kitty's existence!!!!
    
    			- Lorri
    
    PS I wonder if they're curious as to why their kitties get fat when
    they're on vacation?  You guys don't read this notesfile, do you!?
     

    When we moved from NJ to Huson, Ma. our chocolate point Himmie named
    Hershey decided to drive us nuts!  The first night in the new house,
    we had put Hershey and Fuzzles (her sister) in a small closed part
    of the house.  Fuzzles refused to come out of the carrier, but when
    we checked a little later that night, Hershey was sitting behind
    the water heater.  Since this was her favorite place in our old
    house, we took it as a good sign.  About a hour later, we went back
    to check up on them.  Fuzzles had come out to munch some food, and
    was back in the carrier.  We couldn't find Hershey at all.  We look
    in all the cabinets, under the water heater, under the furnace,
    everywhere.  Finnally noticed that she had climbed up some shelves,
    behind the gas meter, an was in a little nook that at the time we
    thought was a passageway between the foundation and the floor. 
    We spent half the night getting this silly cat down.  The task was
    made difficult since we had no flashlights, no ladders, no anything.
    
    Anyway, we closed off that room since we did not want a repeat
    performance.  The next night Sears delivered our washer and dryer.
    Lots of confusion followed because they didn't deliver our refrig.
    When all the dust cleared and we went to check on the cats, Fuzzles
    was hidding in the towel in the carrier and....no Hershey.  Great,
    we thought, now where did she go...
    
    We looked in every nook and cranny in our house.  (fairly easy since
    there was still no furniture...) No Hershey.  Looked in the suspened
    ceiling where we had the cats.  No Hershey.  We thought the worst.
    Somehow she must have gotten out.  We were sick.  Both of our cats
    are strictly indoor cats.  Not only that, but we had been in the
    house 2 days.  So at 8:00 at night, Russ and I are out screaming
    for Hershey (our neighbors must have wondered what kind of people
    just moved in!!!)  We finally went and bought some flashlights and
    looked in the suspended celing again.  Sure enough, there was Hershey,
    saying "Looking for me????  But I don't *WANT* come down"  We spent
    half the night taking down the ceiling to get the cat down. She
    had gotten up there by juming on to the newly delivered dryer, then
    into a window that was cut in half by the ceiling.  We promptly
    moved them to yet another room of the house.
    
    Now life is a little easier.  Hershey's favorite hiding place is
    inside of Russ' recliner.  Fuzzles has found several hiding places
    including the shelves in the rec room.  
    
    marianne