This Vette Really Purrs!
My wife, Audrey, is a Dog Groomer, trainer and has been generally involved with animals for over 25 years. I tell you this to better understand the motives here. You also need to know that my Corvette has to share space with Audrey's Grooming shop, it's a 2 car garage, pets on one side, Corvette on the other and never the twain should meet, or that's the theory.
Anyway, it was a Friday afternoon when a really nice, well fed, house cat was chased up one of our trees by next doors toms. This is amazing in itself as this cat had been declawed in the front so it really must have gathered some speed to get up the tree. It took a little time but Audrey managed to coax the cat down with some food, after the other cats had been chased off, and she took him into the Garage. This was a nice sweet cat and not one to be out and about so we thought we would keep him overnight and see if anyone comes to claim him. If nobody came Audrey would make the rounds of the surrounding houses to see if his home could be found.
Well no-one had come by the next day and Audrey was grooming that Saturday morning. She was in the garage working so she thought she would let the cat out of the crate for a while for exercise. He was very friendly with everyone and meowed and purred through the morning.
Then silence........ nothing........
Audrey thoroughly searched the garage calling for the cat but he was nowhere to be found. I was in the house doing other stuff so Audrey asked me to come out, take the cover off the car to check in the engine compartment. This wouldn't have been the first time a cat has crawled up into an engine. Nothing. Just to be safe Audrey left food and the litter box out so if the cat was still in the garage hiding he would give himself away when he came out to eat or ........
In the morning there was still no sign so it was thought that the cat must be a little Houdini, escaping from the garage when a client had come in or gone out.
So that was that.............. or so we thought.
Sunday came and went and Monday was a holiday for me, Audrey was back to grooming. Because I was taking a day off it was typical that something had to break at work which required my attention. It was a week before the big car show at the FairOaks Mall and I needed to burn off some gas in the Corvette so I decided to take it in for a drive. The weather was nice so it was a good day for a cruise. I spent an hour at work then took the Vette for a drive through town, out 46, up I65 and back home via 800 North. Probably a good 25 mile run.
I parked outside the garage and started getting the stuff together to give the Vette a good wash ready for the weekend. The hose was on and I was sponging away when.......
Meow....... MEOW!!......
errr, "AUDREY!!, I think I've found the cat!!"
The noise was coming from the back. I got down and looked under the car but couldn't see him. I got some tools out and dropped the spare tire, still nothing. After about half an hour I still had no idea where this cat was but I could hear it loud and clear. The sky was getting cloudy and the wind was getting up so there was nothing for it but to get the car back in the garage. Fortunately, Audrey over the years, has got to know many people in Animal Control and The Humane Society. I had no idea how to get this cat out so she made some calls. Meanwhile, laying on my back, under the drivers side at the back, with a flashlight I managed to find him. I could see the fur of his body, and right in the corner I could see his mouth.
Rose from Animal Control was first to arrive followed by Cathy's (Humane Society) husband and son, Francis and Rob who fortunately are mechanics and run 'Crider Towing & Recovery'. Also, Dave from the Humane Society came out to help as well. It's a good job I am an animal lover because now I there were several people, with tools, messing with my car! The cover and surrounding parts were removed from around the gas filler but there was no hole there big enough to work with. Next the license plate was removed and the lights around it. This gave Audrey enough room to be able to reach in and get hold of the cats tail. Rose was on her back and reaching up she pushed the cat backwards. Audrey pulled, Rose pushed. It should be noted here that the hole was half the size of the cat but Audrey managed to work out a leg, then another and by stretching him out they managed to get him out.
So a happy ending to this part of the story, the cat was turned over to Animal Control in the hope that they can trace its owner. But this is the last time a cat will be allowed to run loose in the garage!
Richard
April 2003
