Conference misery::feline_v1

1191.0. "Bailey--WatchCat Extraordinaire!" by SCRUZ::CORDES_JA (Jan) Wed Mar 16 1988 15:59

    It was a dark and stormy night... well actually it was morning,
    and it wasn't stormy (thats how Snoopy always starts his stories).  
    
    2:35am Wed. morning - I was asleep, very asleep.  A strange knocking
    noise was winding its way into my dreams.  It didn't occur to me
    that this was anything but part of the dreams.  It occurred to my
    cat Bailey.  Apparently, she heard the noise and got up to explore.
    She started making funny noises and going into "pointer" mode. 
    I awoke to her noises and noticed that she seemed frightened.  She
    was standing in the hallway with one front paw raised pointing to
    the bedroom door.  In my half asleep state I now began to hear the
    noise a little and as I talked to Bailey and asked her what was
    wrong I realized that someone was knocking on my door.
    
    I got up, grabbed by robe, knocking over some cans of cat food I
    had stacked in the closet.  I put my glasses on (this doesn't help
    much as I have something in the neighborhood of 20/400 vision that
    doesn't really correct with glasses) and went out to the living
    room.  Sure enough, there was someone knocking at my door.  I looked
    out the peephole (alot of good this did) and saw a silouette of
    a person in white pants, a goldish or yellow shirt and baseball
    cap knocking on my door.  I couln't make out his facial features.
    
    I called out to the person "WHO IS IT?".  He said it was Ted and
    to open the door.  It was then that I noticed that the doorknob
    lock was unlocked and the deadbolt lock looked as if it and turned
    towards the open direction slightly.  I relocked the door and held
    on to the deadbolt lock.  Ted kept insisting I let him in.  I tried
    to explain to Ted that he did not live at my apartment (I don't
    even know anyone named Ted).  Ted kept insisting I open the door.
    I tried again to tell him he was at the wrong place (gads, I came
    very close to telling him I lived alone but at the last second changed
    it to I live with someone else).  Meantime the cats were in Rambo
    mode behind me.  I'm sure they would have ripped him to shreds had
    he gotten in [I'm sure ;-)].  Well I finally convinced Ted to leave
    by threatening him with the police.  The only thing I could think
    of for him getting that one lock unlocked was that he must have
    put his key and and jiggled it around enough to get the door unlocked.
    Those locks aren't very secure.  Thank heavens for the deadbolt.
    
    As it turned out I did call the police.  I didn't want old Ted to
    come back.  I was scared and my heart was beating a zillion times
    a minute.  The dispatcher kept me on the phone till the officers
    arrived.  They never did find Ted but they found a nice puddle of
    beer he left behind on my porch (I thought that silouette looked
    a little wobbly when I looked through the peephole).  Later the
    security guard at the complex came by.  I think he was a little
    insulted that I didn't call him first.  When I'm that scared the
    only phone number I remember is 911, I didn't want to go fumbling
    around in the dark looking for the security number only to get a
    60 year old man in big glasses that didn't look like he could take
    care of Ted if he came back.  Also, security has been known to put
    people on hold indefinitely.
    
    Well to make this long story a little shorter.  My cat Bailey is
    one terrific watch cat.  She was still pretty nervous after everything
    calmed down. I had to coax her out from under the bed.  I gave her
    a paw massage on all four paws, massaged her forehead and jaw area
    to loosen her up a little and told her what a wonderful kitty she
    was.  This seemed to work because she started prancing around on
    the bed as if she was saying "Yes, aren't I!"
    
    Jan

    Hair-raising.  Maybe Bailey should massage your forehead! 
    
    Sometimes Sweetie and Holly go into "intruder-alert" mode and my
    blood pressure goes to the ceiling, but it's equally likely to be
    (1) someone coming to the door, (2) a strange cat anywhere in a
    200 foot radius of the house.
    

    AAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!! A nightmare come true!
    But at least a happy ending!
    
    I live on the first floor in Cambridge...high crime area, alas.
    I will be moving to a quieter town, Arlington, in about a month
    [NO! don't anyone DARE to tell me about crime in Arlington!]
    
    This all brings back memories of about 18 years ago when I had
    a Great Dane.  BBIIGG.  I felt safe *anyplace* with him.  I love
    my cats, but the security of driving around late at night, or 
    being home with him, etc. was soooooooo nice.  There was the
    occasional unexpected knock on the door late at night.  20 years
    ago we thought less about crime...can't imagine leaving doors
    unlocked, but we did it then!...
    
    Invariably, when I opened the door a crack, the dog (with my hand
    firmly on his collar, though of course he could have dragged me
    a mile if he wanted to) would dash about 1/3 out the door.  Whoever
    was on the tiny front porch ALWAYS stepped back FAST and fell down
    the 3 steps!
    
    Needless to say, this dog would have done absolutely nothing except
    wag his tail if said stranger had pushed the door open, but no one
    except me knew that, and I wasn't going to tell!  This dog made
    me SO secure.  I miss that.
    
    One of my daughters has just gotten a German Shepard puppy.  She
    was planning to get 2 cats.  But to be perfectly honest, I feel
    a lot more comfortable about her knowing that wherever she drives
    or walks, she will have a trained shepard at her side.  Sad
    statement about life these days...
    
    	Penelope

    
    Re .1
>>>    Hair-raising.  Maybe Bailey should massage your forehead! 

    Wait a minute.  I want that job!
    
    Dave

    Re:  .3
    
    You're hired!  My neck and shoulders could use a massage too! ;-)
    
    Jan
    

    YEAH BAILEY.....
    
    What a CAT.
    
    Thankfully everything turned out 	A-OK.   
    
    Sandi (Lightning's & DejaVu's mom)
    
    

    My apartment manager contacted me today.  Apparently they found
    out who Ted was.  He lives in the complex in an apartment located
    in the same spot one doorway down from me.  She says he was extremely
    intoxicated that night and that she told him he was lucky he made
    it home quickly as I had the police out looking for him.
    
    Ted wanted to come over and apologize to me but the manager suggested
    he wait until after she talked to me.  She figured all I needed was
    for Ted return to my doorway.
    
    Well, all's well that ends...
    
    Jan
    
    

    Does this mean I don't get the job after all?
    
    ;-)
    
    Dave

    Dave,
    
    The job is still yours!  There weren't any other applicants with
    the right qualifications.  ;-)
    
    Jan