Socks, Stormy and Yoda (Part 5)

Thinking back to that time, it is easy to realize that certain decisions I made were wrong. Having the benefit of hindsight gives great clarity to the errors of what was, after all, a learning experience,

Having Socks and her now six kittens in a rabbit hutch was not kind but the best we could do. We were at work all day and when home, the older kittens were released for play. We could not release Socks, she still needed desexing and we would have had difficulty in trapping her again. Even so she did not appear greatly affected.

The catrun had at last been delivered and stood waiting for us to erect it.

In its original location this catrun was  inspiring. The house was at Stanmore and there was an exit in the back of the house for the cats, who then had a walk tunnel around the corner attached to the wall, then upwards to the roof where the catnip cage was erected and overlooking the rooftops of neighbors and the trees of other backyards,

The erection of the run at our house was not that simple. Nothing seemed to fit. Every part of the extension was at odds with what we wanted it for. There was no roof on the main enclosure, therefor there was no  shelter from the weather.

I managed to convince John that we should go and collect an old cupboard I had seen abandoned on the footpath at Newbridge Raod, Liverpool. I had been watching this cupboard for weeks as I walked to  work from the station.  So we drove to Liverpool to collect it.  The day was very hot and humid. We were cranky and sweating profusely.  The car was old and had no air conditioning making us weary at each problem that presented itself.

When we arrived the cupboard didn't fit in the car and a certain man got crankier.  I was not going to give up.  I really wanted that cupboard!! I was going to make it fit and I was going to convince John that it could. So what if I rode home in the passenger seat with two inches of space from my nose to the dashboard?  it was my nose!

Worse was to come. When we arrived back home the cupboard wouldn't fit through the door of the catnip cage. Our son called in and watched the debacle not to mention the arguing!  I looked at the wire roof and suggested it might be removable.
Thankfully it was, so the cupboard was lowered in via the top.

Feeling much happier, we arranged bedding, litter trays and water.  Socks and her six kittens were brought  out to their new spacious quarters and we felt a little smug at the progress.

The kittens were impressed, those of them who were running and jumping.  Socks looked less convinced but at that stage had not realized that the shelves above her would enable her to separate herself from them.

After hours of struggling with so many complications we were fairly worn out.  A Midsummer heatwave sapped our energy but we had  overcome many obstacles.

Persistence was the key!!   By late afternoon we were back inside and I stood in the now spacious lounge room where I proceeded  to tempt fate and said those awful words.  With a wave  of my arm, like an actor in a Shakespearean play I said out loud....

​"I don't care what happens now, I am just so pleased to have them out of the lounge room at last."

Fate cupped her ear to listen more closely. 

What could I have been thinking?
Within hours they were back in there.

(to be continued)
Below, we later had another cat enclosure built (left) and used the extensions as a bridge across.