Big fat cat, little tiny space!

Here's a more upbeat entry for you. A few days ago my Mom was vacuuming, and went into the office where my favorite fat cat Tiggs likes to hide. Poor Tiggs lives her life in terror - Milky might wake up any moment, walk up, and randomly bite her on the ear. Tiggs knows who rules her world, and a benevolent tyrant Milky ISN'T. Ahem, anyhow. Mom comes in with the vacuum, and Tiggs finally decides to dare bolting out the door that Mom is partially blocking at the same moment that Mom decides she's done with that room. As Tiggs flees, Mom moves the vacuum in the same direction that Tiggs is moving her flab in. The result is that Tiggs believes that this load, scary mechanical thing is chasing her! She promptly does a 180 and starts running full speed at Mom and the vacuum. Now, if you haven't picked up on this yet, Tiggs isn't so bright. The only thing behind Mom is the stairs, which are barred by a railing about 4 1/2" wide, unless Tiggs chooses to literally run around my Mom, who's holding this loud, terrifying machine. Ignoring the fact that she is substantially wider than 4 1/2", Tiggs decides that in her desperation she is skinny enough to fit through the bars that block off the steps, and flee down the stairs. With her running start, the cat forces herself halfway through the bars on the steps, gets stuck, does a little oh-my-gosh oh-my-gosh help me help me help me thing with her front legs upon realizing that she's stuck, and finally succeeds in popping herself through the bars on the steps like a cork. She proceeds to run downstairs and then into the basement, only to come out after dinnertime. :)

I laughed out loud for five minutes after my Mom told me this. I hadn't had such a good laugh in ages, and for those of you who've seen my cat, you know exactly why this is so funny. Not so bright, not at all graceful, but most definitely lovable. Tiggs brings me hope. :) And bellyaches. :)