That Darned Cat

As a follow-up to the frightening and yet adorable photo of my second-cousin twice-removed (click here for a refresher), I decided to share a photo of 7-month-old Ayla with her "dentures" removed. I think you'll see why I'm in love even though we haven't yet met in person. I wish her parents would bring her to Spain for a visit. Ayla agrees. (She texts me all the time.)

Little Stinkers
San Geraldo and I have been marveling at how well-behaved Dudo and Moose have been when out on the terrace. When I call them, they respond immediately and come right back inside. Miraculous.  And no more wandering next door. Unlike other more common cats, ours are brilliant, cooperative, and easily trained. Or so we thought.

Our neighbor María Carmen, (the building manager's wife) stopped by yesterday. She is a sweetheart and adores the cats. She took care of Dudo and Moose when we were in New York in April. The apartment next door to us is not owner-occupied. It rents out (very successfully) to vacationers. A very pleasant couple is here for a few days. The woman told María Carmen that she saw a cat on their terrace. Or at least she thought she saw a cat on their terrace. By the time she told her husband about it, the cat was gone. She, in a panic, looked over the railing, thinking the cat had fallen. Her husband told her she must have been drinking.

I GUESS IT'S TIME TO CONSTRUCT SOMETHING MORE FORMIDABLE... AND PERMANENT.

María Carmen hadn't at first registered that this couple was on our floor. And, since we had been monitoring Dudo and Moose so closely and we successfully planted and have been training a bougainvillea barrier to keep the boys away from that corner of the terrace, María Carmen knew it couldn't possibly be Dudo or Moose. Then, the woman told her the cat was black and white.

DO YOU SEE A GAP?

Next door to us. A black and white cat. No other cats on this floor. What are the odds? All Maria Carmen (and the vacationer) were worried about was that the cat would fall. I apologized, thanked her, and immediately went in search of the boys. They were both sleeping (like angels) on San Geraldo's bed. I'm pretty certain Moose (Musy) is the culprit. He regularly loiters in that general area. But when I asked, he denied it.

MUSY, YOU GOT SOME 'SPLAININ' TO DO.