Could a cat burglar be responsible for some of the messes we, and maybe you too, are blaming on unsuspecting and (maybe even) innocent dogs? Some weeks ago I told you about the Doggy Door Opener dog we had staying with us who figured out how to open magnetic door fasteners… little did I know he’d be handily out-done by a six-month-old kitten!

In the last couple of months we’ve noticed the door to the pet food cupboard has been open quite often at one of our regular client’s homes. They have younger children, so we put it down them forgetting to close it in their rush to get ready for school…and the bigger of their two dogs was helping himself to the spoils since…why not? Hey…it’s the pet food closet for goodness sake! If their year-old bulldog wasn’t in a crate during the day, I would have blamed him, but he had no choice but to listen to the goings-on from the other room. He must be just busting a gut wanting to get over to all the hullabaloDoor-handleo.

Then the other day, my husband happened to run into our client and she asked him to please check to make sure the door from the laundry room to the garage is closed each time we visit…and to make sure both cats are inside before we close it. It seems the meek and skittish female kitten of the two they brought home six months ago had learned how to open lever-handled doors. The rascal.

I’d found her on the back porch lying in a sunny spot where there wasn’t any snow a few weeks ago. The back door was open about a cat’s width, thinking back on it. Again, at the time I figured it had blown open or the family was letting in a little air that morning. It wasn’t locked…and it seems Miss Kitty (we’ll call her) found out if she kept jumping up and hooking at the handle, it would eventually open like magic.

Last week, sure enough, the door to the garage was also open.

She’s a scallywag with doors but too timid to come close enough for a treat, so I skid them across the floor to her while her brother digs through my purse looking for more (he can pull the zipper open.) If I’m not careful, he knocks the whole thing to the floor and the big dog helps him pull the lining out so my keys and credit cards also come out along with any treats.

So even though I have to give an apology to the dog for blaming everything on him…I’m not about to let him off the hook too easily!

This is day 26 of 365 and I was at an office today while my husband, Les, made the pet visits in -20 C temperatures. A little cool on the fingers but lovely with the sun. We’ve lined up a few more clients for the coming two weeks as well – and I’ll be letting you know how it goes.

Until next time… have fun out there!