Story: Cat climbs stairs
TweetShe could go up the way everyone else does. Start from the bottom. One step at a time. Maybe skip a step if you’re on a mission and time is critical.
Not Elsa Clair. Not the cat who crosses the living room in four leaps–couch back to window bench to cat tree to bookcase–without touching the floor.
Not the cat who soars down a flight of twelve stairs, with paws touching two steps–on a slow day.
So it really shouldn’t have surprised me to find that Elsa Clair employs a unique route to the second floor of our home.
She usually begins with a Spiderman jump to the vertical side of the stairs–the stringer–which in our house is covered with a tired oatmeal-colored carpet. Clinging to the stringer, she sidles her way up like a rock climber attacking the granite surface of Half Dome.
As Elsa Clair gains height, she might stop and take in the scenery: looking down to the humans beneath her, or considering whether the molding on the hallway closet is wide enough for a cat walk. She takes the route as far as she can, until she reaches the ground floor ceiling. Then she pulls herself through the balusters and zooms up the last three steps.
She’s performed this feat enough times now that I’m sure she could attain the summit faster than those of us who go all the way around to the bottom of the stairs and lumber our way up. For Elsa Clair, her special route is a short cut.
The other day, I was lucky enough to have my camera in hand when Elsa Clair began one of her stairway jaunts.
I didn’t catch the leap and the first few seconds of Elsa Clair’s climb.
In seconds, she’s reached the top.
Time to stop and survey the area.
Giving new definition to the term “hangin’ out.”
Have to use the actual stairs for the last part of the journey.
It’s amusing to watch our little Spidercat walking up a wall. But the humans aren’t the only ones watching. Calvin has been keeping a close eye on Elsa’s escapades.
And he’s been taking notes.
What does your pet do that might be a little out of the ordinary? How adventurous is your dog or cat or bird or turtle? What do they do that surprises you?
This post is part of the Monday Mischief blog hop. Take some time and read the blog posts below for more fascinating tails…
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That is hilarious. I guess you don’t need a cat tree.
Thanks! Nothing stops our Elsa Clair. She loves to climb.
elsa…we iz crackin up !!!!
picture 4…yur mom N dad DUE knead ta mewve de ceiling sew ewe haz mor headroom !!!
🙂
Great idea! We’ll have to look into that. Because it’s all about the cat(s)!
Love it, what great exercise that is for her climbing up those stairs and hanging like that. Plus I bet she thinks it’s just fun!
Does she ever! She is so proud of herself. Besides it’s way too boring to go up the stairs like everyone else.
oh my gosh, seriously! What a goof ball and great pictures of the event.
Thanks! Our Elsa Clair is quite the goofball. She cracks me up every day. She’s usually so fast up the side of the stairs that I haven’t been able to get photos. I just happened to have the camera in hand this one time. 😀
MOL! Hey, if you’re gonna climb stairs might as well make it an adventure I guess! That is so funny 🙂 And she is such a cutie!
Aw, thanks. Cats are amusing little souls. Better entertainment than anything on TV, that’s for sure.
OMC! She sure doesn’t make it easy for herself, does she?? Maybe she was a mountain climber in a previous life.
You might be right. I think she loves the challenge.
Looks like the best way to get up the stairs to us!
So much more fun, right?
She is very agile! Mr. N does all sorts of things that aren’t in his breed makeup. He points, he stalks prey, he tries to go into the river after ducks during a snowstorm and he has been accused of trying to herd another dog.
Well. Ducks! Ya gotta chase ’em. Sounds like Mr N is getting in touch with all his doggy instincts.
That is awesome! I would say she is quite talented!
Thanks. She thinks she’s quite talented. The rest of us know she’s Trouble in the form of a cat. 😉
What a great post, and a great series of photos! I swear that Elsa Clair and my Finn could be related … one of these days I just know I’m going to look up and see him strolling across the ceiling, calm as you please.
Exactly. Sometimes I think cats could defy the laws of physics because…well…they’re cats.
That is totally amazing and very impressive! My Mum would freak if I tried anything like that, but she’s a scardy cat!
Hope you’re having a fun day
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Thanks! I think mountain…er…stair climbing is best left to the cats! Dogs can be a little more “grounded.”