Hibbert has been in our lives now for about 5 months, and we’re still learning about each other. For instance I know he doesn’t like his feet touching, and he knows I don’t like him jumping on to the kitchen work-tops. It’s an on-going process and we still have a way to go. However, one of his most alarming traits is his road sense, or perhaps I should say, lack of  road sense.

I say ‘road sense’, I haven’t actually seen him on the road apart from the day when we almost lost him. I suppose what I really mean is ‘car sense’.

All our other cats have had a healthy respect for a motor vehicle. Even Dulcie, who was hit with a car twice in her life, knew that when I went into the garage,  got in the car and started the engine, it was time to move. Hibbert has no such opinions.

He views the open garage door as a challenge, an adventure. No harm in that as long as he knows when to get out. Sadly he doesn’t. Shouting, waving, starting the engine have no effect.

When he does finally stroll out his latest trick is to lie down directly behind the car, just where I can’t see him. Tooting the horn has no effect either. Getting the car out is now a 2 person job.

Guided by Peter I gradually reverse the car out of the garage. Hibbert stays put until the car is almost upon him. Peter says he waits until the rear wheels are just a couple of feet from him.

What’s that about? For me it’s nerve wracking. For Peter it’s a nuisance. For Hibbert it could prove fatal, but I have no idea how to stop him doing it.

The only thing I can come up with is to plan ahead. Make sure he’s hungry before our journey and just as we’re ready to leave, feed him in the conservatory. Sounds easy, but with a cat and a husband to organise, not necessarily as simple as it sounds.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 19th, 2011 at 8:52 am and is filed under Cat Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.