Monday, December 5, 2016

Close Call

In a prev post I mentioned Smith had taken to leaping onto my head from the dashboard. Several mornings ago she was doing it as if on steroids. My attempts to ignore her had no effect and, after several rounds that included direct hits to Mr. Stomach, launched from atop the driver's seat headrest, I finally roused. 

It took a few minutes, but eventually I realized the grogginess and headache were symptoms of carbon monoxide overdose. I shut off the heater (a catalytic with very low co emissions) and opened the door. It was two days before I could think clearly again. (How could I tell, you ask?)

I had the windows cracked enough, I thought, but there was no breeze and the monoxide, heavier than oxygen, accumulated below the window openings. After giving it some thought I realized she started the leaping when I started using the heater. She hasn't done it since. 

A heroic cat!
      





No, she didn't lose her tail. I can only surmise that in the above photo she was, perhaps, striking a Napoleonic pose.


3 comments:

  1. Wow, she is something else. She should get all the tuna and cuddles in the world.

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    1. She won't eat much of anything BUT tuna. "Cuddles, schmuddles," she says. "Where're the cat toys?!" I've thrown out HUNDREDS of dollars worth of food trying to determine what she likes. The other day, at Caballo Lake, where we camped enroute to Albuquerque, after I got packed and was ready to leave, she let me scour the mesa top for 45 minutes calling her only to discover her near the car looking at me as if to say, "What took you so long?" CATS!! Can't live with 'em...we'd maybe both be dead if it weren't for her.

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