Day Ninety Three

Disclaimer: My grands spent the night and this place is not conducive to concentration. I have no idea what I'm writing, but in keeping with my plan to write every day, I will soldier on. I am starting to realize why so many writers become recluses or suicidal. I am also humbly aware I am not writing the great American novel...

To the Summit

Well, it finally happened. Dash figured out how to climb up to the bulkhead in the kitchen. After weeks of watching his siblings climb up there, he decided to try it himself. The key to it is to get up to the top of the fridge. From there it's a short hop to the very top. Even though it's just an eight foot drop, it feels like twenty to this nervous mom.

What's the big deal?

That's what it felt like when I saw Chance fall from there yesterday. I was already worrying about whether or not Dash could get back down, when Chance decided to join him. The problem is, Ragdolls aren't known for their agility. They are sweet, lovable, beautiful and have stunning blue eyes - but as for their gymnastic skills - meh. So, like a typical big brother, he climbed up there to show Dash he can do it better.

One cat on their own up there is not too bad, but just like human children, the temptation to chase each other grows with each added kid. The last I saw, Chance was chasing Dash, when I heard a strange sound. As I turned, Chance was falling from the highest point. He did land on his feet, but I was sure he had broken something. I screamed; Chance took off, Jack came running and my blood pressure shot up. When I finally caught him, Chance was fine. The only bruise was to his ego.

I'm never going back up there again

I don't know the purpose to the bulkhead. In my opinion, it's a design flaw. We used to put stuff up there, like fake ivy and artwork - but , other than the Sistine Chapel, who wants to look up and get a crick in their neck just to view a piece of art? Plus, it was killer to dust. I had the bright idea to place large vases up there. Then I got a cat.

My only exposure to cats and their penchant for climbing was when I had my twenty-four hour kitten, which was a birthday present from a boyfriend when I was a teen. She climbed on my mother's curtains, which then meant curtains for her. Oh, and I knew about cats, trees and firemen.

When Eli came here to live, it never occurred to us he would want to go up there. When we noticed he had an interest in getting to the top of the fridge, we tried to block it off. That was a colossal failure. We actually made it easier for him to get to the top.

I wasn't the least bit concerned about the vases, figuring a little cat could never knock one over. I was wrong. One morning, Andy pointed to the bulkhead and asked me if I put the vase in its current position intentionally - on its side; teetering on the edge. My eyes did a cartoon pop out of their sockets. The vases came down.

Once the obstacles were removed, Eli had a clear path to run back and forth across the bulkhead. All my worrying about Eli's safety was pointless. He navigated up and down and never came close to falling. All was well until he had siblings. Each kitten watched in fascination as Eli easily climbed to the top. Finn and Chance couldn't wait until they could do it, too. Fancy, who used to climb actual trees, and as high as thirty feet, has no interest in going up there. Once you've been to the mountain...

Of all the cats, Dash is the least likely to have problems climbing high. Abyssinians are known for their agility. I have to keep telling myself that as I watch him literally trying to climb the walls.