When we moved into the house in Newton, I really didn't want to have to haul a heavy, large box spring up a narrow flight of stairs so we've got our mattress directly on the bedroom floor. When we first moved in we recognized that kitties with disturbed routines sometimes act-out by peeing in inappropriate places so we got in the habit of covering the mattress with a painters drop cloth when we make the bed in the morning. Since nobody seemed to mind having it there, we've continued the habit (it also helps to prevent hairball problems on the bed).

For the last few mornings Nancy has been neatly folding her extra blanket and putting it on the mattress, under her pillows. When I make the bed in the morning I pull the covers up, pull up the drop cloth, and tuck it in securely under the mattress.

When I got home from work yesterday I got dinner started then sat down with a book and enjoyed a nice Harri snuggle. Nancy got home, we ate dinner, watched some TV, etc. Neither of us had an opportunity or a need to go upstairs. When I finally went upstairs to go to bed I was greeted with an unexpected sight. The drop cloth was pulled back about half way, and the covers on Nancy's side of the bed had been pulled back- pretty much like Nancy would have done if she had taken a nap. I went down to ask if she had done so without me being aware of it, and she assured me that she hadn't been upstairs since she got home. When I went back upstairs and looked around again, I noticed her blanket in doorway of the spare bedroom.

Apparently Ranger pulled back the drop cloth, pulled down the covers on Nancy's side of the bed, coaxed the blanket out from under the pillows *without disturbing the pillows*, then pulled the blanket down the hall.

That is one determined little kitty man!

Copyright © Dan Mahoney
October 11, 2007

UPDATE: October 13, 2007 - Last night Ranger again decided to take Nancy's blanket while Nancy was sleeping under it. This time the blanket sliding off her arms woke her up so she was able to have a heart-to-heart discussion with Ranger. The end result was that she got to keep the blanket. It remains to be seen if that agreement will be recognized again tonight.