Escapees!

As I was riding home on the bus after work, I was remembering a poem on a plaque I used to have.  It read:

 "Little Lion
  Soft and dainty sweet,
  with sea-green eyes
  and softly stepping feet."

(A little Google searching and I've found a site that says the author of that quote was Graham Tomson.)

Thinking lovely thoughts about the kitties as I unlocked the door, I cracked it to see if anyone was waiting just inside, then "zoom" out popped Maddie!  Little sneak bolted right out the door and perched at the top of the landing stairs.  I quickly tossed my backpack on the floor of the apartment, trying to avoid hitting Trotter and to keep him inside, then ran and grabbed my little runner before he got more ideas.

So, I thought I'd try to be clever and start their education - to teach them that they can only go outside with a harness on.  It had worked with Shadow when she was a kitten.  We'd tried the harness on Trotter on Thanksgiving day (as can be seen in photos in the gallery on my website posted yesterday).  He'd fussed for a few moments, then promptly forgot he had it on.  He's sort of like the dog in the cartoon movie "Up."  "Hi, I'm Trotter.  I love you.  Squirrel!"  Trot-Trot lives in a world of his own. 

Maddie is another story.  I put the harness on him and he immediately got it in his mouth and started trying to chew it off... and fussed, and rolled, and danced.  So, I decided to distract him by attaching the leash and taking him outside.  Not successful.  He kept dropping down on his side and rolling around.  I decided to take him up to the door so he would know where his home was.  Opened the door and out zooms Trotter, who immediately runs the opposite direction!  I threw the handle of the leash around my door handle and ran for Trotter as Maddie danced around trying to break free from the harness.  I did get them back inside, but now I'm going to have to find a way to keep them both from bolting every time I open the door.

... dainty sweet?  Right!

Did I mention that I woke up the other morning and found the drain plug from my bathroom sink on the floor next to my bed?  Kitties like to pull it out and chew on it.  So, I now have a sink without a drain plug.  I had to hide it in the bathroom cabinet.  Oh, yes, and Trotter was having a good time trying to get his head inside the hole for the kitchen garbage disposal yesterday...  They are so fascinated by things they can stick their "hands" (and heads, it appears) into.