Tag Archives: Cottage

That Darn Cat – Part I

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A feline intruder has been appearing on the roof of the cottage over the past couple of months. The first time I saw the cat, it was looking down at Samantha who was in the “catio,” a small fenced-in patio on the side of the cottage. I whisked her inside and shooed the trespasser away with a few squirts from a water bottle. Samantha paced from room to room, expressing fear with a guttural growl. I learned from posts on Nextdoor that the cat was visiting other neighbors who were concerned the cat was lost. One neighbor had a visit from the cat who lingered in her courtyard into the early morning hours, yowling at her indoor cats. She was able to get the phone number off its collar tag and texted the number. The person who responded stated that “Sergio” was an indoor/outdoor cat. This cat’s owner seemed to be okay with him being outdoors. Excuse me, this neighborhood is within blocks of Laguna Canyon where coyotes reside and come down from the hills in search of their next meal. It really was not okay that this cat was roaming the neighborhood from dawn to beyond dusk. And it was not okay that he was rattling the nerves of my sensitive Samantha Jo.

John figured out that Sergio was getting onto the roof from the side of the cottage facing an above-grade walkway from which he could spring onto the roof. He installed bamboo fencing around the edge of that part of the roof. For a couple weeks we had no Sergio sightings. The relief we felt was palpable.

Then last Tuesday, I heard familiar cat cries coming from the roof. Sergio was back. I was baffled at how he found another point of access to the roof from which he pawed his way to the top of the lattice fence enclosing the catio. Samantha jumped onto my desk facing the windows of the catio and watched as Sergio leapt into the catio and sauntered over the pavers. She hissed and wailed, triggering a blood-curdling caterwaul from Serigo. I rushed out to the catio and squirted him with a water bottle. He scaled the fence landing in the front walkway. I ran into the front yard and opened the entry gate. He bolted through the open gate and ran up the street. Inside, Samantha was nervously darting from window to window. I sprayed a flower-essence based calming tincture throughout the cottage (Drama-Trauma by BlackWing Farms) and played ambient music. Soon enough, she became relaxed.

I wondered how this darn cat was once again able to get onto the roof. Then I recalled that Sergio’s collar no longer had a tag, and I wondered if he still had a home to return to.

I have stories of rescues that I will share as mentioned in my previous blog entry. This story needed to be told first. It’s been a journey. Stay tuned for the next chapter of That Darn Cat.

Christmas Eve Greetings

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Merry Christmas, everyone! I’m finally slowing down after a hustling and bustling past few months. I’ve got the rest of the week off from the corporate day job and look forward to visiting friends and family; but like an overstimulated feline who retreats to their safe place (box, cozy corner of the closet, or atop baskets under the console) I’ll also be retreating to the sofa with my latest good read in hand.

In 2026, I’m going to be sharing fascinating feline stories told to me by colleagues and friends over the past year. I’ve discovered cat lovers in cohorts who I’d no idea were into cats, and I’m amazed at the passion and love they have for their felines. Wait until you hear about the attorney from the California Department of Real Estate who went to great efforts to rescue abandon kitties in a Target parking lot, and the studio cat of local kiln glass artist.

Stay tuned, and in the meantime, I leave you with some Christmas cheer in the below poem I wrote a couple of years a go…

Catmas Eve at The Cottage

T’was the night before Christmas and the cottage was bustling
With kitty cat cries and Cat Lady hustling,
Baking cookies, brewing tea and happily dancing,
As her kitty joined in, by joyfully prancing.

The twinkle lights hung in the garden with care,
As Cat Lady looked on hoping Santa Paws would soon be there.
When startled by a clatter that filled the room,
She turned to see her floof flitting around, zoomy, zoom, zoom!

The kitchen cupboard was open, catnip spilled all around,
Cat Lady laughed at the scene, while kitty rolled on the ground.
The ginger floof frolicked in catnip with glee,
With her teacup now dry, Cat Lady announced, “It’s time for whiskey!”

Cat Lady sipped her nightcap as she gazed at the moon,
Wondering if the arrival of Santa Paws would happen sometime soon.
Suddenly in the dark, outside the French door,
A sound so startling, kitty flew across the hardwood floor.

Cat Lady and kitty peered out the window seeking to see,
What caused such noise, oh my—could it be?
Then what they heard caused no doubt in their minds,
“Meowy Catmas to all!” rang out a voice boisterous and kind,
Then he was off in a flash, flying high up above,
Leaving the best gift of all, the presence of love.

How the Cat Saved the Cottage

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Living with my cat in a 101-year-old cottage by the sea is like something from a fairy tale. Sometimes I miss my spacious condo in the canyon that I shared with many of my feline family members, but for the past almost six years, this tiny vintage abode has been, and still is, enchanting.

But some days, the wear and tear of its parts can dispel the magic. Thank goodness for Samantha Jo’s enchanting power of discernment.

Samantha typically spends her evenings sitting on the large bedroom window sill spying on the neighbors or playing our games of “tickle-tickle you’re a pickle” and “tag-you’re-it” after which she dozes off in my plush executive office chair.

A few weeks ago, Samantha spent several evenings going back and forth between the the toilet enclave of the bathroom, which faces the water heater closet, and the kitchen cupboards located opposite the water heater closet. Samantha would sit and stare at the door of the water heater closet then after a spell she’d go into the kitchen and paw at the baseboard underneath the cupboards.

Her back is to the cupboards under which the water leaked.

I thought she was chasing bugs—that is until a week after this behavior a slight musty odor started wafting from the toilet area, and about the same time I noticed the paint on a wall beam close to the baseboard by the water heater closet was bubbled. I touched it to feel dampness. Oh no… what was leaking? I opened the closet door but nothing seemed amiss, yet the musty smell was stronger and the water heater was making dripping sounds. During this investigation, Samantha was crouched by the kitchen cupboard baseboard again. I knelt down beside her and felt the hardwood floor underneath the cupboard. The narrow space where the floor met the baseboard was damp the length of the cupboard. I suspected a water heater leak.

Plumber’s Assistant

The plumber came out the next day to replace the old water heater that developed a leak. I didn’t see origin of the leak the day before, but by the time Randy the plumber arrived, the leak had become obvious as it percolated from a pipe at the top of the water heater. Randy said that if the leak went on much longer, the water damage would have been really bad and the situation would have been dangerous. If only I’d taken heed to Samantha’s obsessions with the water heater closet door and kitchen cupboard sooner.

Note to self: when a cat changes their routine, something’s up.

Within a couple days of the water heater replacement, I managed to dry out the waterlogged areas with a space heater and mini-sized dehumidifiers, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Enchantment ensues once again. Samantha is back to spying on the neighbors and chasing me around, whacking my ankles—a feline version of tag-you’re-it!