I am not a good sleeper at the best of times, and when Bootsie decides to escape outside and refuses to come back in like a errant teenager, I don’t really sleep at all. He loves to sleep all day, ignores our pleading and prodding, and only wakes up when it is fully dusk.
I know that cats are nocturnal, but hope springs eternal. And those nights that he deigns to sleep on the foot of our bed, are my best sleep. No worrying about him being outside, no stress when I hear howling, and hissing noises outside of my window.
Life with a teenage...cat. At least he doesn’t ask for the car keys.
We don’t willing let him out, but he has a past history before coming to live with us, and that involves refusing to use a litter box, and coming and going as he pleases. We are all in counseling, and one day they say he might even come to love us again. Tough love isn’t easy.
Sometimes we are forced to lock down the patio door partially open so he can come back in when he feels like it, and I can actually get some sleep. A win-win for both sides. I thought, until the other night.
As always, I lay awake until I hear him finish his carousing and decide to come home for the night. Then I usually get up, give him heck for ignoring my calls and shut the door. Hearing the sharp click of claws on the door frame, I got out of bed, and headed to the kitchen.
Crunching noises ensued, he was finally in for the night.
In the dark, with my trusty flashlight, so as not to wake up Gar, and here might I say..I am SO GLAD I PUT MY GLASSES ON! I went towards the kitchen and the cat food dish. But it wasn’t Bootsie eating there, it was a stinkin Raccoon.
I screamed, it jumped, and started to come towards me, I shined the light right into it’s eyes, but it wouldn’t back off. Bare feet, middle of the night, weak flashlight, and a dark room. This is worse then a horror movie! Run Jen! Run Jen! But where? It’s going to get me no matter where I go. We only have 800 square feet, Gar save yourself!
Bootsie you are on your own.
Finally my yelling scared it enough and it sauntered out the open patio door.
Gar, by the way, slept through all of this, and Boots, well he turned up the next morning.
The patio door? It’s now firmly locked all night, and if Bootsie doesn’t return at dark, he is out there all night. It’s every man, woman, and raccoon for themselves around here.
Jen
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Oh my gosh, this would have freaked me out. Last summer I went outside to straighten our patio up a bit and I heard a scratching noise. I looked over at the tree to the side of the patio and there was a huge raccoon climbing the tree. Up in the tree there were 4 more sets of eyes! So creepy! After that night, the "doggie door" got closed up (cat food was just inside the doggie door) and our kitty was banned from outdoor adventures at night. I'm glad you're ok. Raccoons can be so viscous!
ReplyDeleteCould have been worse, coulda been a skunk.
ReplyDeleteGlad it all worked out. It was funny since it was someone else and not me.
That is so funny but not: you poor thing what a fright.
ReplyDeletelol,Patsy
Jen, what a great story! I am glad it has happy end!
ReplyDeleteYikes! I have to agree with Gail, at least it wasn't a skunk! I woulda been scared....good for you for yelling at it until it hightailed out of there... :-)
ReplyDeleteOh my! Jen, you are a great writer as well as photographer. I hope he gets out of the teen age years quickly!
ReplyDeleteLOL. I would have been throwing things at the raccoon like I did the one I caught hanging off cables on the side of the house, trying to get to the bird feeder. Whacked him with a paint roller and an empty bottle of Guinness, and he fell off the house and took off. Mind you, SHE came back with her kids a few days later...but they have since moved on as we don't leave anything out at night for them to eat.
ReplyDeleteBootsie is a badness, but he's also a cutie, too.
There is this wonderful commercial playing on TV. The woman is in her housecoat, putting the garbage outside her door. She hears a noise, and starts to call "Here kitty kitty kitty, and a skunk ambles up to her door, and comes inside.
ReplyDeleteThe caption reads, "is it time to get new glasses?"
I had been joking for ages that without my glasses I couldn't tell if it was Bootsie, or a Raccoon in my house. Good thing that I decided to put them on that night.
