Have you ever wondered...
why your cat would decide to sneak back into a room, such as a walk-in closet, after becoming trapped in it during a prior visit because you left and closed the door without knowing she was in there too? Why would my cat want to return to a place without food, water, or a litter box if there was even the slightest possibility of accidental confinement?
I would understand this behavior if Gracie signaled she was following me into one of these rooms - perhaps with a loud meow or smack of the tail as she passed. But, that is never the case. She waits until I am not looking and then scitters by - staying low to the ground, tail straight out behind her like a fuzzy rat.
To make matters worse, Gracie finds the most elusive places to hide once she sneaks in. No matter how hard I check before leaving, there are times that I truly don't see her. So, she gets trapped inside AGAIN - until I realize she's missing.
It happened again today. I went into the bedroom walk-in closet for just a split second to get my shoes. Apparently, that was enough time for Gracie to slip past me and hide among a pile of clothes. If I had just finished watching ET, I might have noticed her when I did my Gracie glance around the closet before leaving. But, not today.
When she didn't come bounding down the stairs a few minutes later at the sound of treats dropping into her bowl, I knew something was wrong. My heart raced as I took the stairs two at a time on my way back to the closet. I yanked the door open to find her sitting there looking at me with the "What took you so long?" expression on her face.
Does it ever occur to her that it could be hours before she is rescued? Does the possibility that I have left the house even enter her mind?
Or, does she know that I never leave the house without visual confirmation of both her and Bunny's location? Does her confidence in my ability to be a good cat caregiver provide her with the courage to risk the possibility of confinement in order to satisfy her insatiable curiosity?
This is just one more reason why the word cat is a synonym for mystery in my personal dictionary.
Enlightening comments about today's thought are welcomed, so please feel free to share.
Until next time, remember...
We cannot without becoming cats, perfectly understand the cat
mind.
- St. George Mivart
