Trouble has been a very easy house guest. She was quite nevous at first and hissed at every strange sound but she’s settled down. Yesterday, I left the back door open while I hung out my wash and she ventured out to explore. My small backyard is enclosed – mostly – and a mess so she liked it.
But while I was hanging up a nightgown, I remember the gap behind the old storage cabinet in the corner. The chain link fence stopped at the house where there were pipes.
Just while I was thinking about it, she disappeared through the gap. Lewis lives next door and he’s friendly to cats. But I happened to know that this week he has two dogs as house guests: a pit bull and a poodle. He was laughing about having to keep them apart!
I tried talking Trouble back from Lewis’ yard but she paid no attention. She moved along the fence and I watched her, thinking I would have to go into the yard to grab her. I knew she would hate that and we’d both have a lousy time.
All of a sudden, the back door to Lewis’ place opens and out races a small black form. Pit bull or poodle. Oh, that god, the poodle, who was all black and about as big as Trouble.
They both stared at each other the poodle doing that happy dog do-you-wanna-play thing, the cat in terror. She turned and in two bounds was at the top of the 8′fence and over. She landed on the wide trunk of a tree then leapt down and stared at the poodle. I mean, if looks could kill..
When we went inside, she flopped on the lineoleum of the kitchen and we had a discussion. I think we both agreed, and the poodle probably did too, that her leap for the top of the fence was spectacular and she didn’t need to do that again!
