Ranger Down the Wall

Date: Saturday Dec 3, 2005
     
      The fridge (big black and barely under the counter) has arrived . Need a plumber for the water h ook-up. The thing even has a night light! It's a Whirlpool Gold BIG Bowed out front side by side. Dominates the room. Ho ha. Biggest baddest fridge I have ever owned!!!!!
      Side by side - lovely - but black glass - needs Windex every day to be smudge free. (It has a marred front door - looks like tape damage.) IT IS HUGE!!!!!! Love that.
      I locked Ranger in the downstairs bathroom while they brought this thing in through the back sliding door. Trim, the guard dog - NOT! - just lay there and watched two men come in and out.
     
      So ---- while it was cooling, after I managed to install all the tricky door parts (clever things), I decided to just read and rest. Ranger stomped around annoyed at me.
     
      Well, the cell phone went off again about 1PM and sure enough, here comes Banner Mattress with the day bed. (This wasa another get up at 7AM day when I am still groggy form the drive and the disaster at home.)
      So, to be careful, I put Ranger into the craft room (bigger than the bathroom).
      They brought up and assembled the day bed (light wood - matches the floor - pretty - modern - in John's old bedroom which is becoming a guest room.
      I had bought very nice mattresses ($500 each) for the boys to sleep on. The top one fits nicely. The roll-out pop-up unit - whoops!
      So ---- If I lift the side up - the other can roll in and out ------. Or I need to raise up the legs on the day bed (like blocks). Or something. (You are supposed to get cheap mattresses. I didn't.)
      But - we got it together (I can lift the thing.)
      And I said goodbye and opened the craft door.
      Ranger hides from strange men. Trim just lays there.
      Ranger wasn't coming out.
      I went to check email. Left my bedroom door not quite latched.
      I figured, he was safely hiding for a bit.
      Never assume that!
      I heard a bell and a thump. From behind me. My office is next to my bedroom and bathroom.
      I ran. Not fast enough.
      Ranger had found a small hole he could wiggle into and he was now in the wall of the bathroom.
      He stuck up that orange poofball head, gave me such a look, and then thump, he was gone. (he's a big cat.)
      RANGER IS DOWN INSIDE THE BATHROOM WALL UNDER THE JACUUZI
      I cannot hear him nor will he come to me.
      The Jacuzzi wall is under repair - I had no idea he could get into the hole!!!! (one next to the faucet). I have no idea what to do - wait for him to cry??? Tear the wall out?
      Which one???
     
      No sounds - no bumps - no bell - no meows
     
      He was miffed because they came with the fridge and then they came with the bed for the middle bedroom. He doesn't like men in the house and hides and is very, very quiet. (He hides from Chuck too.)
      I have no idea what to do.
      A cat did this during the original remodel (different wall) but we just had dry wall and ripped it open to get it out. We could hear the cries We could find it.
     
      Ranger is silent . Can he get out????? (outside??) Can he climb back up???
      After Little Bit dying, I don't need this!!!!!
      My contractor (Andy of Andy's Construction, Fremont) emailed me to - leave him alone he will come out on his own when he is ready.
     
      When?
      Someone else said:
      Can you try coaxing him out with food??? Or his favorite music or toy? I
      just said a prayer for him. What was he doing, chasing a mouse?
      Ranger needs prayers. He's used up 8 lives!
      I can't hear his bell ----
      I called my son. He called back. Chuck is frantic (he said later he was concerned, not frantic.)
     
      I put out a can of food - nada so far. So I had wine - will watch TV and try to sleep.
      I take that back - I just heard a thump and his bell - he's in there!
      GOD!!! He's going to have such a time out when I catch him!!!!!!!
      They are worse than CHILDREN!!!!
     
      OK - saw Ranger's head - pulled off his collar trying to get him--- fed him food on my fingers - while I am ripping wall down bit by bit (dry wall in my office).
      He's under the tub in the back which backs up to my office. The wall is open because of the glass block being down. He's trying to climb up the space between 2x4's, coming out from under the tub. He can't get a grip.
      Damn it! Dry wall is scattered everywhere! (Wall needed redoing - had a big hole in it - now it has a bigger one.) I can't hammer directly - don't want to scare him. So I am prying the wall down. Claw hammers are great.
     
      I just can't quite get him.
     
      He's purring!!!! (Cat food.)
      I have renewed vigor (can't hammer - just pull and pry) alternating with bits of cat food put on the wood at the bottom (which he purrs at and then eats).
      All I see is golden eyes, a look like "Mommy, get me!"
     
      I GOT THE STINKER!!!!!
     
      I WRECKED MY OFFICE WALL MORE THAN IT ALREADY WAS (HAD A NEAT 4X4 HOLE - NOW HAS A RAGGED ONE UNDERNEATH)
     
      He went under the tub and then tried to climb up the open wall but couldn't quite do it. After I stopped working for a few minutes, he tried to climb again but was sort of stuck. I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him out like a cork. This after frantic claw hammer work.
     
      Dragged his ass by the neck up and out - put him in time out!!!!!! (Back in the bathroom.) I made him stay there for a couple hours. He made a nest in the toilet paper under the counter. What does he care?
     
      NEVER underestimate a woman with tools ------.
     
      He was happy licking cat food off my fingers------.

-
      This took from 1:30 to 7:30, Saturday. Sunday, I am going to do nothing!!!! Enough.
      I had a dark chocolate truffle and went to bed early.
     
      Of course, Sunday, Trim escaped from her yard again........