Wednesday, February 13, 2008

What's that sound?

(we're back from our vacation and the memorial services. I have yet to sort pictures. I'm not up for rehashing the memorial services except to say that my husband preached (not once, but twice), per his brother's request, and he did so beautifully and I could not be prouder of him. so, to move out of the gloom I will regale you with a story that happened just before we left...)

It was the Saturday before our vacation. That afternoon we would be heading to the Endymion Parade. But I was having a lazy morning. It was about 10 am. I was eating breakfast. I heard a sound.

It sounded as if something had fallen down our chimney and landed on the fireplace. I heard swish and then a thud on metal, as if something had hit the flue. I got up, walked into the living room, and stood still for a few moments. I heard nothing else. I went back to eating.

A little bit later, I noticed that our attic door was open. This usually means that the cat has pushed his way into the attic. I peeked around for him, and called his name. I heard nothing. I shut the attic back up.

When my husband got out of the shower, I told him about the attic, warning him that the cat may still be in there, but that I didn't think so. Then I told him about The Sound in the fireplace.

"Are these two things related?" He asked.

"Well, that did occur to me, but I don't think so." I replied. "I mean, how could the cat have gotten into the chimney?"

We went about our day. Shortly, a little boy from the neighborhood came over to play. He had not met our cat before, and The May Queen wanted to show him off. They began searching the house, calling "Shakespeare, Shakespeare." The cat did not come out, but this is not unusual. He often hides from The May Queen, and who can blame him, really?

But after about 5 minutes of this, we began to get concerned. We all started looking. At one point I was standing in the living room, and I heard this faint sound. A faint meowing sound. That seemed to be coming from the chimney.

I was baffled. How did the cat get in the chimney? I opened the flue and shone a flashlight up the pipe, but saw nothing. But the pipe took a turn, and perhaps the cat was stuck above the turn?

I went up in to the attic to see how the cat had gotten into the chimney. We thought perhaps he had found a way onto the roof? I knew where the chimney ran up between my bathroom wall and closet, because my dad mentioned it once when we was in the attic putting a plug in. So I headed back there with a trouble light. And I found trouble.

The cat had NOT gotten into the chimney, but had walked out across some pink insulation and fallen into the wall surrounding the chimney. He had enough room to move around and could jump from the "floor" to on top of the tin surround of the fireplace. That was the thud on metal that I had heard.

He looked plaintively up at me and meowed.

We ended up cutting a hole in the garage wall to get the cat out. He was covered in insulation, but this came off much more easily than soot.

Do you think the cat will be smart enough to stay out of the attic now? I doubt it.

34 comments:

flutter said...

((you))

Girlplustwo said...

now that's a cat. now that's why i don't have a cat.

thinking of you.

carrie said...

That is such a cat thing to do.

Big hug to you and yours.

blooming desertpea said...

We once had a raven fall into the chimney but it didn't fall down the fireplace because of the lid inbetween. We heard this sound but it took us while to figure it out. Also, we couldn't open the lid as the raven was sitting on it. We had to call the janitor for help, who was able to catch the ravens feet (a miracle that he wasn't beaked!) and pull the bird down. That was a scary sight, having that big a bird inside ...

the dragonfly said...

I heard this story second-hand first...the Sergeant was online with the Big Guy and suddenly the Sergeant said to me, "He had to go, the cat is stuck in the walls." I think I choked a little bit, as I was drinking a glass of water at the time. :)

Anyway...I'm sorry to say that he is probably not smart enough to stay out of the attic. Sarah-bellum has been stuck behind the washer and dryer about four times since September. Gotta love cats...

Anonymous said...

I know a thing or two about cats, so I can say with pretty much certainty that the cat WILL be back in the attic.

Christine said...

oh that crazy kittie!

i'm glad you are safe home.

xoxo
c--

girlymom said...

Just so I can check my house...how did he get into the attic to begin with? Glad to hear he is ok and that you are all back from your trip safely!

Kyla said...

I'm glad you are all home again.

And I'm glad you heard the kitty and knew where to look for him!

niobe said...

Poor, poor kitty.

My cat once did something very similar.

Beck said...

Eep!
One of our cats fell between a window and a storm window - a pane of glass was missing and the windows was PAINTED SHUT! I thought we were going to have to break the window but my husband was able to reach in and get her.
Cats = dumb.

Unknown said...

HAH! When we first moved into our house the cat owning neighbors came over and introduced themselves saying, "Our cat has been known to hide in your attic, so if you use it, can you close your garage door first?"
I thought it was strange, then remembered the cat who climbed into my parent's attic to die. I tried to coax him out for 3 days but eventually my dad had to - uh- help him along to heaven...
Happy Hearts Day.

thailandchani said...

Smart cat! :)

Amy Y said...

Omigosh! That's hysterical!

Glad you are back and anxiously awaiting vacation photos :)

Unknown said...

oh, poor cat. My sister's cat used to always eat the foil from around a wine bottles top. And then vomit. She said - "why can't my cat associate the foil with the throwing up?"
I said,
"or associate throwing up with bad?"

Angela DeRossett said...

We once had a kitten that was curious about motor oil...they do seem to get themselves in the most ridiculous situations!

Wayfarer Scientista said...

curiosity and the cat...no, he won't have learned.

Thinking of you.

Luisa Perkins said...

Oh, man. I'm so glad our cat is too fat and sedentary for that kind of action. I'm so glad you found him!

Jennifer said...

Oh, cats! This is why I love them.

I'm glad you're all home and safe together. I'm so sorry for your loss.

amanda said...

He was looking for his Viola..... She is always in the attic, you know. (A little Shakespeare in love reference :))

Alex Elliot said...

Your poor cat! Poor you! A bunch of years ago, my uncle was fixed a hole in the ceiling. A while later they heard meowing. He had to re-open the hole.

ewe are here said...

That actually makes me miss having a cat.

Of course, I already miss having a cat...

Glad you're home safely. Happy VDay.

Mary Beth said...

With all that attention? The adventures are just beginning:-)

Welcome home!

Magpie said...

Wow - wild story.

Glad you got the cat out okay.

Jen said...

Welcome home, and I'm sorry about the memorial services, and thank goodness the cat's okay.

Cats are, um, interesting.

JCK said...

Me thinks Shakespeare got into some toil and trouble, fire burning, cauldron bubble....

Suburban Correspondent said...

Chim, chiminee, chim chiminee, chim chim, cheree, a cat is as lucky, as lucky can be...

Kat said...

Oh the poor kitty. Perhaps it won't happen again. ??

Emily said...

Your kitty is lucky that you didn't leave town with him stuck in the walls. He is also lucky that your hubby was willing to cut a hole in your house to retrieve him. (How many lives is that?)

Rest assured he will do it again and many other silly things.

Glad you guys are home.

Emily said...

And thank you for your kind words over at my place.

Chaotic Joy said...

Ah cats. He's be back in the attic indeed.

Sorry I haven't been around lately. You have been in my thoughts friend. Prayers for you and your family.

Kristi B said...

That cat is so lucky you found him!! And I'm sure he won't learn a lesson! we had a dog once that kept jumping our chain link fence. One time, she jumped and tore up her underbelly really badly---to the tune of 16 stitches, a surgical drain, and a "conehead" so she didn't chew the stitches. After her recovery? yep---she was jumping the fence again. ugh.

Julie Pippert said...

Oh my stars that is a WILD story!

(hugs) to you and welcome back.

Aunt Becky said...

What a neat story. We've had a similar thing happen here, and it took my husband crawling between the walls to get the cat (we were catsitting) out. I guess this is the one time I'm glad he's skinny.