This morning as I was standing in the bathroom shaving, I heard a loud THUMP! coming from the adjoining bedroom. I thought: "Sounds like some kitty knocked something off of the bureau.".

I stepped out and looked and in the dim light saw nothing out of place. Well, back to shaving. Again RUSTLE, RUSTLE, THUMP!. This time I thought "Did they tip a bag over?". Again I stepped out and looked and as I did a loud rustling noise and I am being charged by a large paper shopping bag. I sidestepped, and the bag crashed into the vanity behind me.

With the clarity of thought that only comes with long time cat ownership, I realized that one of the cats had become tangled in the rope handle on the bag. Turning quickly I prepared to capture the bag and free the cat (regardless of how much skin it might cost me).

We really can think at incredible speeds as all of these fleeting impressions occurred in less than 1/2 a second:

"How does a 12 pound cat seem to weigh 50 pounds when captured running full tilt?"

"Wow this is like trying to hold onto a gigantic python!"

"Gee I hope I don't hurt her."

"Gee I hope she doesn't hurt me."

"How am I going to get her to hold still long enough to help?"

Fortunately, the problem solved itself as the bag tore and dumped out the cat who fell out in such a way as to be free of the rope handle. In far less time than it takes to tell, she was gone under the bed. I guess that she thought that it was unfair that one of her favorite toys, a paper bag, had tried to eat her.

Copyright © Fletcher Glenn
August 10, 1999