(Cat) King of the Condo

Hank on top of the wall 

Did I mention Hank is smart?  He’s never content with the status quo.  He’s always searching for something interesting, looking for new areas to explore, new toy options, new paths to higher ground…In the early days when I separated Hank and B for stress relief, I came home one day to find that they were both in the bedroom.  I assumed I had been absent minded and had locked them both in the bedroom.  The next day, I was sure Hank was out of the bedroom before shutting the door (two sets of food, water, and litter, for those that are wondering).  Again, I came home to find they were in the same room.  I was stunned.  The only way into the bedroom when the door is closed is up and over a ladder to the loft, followed by a long jump to the ground (or bed, as it turns out) on the other side.  Also, the ladder is no cake-walk.  The rungs are made of thin re-bar – not for people scared of heights or bare feet.  However, later that night in the bedroom with the door closed, it wasn’t long before I heard the soon-to-be familiar sound of Hank’s paws hitting the steel bars as he climbed the ladder with “cat-like” agility.  The loft became his own private retreat, away from the hustle and bustle of the main area.  There was no need to worry about what to do next or the other cat(s) and dogs in the condo.  It was his, and his alone.  Finally, when it was time to get back to business, it was the best place to take it all in, to survey the landscape if you will, before jumping in (down).