CAT ANNOYANCE

I don't like pets,especially the hairy ones! I find them scary and repelling. I had a harrowing experience when I was forced to share my home with a feline ....for just a few hours!

With the daily morning drill done,and sending the husband off to toil, I switched on the TV to watch a movie. Browsing Netflix, Amazon Prime and the kind for a while, selected the hindi flick "Trapped ", the trailer and review being acceptable. Rajkumar Rao trapped in an apartment on the top floor of an unoccupied building and his troubles. I was so engrossed in the movie, and had a start as I sensed a movement in the balcony. Not wanting to move my, well, you know what I am implying at (wink), I stayed glued onto the screen. But something was pulling my attention away from the TV... I heaved myself up from the comfort of my sofa and cushions, irritably muttering, (this muttering is becoming a habit) to see a  big brown cat staring at me.  I sensed it was absolutely scared as I, and my immediate thought was I had to save it from jumping off from the 17th floor. I couldn't help Rajkumar Rao from his predicament, at least I could try to play saviour to this cat!
Failing to draw enough courage to step onto the balcony, leaving the door open I rushed outside to the next door neighbor as the balconies were adjacent and my Sherlock Holmes brain deduced that the cat might have escaped from there. I rang the bell. The cleaner ladies opened the door a peep and put her head out. 


"There's a cat in my balcony" I said animatedly.


The fair cleaner opened the door a little more and looked at the dark cleaner.  They exchanged anxious looks.


"Yes, the ugly cat of the owner escaped when we opened the balcony" said the fair one.
"Ugly or not I don't want it to hurt itself, better come and take it"


The 2 girls, the fair Srilankan and the dark Sudani reluctantly followed me. The Sudani went to my balcony and the cat ran into my house to escape her clutches and hid under the sofa. I was on the table by then, never knew I was so agile, could put any gymnast to shame! The girl looked around took my broom and prodded the cat. The cat was stubborn and refused to budge. What was so interesting under my sofa?! The girls working on an hourly basis wanted to get back to their work. They left me with the cat and said it ll stay there ...not to worry. I was flabbergasted.

How long can I stay on top of the table while the cat hides under my sofa... I slowly got down and made some noise with the vessels, stomped around, took the mopping stick and rattled it near the sofa. 

How do I repossess my house ? 

Rajkumar Rao was looking helplessly from the TV. After my incessant nagging the cat came out and gave me an exasperated look and tried to go back to the balcony. Jumping off the building was a better option than my affliction!! Displeased that the balcony glass door was closed it climbed up on the insect screen. It was hanging on all fours for its dear life as I was back on the table the moment the cat slid out. We looked at our each other with such hatred. After a while  I quietly got down and rushed again to the next house pulled those girls to help me out. The girl was wary of scratches so I provided her with a towel that was left to dry on the clothes stand (the husband's of course!!) and she tried to wring the cat free from the door... The cat was clinging with its paws deep in the mesh tearing it but unrelenting to let go. There goes my mesh door!!
I was relaying all this live on WA to my friends. ..each one giving me ideas and advice, feeling sorry at my state!

l was so furious and called my best half who was on his way home for lunch... He called the security guy and asked him to help me out. A tall dark Nigerian came up looking all important but was hesitant to help, giving an excuse, " If I pull the cat and something goes wrong, the cat  owner would not spare me. These people treat them as their children". I was at my wits end and swearing angrily. The husband was at my side as always trying to make me see sense in the futility of my mutterings.
We were all standing outside the door and the cat was inside hanging. Hubby had a brain wave, got the neighbours number, and asked her to come immediately... She was 30 mins drive away. I closed the door for a while and when I opened ,the cat was not on the door. I slowly tip toed inside and there it was on top of my microwave in the kitchen next to my cooked food . The cat was exhausted and its tongue was out. Maybe I should have provided water for the cat..... I was irritated by hunger and being ousted from my house that humanity was out of my head. The husband and I went to the diner in the apartment building and had lunch. Me thinking if the cat was eating my food or sleeping on my bed .

By then the cat owner reached and we went up to reoccupy our house. The owner, a Lebanese, the first time we were meeting each other, went inside my house, the cat was nowhere to be seen. She searched everywhere and said the cat must have gone up the false ceiling above the kitchen where it usually hides in her house as well. She was dialling up the maintenance guys to open up the roof to search for the cat . I didnt want the
folks to stomp around my kitchen, and mess up the already messed up home. I was seething and wanted my house back.
I searched and found the cat hiding on top of my book shelf well hidden behind a vase... how it lay there without disturbing the vase and breaking it into smithereens . As the lady picked " Lucky " the cat and thanked me profusely, the cat looked with relief and love at me. Love for rescuing her life!?! Or a welcome change to her bored existence!?!

After a 3 hour drama I reclaimed my house. Threw the food, although kept closed didn't want to chance finding a cat hair in it. Got the girls to wipe my kitchen clean.

Sighed a breath of relief at the "Lucky escape " and snuggled on my sofa otiosely to continue the movie.

P.S. The cat lady baked me a wonderful cake and thanks me for saving her cat every time I meet her in the corridor.