Dealing with grumpy felines.

Our cat, Blackstone, has this annoying habit. See, we have a pet door so he can go into the garage (wherein is located his food and litter box). He is well aware of how the pet door works, because he uses it when no one is in the house. He will also use it to get back in. But for some reason he doesn't like to use it, so if there is someone in the house, he would rather walk up to them and meow until they let him out. This applies even at some God-awful hour in the morning.

Therefore, it is the sad but necessary duty of the last person to retire for the evening: get Blackstone into the garage, and then lock the pet door so he doesn't wander back in only to wake us all a few hours later.

It's getting him out that's been the problem, because around the time we're all crashing, he's frequently taking a nap, comfy where he is, and would rather leave on his own time (that time being three or four in the morning). And trying to force him out can be an irritating affair. I, however, have found a full-proof method to get him to want to leave.

Step One: Open the hall closet.
Step Two: Take out the vacuum cleaner.
Step Three: Move the vacuum to the same room as Blackstone.
Step Four: Make like you're setting up to vacuum...

Step four is rarely necessary, and sometimes step two is enough to get our dear furball suddenly deciding it's time to head outside for the night. I've never actually had to carry out the bluff and turn the vacuum on (thankfully, because that would probably wake someone up); he's had enough experience with that noisy device already, so I don't need to demonstrate what it's capable of.

Yes, lugging it out may be a bit annoying, but Blackstone isn't light himself, and he resists. Better to have him make the strategic retreat.

( And now, some unrelated quizzes! )