Plan B and Tux surprises us all!
Linda Fortune
Author of Regal: An Intimate View of One Magnificent Feline
Plan B and Tux surprises us all!
Welcome,
As you know, Ardine was on call and came over immediately. With Tux hiding upstairs, we closed off all the doors that we could and set up a blockade at the bottom of the stairs. If Tux were to run down the steps, the only place for her to go would be into the cat carrier. With that set, I proceeded upstairs with the first net in hand. Ardine held her position at the bottom of the stairs and was ready to shut the cat carrier door in a flash.
As I got upstairs, I immediately looked for Tux in her usual hiding place under the bed. To my amazement…no Tux! Where was she? Had she been able to sneak downstairs without my noticing? Feeling totally deflated and energetically drained, I stood up…only to catch a glimpse of her huddled next to the wall on top of the bed table. Relief filled me. I immediately put the fish net down and slowly approached. Tux looked at me with her big, round eyes and did not budge. Feeling totally surprised, I was able to gently secure her by holding on to her fur at the back of her neck. Ardine immediately came upstairs with the cat carrier and I was able to to smoothly lift Tux into the carrier by holding on to her fur and supporting her hind quarters. No fight, no resistance, no claws, and no scratches. It was like she had read the writing on the wall and totally acquiesed. She had put two and two together and accepted the inevitable. She had resisted as long as she could and finally just gave in. Ardine and I were absolutely amazed at the ease with which she let me pick her up and place her in the carrier.
As you can imagine, Ardine and I both sighed with great relief as we proceeded to take Tux downstairs, gather up Millie, and to place them both in my van along with their toys, cat food, and litter.
Upon closing the door, Ardine and I both fell into each other’s arms and cried uncontrollably. The intensity of my tears surprised me. It was such an emotional release for both of us. Our tears seemed to reflect the building tension of catching Tux and of our heartache with the reality of Margie’s situation.
Just as our emotion was dissipating and our tears had stopped flowing, Margie’s nephew Jim arrived. As Jim had pondered the situation, he surmised that it would be better if Millie and Tux remained together since they had lived all of their 13 1/2 years in each other’s company. He felt both should remain at the sanctuary rather then his taking Millie home with him. Understanding and accepting his concern, we set off to deliver Margie’s two felines to the animal sanctuary.
It was not totally apparent to us at the time but this was not the best decision for either of the felines or for us for that matter. As you will see in the coming stories, we did alter our plans for the better. For one thing, we have come to realize that Tux is really a one-person cat. And, upon reflection, I had started to sense how absolutely smart this beautiful animal was and this was captivating to me. All this has been proven to be true as you will see in the stories that are to come.
Next entry: The animal sanctuary.
Blessings, Linda