21 December 2009

Cat fancy III

In the ongoing saga of Marlow, our resident feline, his fascination with the fireplace has not abated much. He can no longer jump into the chimney since the flue is now closed, but he continues to look for ways into that secret hiding place that holds so much appeal.

Recently, Marlow discovered the little hinged cover at the base of the mantle for the lever that ignites the gas logs in the fireplace. At first glance, it would seem that the space inside this hinged area is only large enough to place your hand inside and turn the lever on or off. His curiosity leads him over to that cubbyhole often. He will push the cover open and place his entire head into the space.

But to Cristy’s surprise, as she was relaxing on the couch this morning, she looked over just in time to see Marlow’s tail disappearing into that cubbyhole. Then in a minute or two, a paw appeared. Then in another minute or two, Marlow popped out again. It was a tight squeeze, apparently. And becoming tighter by the day, it would seem, at the rate he has been eating recently.

Note to self: install a cat-proof latch on the fireplace switch cover, pronto!

3 comments:

  1. Cats are clever creatures. Ours never ceased to amaze us at the things they could get into. We had one that lived to 21 years.

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  2. Sounds like you have to make lots of things kitty-proof to keep her out of a bizarre accident! She's cute.

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  3. I tried quick fix option1 last night - stuffed an old rolled-up bedsheet into the hollow space. Squeezed it in. I thought confidently, yes, that'll do fine. I awoke this morning to see the bedsheet lying on the floor in front of the open cover. OK. Quick fix option 2 has a much better chance for longevity - Cristy nailed the cover closed with upholstery tacks. We'll install a latching device later, after yet another trip to Lowes....

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