A Wild, Alive Thumping!

Because we love our Bighorn, it seemed a good idea to install a Center Point Air Suspension system to give it a smoother, more comfortable ride. As long as we're at it, we might as well get an upgraded air hitch to give US a better ride in the dually. As might have been anticipated, the local dealer installed the Center Point upside down. A mobile technician was dispatched in a timely manner to correct the problem. We had to pull in the slides to jack up the coach for the repair. Hmmm, what to do with the kitties?

The kitties could be in the bedroom where we could close the door to the rest of the coach, but they could have access to the bathroom...as who knew how long this was going to take. Neither was excited when the walls of their house began to move inward. I suspected that after the initial terror, they would just snooze on the bed.

Some hours of drilling, air compressing, banging etc. ensued before the task was completed. When it was safe to open the slides, indeed Tulip was stretched out on the bed asleep. Zeus was no where in sight. Having checked his favorite hiding spots, I began to hear a wild, alive, thumping coming from under the bed. For the uninformed, the bed in a fifth-wheel sits on top of a large box that holds some storage under the mattress, and underneath the storage are the hydraulics etc. that move the slide in and out. Ok, I'm in a panic that he's stuck or hurt and he can't get out.

You know who, my hero, to the rescue! There is only about 8-inches on each side of the bed when the slide is in and no space at the end that is up against the dresser drawers. All obstacles aside, Al lifts the hinged bed to remove the stored items, then removes all the screws (including those where the screwdriver wouldn't fit) in the false bottom and lifts that out to get to the space beneath. Sure enough, the flashlight confirms Zeus has squeezed himself onto a shelf above the hydraulics. By now, Tulip has been around the back of the slide, through the opening and she hopped out as soon as we removed the false bottom. Zeus is not inclined to move. Once I see he is not stuck, I'm happy to wait until he comes out on his own. However, Al is now in a panic that Zeus might find a way below the floor of the coach. That would require removing the whole outside bottom to get him out!!

We thought jogging the slide button might encourage Zeus out--it just scared him. When Zeus gets scared, he gets stiff--rigor mortis stiff. If he's curled up, there is no uncurling him. Tulip has now made her 4th circuit in behind the slide, through the maze of wires and hydraulics and out the bottom of the bed. Zeus is not following her lead. Al insists he's GOING IN! I'm thinking we prod Zeus gently with the broom to hasten his exit. He does move enough for Al to get a hand on him. However, his legs are now stiffly outstretched--not an easy way to move a cat across carpeting--gently, of course. Both Al and Zeus emerge looking ever-so-slightly tense. Adventure over! By the time we put the bed back together and get the slide out, Zeus has eaten his dinner and is reclining comfortably on the couch.

Al has a long history of daring cat rescues. One inparticular rescue of a beloved feline involved a very high tree limb, a muck bucket on a rope pulley and a rather quick descent for both cat and bucket!! He proves himself the family protector yet again!