Kitty's Great Escape and a Heroic Rescue Effort by the Doodles

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Penelope the Kitty, as many of you know, has been an indoor cat since I first adopted her and I know she spent a very long time in the SPCA before that so I don't know if she's ever been outside on her own. I once got brave enough to let her outside and as soon as she was on the back deck I don't know which one of us panicked more, but she ran back inside before I could blink (Phew! what was I thinking??), and that was that. Penelope is simply an sweet, innocent, indoor kitty.

Since I moved into the house she has taken to sitting in the living room window and looking outside. I always wondered what it was she was thinking about, but now I know that all this time she has been secretly plotting her great escape.  I didn't see it coming.

Tonight, as I stood with the back door open calling in the doodles, a flash of dark fur went flying by my feet and into the backyard. I didn't panick at first as I just figured she would get freaked out and come running back in. But Kitty clearly had an escape plan, which was well thought out and perfectly timed. Winston, immediately recognizing this was all wrong, began to herd her back toward the house. But she bolted across the deck, past the outside of the living room window where she likes to sit and look out, and in behind the evergreen tree that sits right beside it. Next thing I knew I was trying to get in behind there with her but the branches were all prickly and scratchy. The doodles were clearly not impressed and each took a side of the tree in an attempt to 'smoke her out'. But she's a smart little kitty and before I knew it she was expertly climing the trunk of the evergreen in between all those branches and leaves, all the way to the top. Now I'm naivly thinking 'great, Penelope is stuck in the tree and I'm gonna get all scratched up trying to get her out'. But I wasn't so lucky.

Penelope knew exactly what she was doing and where she was going. From the tree she hopped on to the top of the fence that seperates my neighbour's yard. I should throw in here that I am terrified of losing my cat. A co-worker recently let her indoor cat outside and he never returned :( ...so this was scaring me half to death. It was as if time went into slow motion and I was reaching up, tree branches scratching my face, crying out "Noooooooooo, Kiiiiittttyyyyyy, cooommmmee bbaaaaccckkkkk". She didn't even look back as she launched herself into the neighbours yard.

I ran back inside grabbed her treats, the container of milk and a little dish and ran back out calling her loudly "Kitty Kitty Kittttttyyyyy" (this is no time to be self concious) and shaking the treats and pouring the milk in the dish (her favourite thing which she almost never gets). After a minute of this I could see through the fence that she was wandering away, so I went back in, propped the door open with my shoe in case she came back on her own, and went and knocked on the neighbour's door. We all went out in the yard and but by this point she was nowhere to be seen. There is no fence between their yard and the one on the other side of them, and their yards are full of plants, trees and bushes, so she had lots of hiding places. The other neighbours came out to help track her down and there we were, five grown adults trampelling through the bushes uttering curse words as she dodged from bush to bush while the doodles barked and wimpered from our side of the fence.

At one point we had thought she had gotten out to the front and I became worried she would run into the forrest, which contains all manner of wild life, and on the other side of which is a highway. The whole time I'm still thinking that my sweet innocent kitty cat will never survive on her own in the 'wild'. Meanwhile, in retrospect she is not so innocent after all. I'm almost wondering if she had set up hidden cameras and was doing this so all the cats in the hood could have a good laugh at our expense.

I eventually managed to chase her back into to my yard, where the doodles succeeded in cornering her until I could get back around. She finally sucumbed to the lure of the milk dish and I quickly grabbed her up, scolded her, and put her back inside. After all this drama I realize that she probably would have come back on her own anyway, but I just couldn't help freaking out. I couldn't bear to lose her. However, this whole incident has me wondering whether or not I'm keeping her a prisoner against her will and thinking maybe she would be happier if she could go on daily adventures through the gardens with the other neighbourhood cats.

Also, I am completely fascinated with the doodles' reaction. They knew she shouldn't be out there, and they wanted to get her back inside. Even more so, when she came back into my yard, I could see through the fence the doodles working together to back her into a corner. I never imagined that by the time I went back through the neighbours house, out the front, across the yard and back into mine and out to the back yard, that they would have succeeded in containing her for that extra minute or so, but sure enough they did. I could sense their relief when I scooped her up and put her back inside. I think it's safe to say that the doodles saved the day! They do love their kitty very much and although it is sometimes hard to tell, I think she loves them too ;o).

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

Oh such a great story!  Poor Kitty and yay for the doodles!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Wow, what a wild experience.  Though I have been through it myself.  I had an indoor Scottish Fold kitty who got out a few times.  I was frantic because how would an indoor kitty know how to survive outside...especially at night!  I usually found him a few feet away from where I standing with tears in my eyes call him.  Stubborn boy, he was right there all the time.  We were always able to get him into the house once we located him by staying behind him and herding him right back toward the door.  The do like the fresh air outside.  Maybe you can get a kitty/puppy stroller and take her for a walk every now and then.  I'm glad the Doodle's kitty is safe and sound!  

[Bonnie and Kona]

What a terrifying time! I am so glad to hear that Penelope is safe inside again. Congratulations to the doodles and all of your neighbors for lending a hand in re-containment! Whew!

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

So glad Kitty is back inside, safe and sound, after her big adventure.  Penelope reminds me so much of the kitty my husband and I got shortly before we got married.  Bartholomew (a girl, yeah I know weird name for a girl) was the BEST cat we ever had!!

Sedona's kitty friend here is Hercules - our old grey cat.  Sedona reminds "Daddy" every morning and evening that it's time for Herc's thyroid medicine.  Such a good sister!!

[Pat and Traveler]

Whew!  What an adventure!  Glad kitty is back inside, safe and sound.  I had an indoor kitty once that got outside.  She was gone for five days--finally returned late one night.  I'd been leaving the back door open, just in case--not really a wise thing to do in a city, but I thought she might return, and she did!  I closed the door, and she acted so freaked, like she'd suddenly been confined in a strange and terrifying place.  She actually wasn't a very smart kitty.  LOL

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Sherri, Amber is actually the second cat that I have trained to use a harness. It is similar to acclimating a puppy to a collar and leash. Some take to it more readily but you know it is necessary for their safety to become comfortable using it so you persevere. Once they find out it won't kill them and they CAN walk with one on they become more relaxed with it.

[Robyn, Greg and Snickers]

What a story thank goodness there was a happy ending. The Doodles must really love their cat sister!

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

Sherrie, I am so glad Penelope is back home safe. I had indoor cats most of my life and I know how scary it is when they accidently get out. My last cat adopted DH and me at a time we could not let her live in the house. (I don't think she would have been an indoor cat anyway.) We put a cat door into the garage and from the garage into my studio. We would go to my studio every night after dinner, watch TV and give Alice some quality time. She was very car shy - when she heard a car she would run in the opposite direction. We had Alice for 8 years when something went very wrong. She managed to get home but was ripped wide open from her ear all the way down her side to her hip. We had to let her go to Rainbow Bridge. Please don't feel guilty about keeping Penelope inside and please do unless you can keep her in your yard. I do understand that they now train cats to stay inside an e-fence.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

We just love a happy ending!  Glad the doodles were able to help get her back inside!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Thank goodness Penelope is safe....so scary.  We did have two cats for many years, but they were outside all day.  These were "rough guys" who spent their days outside hunting and sleeping in the sun on the deck.  Our property adjoined a state forest and they would disappear into those woods every morning for their daily adventure.  I think a cat gets used to one life or another.