Cat Herding

The phrase “cat herding” is, as near as I can determine, a reference to trying to force uncooperative subjects to go where you want them to go.  For example .. trying to get 20 or so 5 year olds to behave in a quiet and orderly manner .. in a toy store!  Cats (like 5 year olds) have a mind of their own.  And they are sneaky, slippery, and very fast.  They can squeeze into the most amazingly small spaces.  They can even ignore things that terrify them .. like a vacuum cleaner .. if it’s in their best interest to stay hidden.

However, with help, and a good pan, and a good back-up plan, it is possible to outsmart a determined cat! 

A mama cat dropped a litter of kittens at my house .. and as soon as they were weaned, mama took off.  I had no problem with this.  I’m the crazy cat lady.  I love cats.  Even the mean or stubborn ones.

However, a litter of dogs also tried to take up residence in my yard.  I love dogs too, but did not want this batch of strays.  Because I can’t drive, there was no point trying to catch them; and eventually they got too big and wary.  They never were “friendly” (many people tried to coax them to come to them to be petted .. dogs having none of it!).  It finally got to the point that no matter where I tried to feed my cats, the dogs were stealing the cat food.  They even came up on the porch, only 2 feet away from my door.  So, in desperation, I started feeding the cats in the back hall.  It took awhile for them to figure out the plan … but now, when I open the door, they come running.  However, it took me awhile to perfect my system.  I close all the doors, so there’s only a very small hall area for the cats.  But my mistake was in trying to slip through the den door back into the rest of the house.  One day when doing that one of the cats darted through the ddoor with me .. and, of course, vanished.  I don’t remember how long ago that was .. over a week at least!  I have since learned to leave by the back door after letting the cats in, and walk around to the porch door (and remember to unlock it first! LOL!) to go back in the house.  That way the only door the cats can go in or out by is the outside door.

However .. I still had the issue of a sneaky cat in the house.  He stayed in hiding most of the time, and would venture out at night.  But every time he saw me (or even saw movement I think), he darted back into hiding.

Once, a week or so ago, I decided I just had to try (again) to get him out.  I had a door shut so he was confined to the kitchen and den area.  I started spraying Fabreeze (well, it was the first spray bottle I got hold of .. plus the room really needed it!!) under and behind the furniture.  I did, finally, flush him out.  He raced around a bit .. went into the kitchen, across the counters, but then back into the den.  At one point, finally, I was sure I saw him dart into the back hall, so I quickly closed that door.  Then I went around outside and opened the back door.  Multiple cats went in and out … but once I made sure there were no cats left in the hall before I closed the back door, I was sure the cat had gone out.

Late that evening, I dropped a plastic tray on the floor .. Butter likes to lick the bottom of those.  I glaned over the edge of the chair … and there was that cat licking away on the dish!!  He looked up, and I swear, he laughed at me!!!  Then of course he darted away.  He didn’t have to go more than 2 feet away in the dark for me to no be able to see him.  I’m pretty sure he knew that too.

So, we continued to co-exist for another week or so (just can’t remember exactly when different phases happened).

So, Sunday morning .. I heard a noise at the front door.  I got up to see (actually thought it was Maggie, but wondered what outside might have caught her interest).  It was “The Cat”.  As soon as he saw me, he darted into the first place he came to .. the front bedroom.  And, I closed the door!!!  Now, having been through this before I still couldn’t be really sure I had him trapped.  But a short time later Maggie was very interested in the door, and when I got closer I could hear the cat scratching at the door from inside.

From that point I just had to wait for help; but I had a good plan.

When my son and 2 grandchilden got here, we put the plan into action.  First, my grandson held the front door open from outside (out of sight.  Mostly.)  The my son and my granddaughter got on their knees in the hall entrance (no door there), ready to “scare” the cat in the other direction (towards the open door).  And then, I opened the bedroom door.  Well, the cat had other plans.  He did not dart out as expected.  And of course, I couldn’t find him .. even though I KNEW he was n there.  So finally my granddaughter came in the help flush out the cat.  That’s where the plan started to fall apart.  It took awhile, but once we found him he finally ran out of the room … and right past my son!!  OK, seriously, it was very funny that a person as large as he is couldn’t contain that small cat.  But then, a determined cat isn’t really “containable”.

So, back up plan goes into action.  All the other doors were closed (a very wise precaution on my part!).  That meant he couldn’t run straight into the kitchen, which is where he headed.  Then he apparently paniced.  I wasn’t close enough to really see what happened.  My son hollered at his son to hurry up and hold the door open (thankfully none of the other cats were hanging around trying to come in!).  The cat, when it couldn’t get in the kitchen, seemed to start racing around, bouncing off walls and furniture, knocking over a lamp .. and managed to jump towards the glass storm door.  He “spring-boarded” off it, and hit the porch running. 

And, with that, the saga ends.  The cat is no longer in the house.

A new story begins .. there are 2 tiny baby kittens on the porch.  I put an old laundry basket with an old towel there for them, and mama cat seems to be OK with that.  Ever since the babies were discovered, they’ve been being handled, cuddled and petted.  My plan is, as soon as they’re old enough, to keep them and catch the other cats to find homes for them. 

Of course, the cat who was so recently a house guest may have other ideas about this trapping business.  Clearly, cat plans do not necessarily mesh with my plans! 

So, we shall see how it goes.