Traveling with cats
My Mum’s Cat
It is amazing what some people with do for their pets or as in today’s case what my mother will do for someone else’s cat. Around 3pm I got a frantic message on my cell asking me to call my mother back ASAP. Here I am thinking she was in a car accident or something. . . . she had found a lady who was at a truck-stop/gas-station and her cat somehow jumped out of her vehicle when she exited the car. You guessed it . . . the cat b-lined under a storage shed and couldn’t be convinced to climb out since almost 11am. I think my mothers exact words were “I am not leaving until this poor girls gets her cat back”.
This was the worse day for helping rescue a cat . . . I had to drive 45 minutes west to get my hair-cut (at 5:30) and now I needed to do a detour east about 20 minutes for the cat. Not knowing how long saving this cat would take, I rescheduled my hair appointment for 8pm (earliest I could get it) and arrived on site about 4:45. The girl was very upset and seeing this huge shed . . . . I didn’t have a clue how I was going get this cat out.
I believe this girl was traveling from New Jersey to Illinois and planned to overnight somewhere in Ohio with her parents. This 6 hour delay was the worse of her worries . . . she hadn’t see the cat under the shed for over an hour (anticipating it ran for the woods). I was given all the details and started wondering around the shed trying to figure out where this cat was hiding.
I found that long gas pole that they use for measuring the amount of gas in their tanks . . . and started wiggling it around (because I knew it was longest thing under this shed)! Moments later the cat appeared in the middle of the shed (finally visible). The lady was ecstatic that her cat was still in the shed (and not lost in the woods)! We wiggled more boards, sticks and that cat slowly worked its way towards the side of the shed. The cat became spooked with the three of us reaching for it and the cat went back towards the center again. No way would we let the cat disappear again and I started moving things pushing the cat close enough for the lady to grab it.
After 6 hours of pleading with the cat to come out, it only took me 15 minutes of moving sticks and boards to get the cat close enough to be grabbed. After placing the cat in the carrier the lady started balling (happiness tears) and I got a few hugs from her. I finally arrived in Jamestown for my hair cut and sat for 1 1/2 playing with my blackberry waiting for next the opportunity to lower my ears.
Of course I had to tell my childhood friend (my hairdresser) the longer version of this story and she seems to think I had met, but then lost my future wife. I am not sure if I agree with Andrea that I lost my future wife (the lady was cute) but I am glad that I was able to help get her cat back.
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You did a good thing!!! I’m glad the story had a happy ending. 🙂
6 June 2008 at 12:44 am
You are a good man, I thank you from afar! I certainly hope that girl learned her lesson..I recently travelled across 5 states to get to AZ with my 2 cats. Each had their own metal carrier and each had a HARNESS around them while travelling and each time I opened the carrier I hooked on a leash…..this prevented just what happened to the girls cat from happening.
PEOPLE keep your cats/pets safe while travelling with them. It is stressfull for them and surely they will bolt when given a chance! Monarch you are a good man saving the cat! purzzzzzzzzzzz to you from my 2 felines..and me.
6 June 2008 at 6:18 am
Your story is perfect timing. why? Because after I leave Phoenix next week I fly to CA to help my sister move back East and well…she has a cat. We will be sure to keep things under control. You are a wonderful son to help you r Mom and a stranded motorist. Hey you never know about the wife situation. Did you get her email?
6 June 2008 at 7:05 am
What a kind thing to do! For your next cat rescue opportunity – get her number!!!
6 June 2008 at 7:31 am
Way to go Prince Charming. You never know when a damsel in distress will actually be a Princess in waiting.
6 June 2008 at 7:51 am
You must be the perfect son to come running to help a cat that didn’t even belong to your mother. It was a super nice thing to do. You never know how you might meet your future wife. (I watched “Serendipity” yesterday morning on TV.) It sure sounds like it could be serendipity.
6 June 2008 at 8:15 am
C’mon – here you were being Robin Hood for her, you should at least end up with a thank you card. Then … who knows, right?
