Since we implemented Louis Catorze’s Front Curfew, he has been in on time every night without fail.
Now, we know our boy and we knew something would go wrong. And we were right.
Last night we’d had the window open for several hours and Catorze had been back and forth numerous times throughout the evening whilst we watched television. Then, as curfew time approached, it dawned on us that we hadn’t been keeping track properly, and so we didn’t know whether he was in or out.
Calling him would have been pointless, as we know from bitter experience that he hides/ignores when he doesn’t want to be found. So we had no option but to sit with the window open until we were sure of his whereabouts, and we knew that we could be sitting there for several hours.
At 10:20pm, Catorze appeared at the living room door. He had been indoors and/or at The Back the entire time.
Cat Daddy was sitting nearest to the window so I asked him to close it before the inmate absconded. However, by that time, he’d had far too much of his weird cocktail* and wasn’t good for anything, so he just sat and flailed about like a flaccid octopus.
*Artisan south coast rum mixed with some of his dodgy home-made pineapple concoction. When I asked if the latter were alcoholic or not, he said he didn’t know (?).
Me: “He’s going to do a runner if we don’t shut the window.”
Cat Daddy: [Flaccid octopus flailing]
Me: “Did you hear what I said? I’ll take too long stepping over you, so it’ll be quicker for you to shut it.”
Cat Daddy: [More flaccid octopus flailing]
Me: “SHUT THE BLOODY WINDOW!”
The moment I raised my voice, Catorze picked up on the “Someone’s in trouble here” tone and, understandably, assumed it to be him. After all, it usually is. And he wasn’t hanging around to find out the specific nature of said trouble; he was out of the window like a speeding train before either of us could so much as draw breath.
So there we were, sitting and waiting. Again.
Cat Daddy and I really need to get better at this. It’s a tragic day when you’re outwitted by a cat who’s thicker than a block of wood and not nearly as useful.

Xenia had been holding out for vanilla ice cream recently before coming in. She and the dog refuse to come in until I appear at the side door with the carton and spoon. I swear she even knows the brand name (Tillamook – from our Pacific Northwest). Dumb? That’s the biggest act of all…conniving is what I call it. I think they have their own Zoom networks and spend time laughing at us and swapping methods to drive us insane.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! Have you tried holding some inferior brand of ice cream in your hand just to see what happens? 🤣
LikeLike
They know, they know the buggers!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
THEY KNOW. Although no harm would’ve been done had Cat Daddy been on the ball. 🙄
LikeLike
Awesome tale. I was shrieking with laughter at this latest escapade. Cat Daddy 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣OMG how funny. Poor Sa Maj thinking he was in trouble (although as you say, it IS usually him). By the way, I’d be interested in CD’s Recipe for his ‘pineapple’ thing!!! Thank you many times over for your blog. I scan my emails, eagerly, daily, for the next episode 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha, thank you so much! I often worry that I am overdoing it with too many posts, but in fact so much silly stuff happens here that I have to pick and choose carefully. Such a lot actually goes unsaid.
I’ll ask Cat Daddy when he gets back. From memory I think the recipe involved putting pineapple, sugar and water into a jar and leaving it for 48 hours (but he forgot it and so it was more like 10 days). I don’t know whether it turns into alcohol or not. It wasn’t meant to after 2 days but 10 days, who knows? 🥴 🍍
LikeLike
Agreed! I filter my WordPress followed sites daily in the hopes of finding a new Catorze post. No such thing as too much Roi! (For us, his devoted followers–I don’t doubt that for you and Cat Daddy there can be a bit trop…)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! I think being at home with him constantly has meant more activity and more naughtiness, for sure! 😩
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cat Daddy has found the pineapple recipe! Hurrah!
https://www.oddbox.co.uk/blog/make-drinks-out-of-fruit-scraps
LikeLike
Flaccid octopus? Hilarious!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is EXACTLY how it looked. 😱😱😱
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our Human is still laughing and says if the story wasn’t hilarious enough, the photo was the icing on the cake. Sher says thanks for so purrfectly illustrating what it’s like for humans to be controlled by a feline. And by the way, when we want to give her a good scare, we refuse to come out of our hiding places, even if she shakes the treat can.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, thank you! And, yes, Catorze looks super-smug in the photo, although that is also his normal face. 🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
It took us a moment to realize that it was Cat Daddy and not Catorze who was imbibing.. But we have had similar experiences with not knowing whether one or another of the indoor/outdoor cats were in or out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup. They all do it on purpose. Who’s in and who’s out? Literally nobody knows! 😩
LikeLike
I think this is one of my favourite blog entries!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🤣🤣🤣
LikeLike
Cats are devious little creatures
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are. They outsmart us more times than we care to admit.
LikeLiked by 1 person