The Neighbour's Cat

The Neighbour’s Cat

Last evening after supper, as Mum and I sat on the deck chatting, we noticed an odd looking white bird on the neighbour’s roof.  At the same time, we heard uproar from a robin in a tree near the roof.

Putting on our glasses, we looked again.  It was the neighbour’s small white cat on her roof.  It wasn’t after the robin; it was crying piteously and walking all around looking for a way to climb down from the roof.

Cats are very good at climbing up and not so adept at getting down.  We sat and watched for a few minutes, thinking that the house must be lower to the ground on the backside, and that, likely, the mewing white kitty would tire of this and climb back down.

This neighbour and I are not close buddies; we’re merely across-the-road neighbours, who occasionally wave, if we see each other. But, thinking about the pitiful white cat wandering, crying on the roof made me remember that though I’ve often seen the cat at the windows, I’ve never seen her outside before.

Perhaps the cat had escaped and no one had noticed.  Hard for me to believe because I have indoor cats and am always panicking if I can’t find one or the others, searching until I discover where they are sleeping.  I suppose I’m hyper-vigilant about my kitties.

Enough dithering.  I went across the street and to the front door of the neighbour’s house.  No door bell, so I knocked loudly.  After a wait, she came to the door, looking like she had just wakened from a nap.  I apologized for disturbing her, reminded her that I am her across-the-street neighbour and told here that her cat was trying to get down and appeared to be stuck on her house roof.

Her reaction?  She got angry and accused me of harassing her and making jokes that weren’t funny, declaring vehemently that her cat never went outdoors.  She was upset and agitated. 

I was startled.

I decided that being really calm was the answer, as my aim was cat rescue, not a disagreement. 

I had been out talking to Mum and taking garden photos for my blog when we had noticed the cat, so I had taken photos of the escaped kitty, too.  I realized I still had my camera around my neck and so while she continued to berate me, I showed her the photo of “her roof with her cat on it.”

The angry lecture stopped.

Her door slammed and a moment later opened again.  She came out with a small ladder, went round to the back of the house and coaxed the cat down off the roof.  Since the cat was being rescued, I left; I hadn’t been enjoying myself on her front porch, with her screaming and scolding and the cat crying.

Mum and I watched from the safety of my yard until we saw the cat get down.

Here’s my question:  If you own a pet and someone comes to tell you it is in trouble and to offer help, wouldn’t your first reaction be concern for the animal, not yelling at the person at your door?

I guess it doesn’t matter.  The point is that her cat is safe again and back inside peeking out the windows.