If your mother was Jewish, I would say you’d have the girls name and address on a nicely-printed card in the mail to you in a few days … at least that’s the way my wife’s family is. 🙂
6 June 2008 at 8:42 am
Well good for you…even though I find house cats kind of annoying, but good kharma or whatever none the less.
6 June 2008 at 8:44 am
I had a similar experience when I was cat sitting a stray that my friend had adopted. In college, she went home for Christmas, and I was supposed to drop it off at another persons house to watch while I went home. The cat had a ‘leash’ of sorts and that didn’t work well at all because it ended up loose and dashing under a house. And this was in the dark. GAH! Luckily we retrived the little terror and all was well.
6 June 2008 at 9:01 am
You’re a good man, Charlie Brown.
6 June 2008 at 9:20 am
A good day’s work! Love that your romantic hairdresser made a foiled love story out of it. She should be a writer! 🙂
6 June 2008 at 9:53 am
What a nice thing for you to do Tom. You’ll receive payback for act of kindness for sure! What goes around comes around so be on the watch for something good to come your way!
6 June 2008 at 11:08 am
Dear Tom,
A wonderful cat rescue story!
You are a very good son.
I bet your hairdresser tells your cat story to all of her friends. You maybe getting more “help” calls.
Sherry
6 June 2008 at 2:32 pm
Oh my Tom! What an adventure! Glad you were able to save the day.
6 June 2008 at 2:51 pm
Tom you’re awsome!!
6 June 2008 at 5:12 pm
Neat Tom,
Have you noticed how mom’s can just kind of COMMAND you presence. (bg) Nice job!
Mike
6 June 2008 at 8:48 pm
Tom-
What a great story, shows you are a great guy. Ohio isn’t that big of a place (10 million or so, probably half females, so that helps a little bit), maybe I’ll ask around as I travel and see if I can’t find her for ya’.
Tom
6 June 2008 at 9:07 pm
I love anyone who is willing to rescue a stranger’s cat. Great story.
6 June 2008 at 9:55 pm
Chivalry is not dead. Good job, hon. 🙂
6 June 2008 at 10:22 pm
That’s quite a story! And yes, it was very nice of you to help out.
6 June 2008 at 11:14 pm
Tom! You are one smart cookie! Of course now people will be calling you for cat rescues all the time. 🙂
7 June 2008 at 10:42 am
@ Heather – I am glad also!
@ Naturegirl – thanks and I think maybe she did learn her lesson!
@ Toni – Hope she is careful with her cat! I didn’t know you were going to Phoenix!
@ Shelley – LOL . . . I guess my mother gave the lady her number.
@ Lisa – aww, thanks but she was moving a good distance away! Not this one!
@ Linda – I am far from the perfect son but I do try to help when needed.
@ marty – I know she got my mom’s number but who knows . . . LOL
@ scienceguy – they are still peoples pets.
@ Mist – sounds like a horrible thing. Glad you got it alright.
@ birdlady – thanks
@ Liza – thanks and I will suggest that!
@ Sherri – that isn’t needed . . . I really didn’t do much but move a few sticks around. I just wish someone else would have taken the time to help the poor girl!
@ Sherry – thanks and I hope not make a tradition of getting these help calls!
@ Jayne – thanks and glad it turned out positive.
@ Sara – thanks and you have fun in the park on Thursday?
@ Mike- when she called I was like “you want me to do what?”!
@ Tom – thanks and I bet you will find her looking under a shed for a cat again!
@ Bo – thanks and we all need to help people and maybe one day she can help someone else! Pass it along!
@ Lana – thanks but the flip side was they were there for almost 6 hours with very few others helping! That has to mean something!
@ Rondi – thanks for your kind words!
@ Rurality – thanks and I already get many bird rescue calls.
7 June 2008 at 1:14 pm
I couldn’t help but wonder if your mother felt the same way 😉 seeing a perfect opportunity for you to meet someone.
Very kind and generous of you to give your time to rescue the frightened kitty.
10 June 2008 at 9:00 am
Duane found one of our cats in his car when he left for work last night. We have a couple of holy terrors.
Your mother’s cat has a cute face. 🙂
11 June 2008 at 11:44 pm