It certainly wasn't afraid of me, and I never did get back to sleep that night.
Jen
Oh, that's funny! Love a bit of wildlife in the middle of the night...
ReplyDeleteOh my! That quite a night experience! Best to keep those doors tightly locked! At least you check. Otherwise you might have ended up with a different sort of fury critter at the foot of your bed ;)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you may have a new pet! What a shocker in the middle of the night, you must have been scared out of your wits. Hope you had on some pyjamas.
ReplyDeleteBootsie hasn't told you about cat-doors? Or are they not proof against Canadian winters? Surely he stays in winter nights? M'sieur Chocolat stays in when it is cold.
ReplyDeleteOh, now that was hilarious! Probably not when it happened, but makes for a great story. Have a wonderful 4th of July!
ReplyDelete...I realize you're not in America, but you can still have a wonderful 4th of July, right?
ReplyDeleteWell said, Jen! I have a tomcat, Clyde. And he thinks he should just come and go as he pleases. But all I have to do is open the door and yell "eat" real loud and he comes running home!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Oh how scary, Jen! So glad you survived! Raccoons can be fearsome beasts, especially when they show their teeth. We have the same problem with Kitty. He is used to going out and night is always a bit tricky getting him in when we want to go to bed. If left out he will scratch the screens of the sliders in our bedroom, they are already ruined by him, to wake us to let him in. Ah, the life of being the servants of our cats.
ReplyDeleteFrances
Oh this post made my day! You tell a good story!Raccoons are really nasty creatures. So glad all is well.
ReplyDeleteHad to laugh, glad it wasn't a skunk! Have you seen the commercial on TV about the woman calling in her cat for the night or so she thinks it's her cat. Then the racoon is asleep on her bed! An eyeglass commercial for Sears I think!
ReplyDeleteyikes....that will get your adrenalin pumping!
ReplyDeletea raccoon snoozing at the bottom of your bed~ not so comforting.
ha~ i love that commercial with the raccoon being called inside. unfortunately...i suffer with bad eyesight as well.
and insomnia.
lesson learned....shut the door.
all the way.
have a wonderful day jen.
oh my stars!
ReplyDeleteYikes! Smart raccoon finding the free buffet like that. *grin* I once startled a squirrel in my living room. Or, maybe it was the other way around. He left through the open window as quickly as he came in, thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteBootsie, Bootsie, Bootsie. Maybe it's time for an intervention. Can't help but love the litte bugger, though, am I right?
ACK! I cannot imagine what I would have done...I'm glad you still have all your toes intact! Kim
ReplyDeleteOh My..Bootsie may need a bell..that way you will know for sure it is him! You are lucky it was not a skunk..or ssssomething creepy crawly..yew..
ReplyDeleteGar must be a heavy sleeper..or is he used to your screams? LOL..LOL..LOL..
Is Bootsie yours..all yours now?? Did I miss something? Or does he still belong to the neighbors?:)
This story reminds me of a commercial they've been showing here when a lady calls her cat in at night and doesn't realize it's a raccoon coming into her house. Between your story and Rain Gardener's about a squirrel getting in her house this week I've made strict orders to not leave any doors open around here.
ReplyDeleteI bet my husband would sleep through this type of thing too :)
I thought of that same television commercial! SO funny!!!! I'm with Gail... at least it wasn't a skunk. I'll take a chance meeting with a raccoon anyday. Just don't make me stumble upon a skunk. I've done both and definitely the raccoons are much more "cordial".
ReplyDeleteThis story had me in stitches. Your relationship with your cat is priceless. My son had an occasion that he left his window open only to be awakened by scratching. He leaned out the window to be greeted face to face with a raccoon. He slammed the window shut and it fell to the ground. The window didn't stay open anymore.
ReplyDeleteOh, I knew there was a reason that we keep our cats in at night! This was funny story...now...but I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time.
ReplyDeleteSo...being the wonderful photographer that you are...why don't you have any pics of the racoon? just teasing!
Have a fabulous weekend. ~Natalie