This is me, Mabel, following my doctor's orders to stay in my crate as much as possible. I even go in willingly, since I want my back to heal and I DO NOT want to have surgery. Besides, having my own private room is nice.
Anyway, my doctor said I could not go on ANY forced marches for the first few weeks after I hurt my back. (February 28th -- I will always remember that horrible day).
I didn't mind skipping the forced marches.
A little background: Mama #2 loves to march in the evenings. She drags me, Harley and Maggie with her. She likes to march fast, but I like to go v-e-r-y slowly, savoring the sights and smells. My sisters, of course, want to go fast as well, so I get blamed for making the marches last a long time.
Oh well.
Lately, I've had some nice, private pampering time with Mama #1 while Mama #2 drags my sisters around the neighborhood. I love our private time!
OK, I have to admit that soon I began to miss my marches around the neighborhood.
Shocking.
My house and yard had the same ol' smells every day. Same sights and sounds too.
So, when my doctor said I could march again, I was actually happy. Especially when he said I'd have to march slowly (YES!!) and only short distances (YES!).
This is me, Mabel, snoozing with my sisters. I am the comfortable looking sister in the middle of the picture (just in case you can't tell us apart).
The next evening, I lined up for the forced march with my sisters. Mama #2 carefully put on my new comfy vest and adjusted it to fit my shapely figure. (Mama #2 doesn't use the neck ropes on us anymore, just vests that pull against our chests if we march too slowly ---- or go too fast).We moved into formation and marched out the door. I marched very, very slowly and smelled all the wonderful smells I've missed. As I followed far behind my sisters, I noticed my sister cat, Agnes, following us. She likes to march but hides so Mama #2 won't see her. If Mama #2 sees her, she'll make us turn around and take Agnes straight home.
I don't understand why me, Harley and Maggie have to march, but Agnes has to go home.
Strange.
This is Agnes, my cat sister. She's pretty small, even for a cat. Her fur color is camouflage; she can blend into bushes and not be seen.
Anyway, we boldly marched on. Past one house, two houses, three houses. I looked around and didn't see Agnes. I looked again. No Agnes. I stopped marching and sniffing and carefully looked again.
No Agnes.
No Agnes.
Now, Agnes never goes home on her own. She's even marched all the way to the park with us several times. When she's ready to go home she just runs in front of Mama #2. Then we turn around and go straight home.
now, Agnes was missing. Something had happened to Agnes!
Horrifying!
Horrifying!
Since I'd been sitting down for so long, Mama #2 asked me if I wanted to go home.
Yes, we have to find Agnes, I told her.
She didn't listen to me. About Agnes.
We turned to march home. I dropped my head and concentrated on marching. I was tired. I'd been locked in a crate for many, many weeks. I wasn't used to marching for miles and miles anymore.
Suddenly I stopped. I smelled Agnes. I looked around, and saw her. She looked funny, because she was twice her normal size. Her fur was standing straight out. She looked like a little puff ball.
I started laughing.
Maggie told me to shut up, "Agnes is in danger", she said. I quit laughing, straightened up and looked around. A few feet away from Agnes was a huge, mean, evil looking black cat.
This is not the cat that threatened Agnes. This is our cat sister, the Evil Cat Millie. She looks almost exactly like the mean evil cat who was about to kill Agnes.
I knew we had to act and we had to do something fast. But, do what? The mean evil cat growled at Agnes. Agnes just stood there, looking like a huge, wide-eyed ball of fur.
Suddenly, I knew what I had to do to save my cat sister.
I called to my sisters, "Follow me!" I started marching very quickly, pulling Mama #2 and my sisters with me. I marched right between Agnes and the mean, evil cat. I tried not to laugh when I saw that cat's face. I mean, the mean evil cat had thought he was going to scare and then chase a skinny little defenseless cat. He didn't know about her three wonderfully protective Pup sisters!
That cat took off. I mean, he ran. Fast.
Harley ran to Agnes and nosed her. Agnes appeared to Ok but very embarrassed by our interference. She disappeared into a nearby bush. We volunteered to go in after her (you never know what you might find in a bush!), but Mama #2 said I had to go home. She told me I looked tired.
OK. Maybe I was tired, but I still wanted to know if Agnes was OK.
We slowly started our march home. I heard a bush rustle and saw Agnes marching right behind us.
When we arrived home, Agnes dashed up, then strutted to the front door.
Just like a cat. She was OK and had already forgotten her brush with death and our daring rescue.
Just like a cat. She was OK and had already forgotten her brush with death and our daring rescue.
This is Harley guarding Agnes from any other evil mean cats.
Harley and Maggie left to do more marching. I cuddled up to Mama #1 and told her how I rescued Agnes. She was impressed with my heroic actions that she gave me a chewy bone and covered me up with a blanket. I love being pampered by my Mama #1.
This is me, Mabel, standing on a street corner, searching for my lost sister, Agnes. I didn't know at the time that a mean, evil cat was planning to terrorize her.
I am so happy that I was able to save the day. Again.