Roof Cat

There I am, sitting at my computer, idly gazing out of the window, when I spy Bandit ambling along the roof. Wha..?

Outside I go, and there she is, looking all smug, saying 'Look where I am!'.



A bit of mewing, but all is basically well. However I figured I should probably entice her down. My first ploy was to go to the guest room window, which opens out onto the first floor roof. I should point out our house is in two levels, but the ground floor is wider than the second floor, so the first floor roof encircles the house. Upon reaching the guest room, I can't move the insect screens. Although Bandit comes up to say hello and sniff my hand through the mesh, I can't let her in that way.



Plan B - go round the back to the balcony and see if she will come round and jump up to it. This might have worked, but as soon as I reached the balcony, the heavens opened with a torrential sudden heavy rainstorm. This is Bad, because the water cascades down the roof like nothing else.

I dashed downstairs again, to find Bandit in the only place she could go - under the slight overhang between the two roof parts shown in these pictures. She was tucked up underneath the joist, as far as she could get in there, to stay dry. Lots of mewing ensued!

So, to the garage, to find some stepladders. I assembled our big ladders into as tall a stepladder as I could build, and put it as close to Bandit as I could get it. Climbed up, but Bandit was too far above me to be able to pluck her off, so I presented her my shoulders, and gave her lots of encouragement. This was punctuated on Bandit's part with more mewing. She got the hint though, and after some deliberation jumped down onto my back. She clung on while I descended the ladder, at least for a few steps; she jumped off as quick as she could. I guess a human back isn't as steady a platform as a cat would like.

Meanwhile, enter Smokey. A very wet, drenched Smokey! I have no idea where he'd come from, but he'd obviously been as surprised by the rain as we were. Here they are, sorting themselves out:



I dare say this won't be the last cat adventure...