My Animal Adventure

We are being stalked. By a cat.

No, I am NOT kidding. At all. In fact, I'm underexaggerating, because there isn't a cat, there are two cats. I've named them Prairie- thus called because she has a habit of standing on her hind feet like a prairie dog- and Blue, who is really grey, but just looks like a Blue.

These cats belong to our neighbors, and using their incredibly agility, they manage to weave their way around plants and across bars to the decks of our apartment, where they proceed to push and nudge our windows until A) They open them; B) We open them; or C) No one opens them, and they eventually get bored and decide to go away.

It's usually Prairie who comes. She's quite a social cat; in fact, she's the most talkative I've ever seen. Even the windows can't block out her meowing. Blue, when she comes, uses an entirely different strategy: instead of making noise to get our attention, she pounces at the windows. It's quite hard not to notice this, so her method would be very effective, if we would just let her in as is her objective.

Now, you might be thinking, "They aren't really stalking you, Abby. It's not like they've ever actually come into your house."

Au contraire.

The other night, it was quite hot, and since we don't have air conditioning, the best way to try and make the heat more bearable was by opening the window. So, I was lying in bed, my eyes closed, trying to fall asleep...

When I heard my window creak wide open.

I told myself it was the wind, or that I had imagined it, and continued focusing on my pillow. But then, I heard the pitter patter of tiny feet on my floor. I looked up just as I felt a thump on my bed, and saw a black-and-white cat staring at me with her huge yellow eyes.

Believe it or not, I didn't freak out when I saw Prairie there. I spent the next hour petting her (because she was very eager, and I miss being able to pet my own cat). Everything was just fine- in fact, I would've let her stay in my room, if we could've kept that up- until she decided to go exploring the rest of the apartment.

Well, I knew this just wouldn't do, because my mom hates cats, and my dad isn't very fond of them either. So for twenty minutes, I tried- and failed- to coax Prairie back into my room. Please note that this took place at approximately two o'clock in the morning, and that while Prairie was inside, Blue was pouncing at the windows. So not only was it far too early for my tastes, but that I had loud noise to serenade me through it. Needless to say, I wasn't a happy camper. Eventually, I got so fed up that I just scooped Prairie up (she wasn't very pleased about that, mind you), put her back outside, and closed the window to the beautiful sound of her hisses.

It was, without a doubt, the most exciting part of France so far.