Catching Professor Shy
Ok, that turned more challenging than we ever anticipated. Shy was not as social as Ryzyk or Chico, but he knew us long enough to meow back when we called him by name - or to greet us with a hiss, then allow us to shove the can right under his nose and touch his head once he started eating. One day he even let my mom pet him with long strokes from head to butt. Big win. But everything changed after we trapped Masseeka - and especially after he outsmarted the first trap like a furry Houdini.
I think, being taller than Masseeka, he lifted the trap door with his butt while eating the small bait near the entrance. The door moved off the hook and pushed down. It didn't hurt him, and he backed out safely. Or maybe he set the trap off later, trying to reach for the can from outside. Either way, he got a snack and we got played.
After that he wouldn`t let us approach when he set at the electrical box or on the grass. He would go under the building and wait there, giving us a couple of meows in response to his name, as if saying "I'm here, my servants, but you can't reach me". He figured out we cannot get under the building.
We bought a bigger trap, and time proved it was the right decision. 7x8x24 worked perfectly for tiny Masseeka, but 14x16x36 was much better to outsmart Professor Shy. The trap was placed under the first picnic table. For a week we left the can inside, with the door secured by zipties, so Shy would get comfortable going in for food. A couple of pieces of cardboard served as a "carpet" so he wouldn't hesitate because of the inconvenient metal mesh "floor".
The veterinarian appointment was on Friday. We needed to trap him either Wednesday or Thursday evening so he wouldn`t spend too much time in the trap. Releasing him at home and then somehow putting him back in a trap or a pet carrier was not an option, obviously.
However, on Wednesday some people had a photoshoot in the yard. Additionally, the weather was getting bad - a storm was approaching and the wind was picking up. So we left food in the ziptied trap and left. Thursday was a do-or-die day.
We came to school after 7pm, our normal time. It seemed quiet. Shy was reclining at the electrical box like the Lion King and moved under the building as soon as he noticed us. A demanding meow proved he was hungry enough. We placed his normal can inside the trap, cut off zipties as quietly as we could, refilled his water bowls as usual, and moved to the nearby building, pretending we left. He could not notice us right away as the tall planter was between him (and trap) and us. Or so we thought...
We sat down and waited for 30 minutes. Suddenly a pair of red ears appeared behind the small bush on the planter. Professor Shy jumped on the middle picnic table to check if everything was safe. We held our breaths pretending to be part of the landscape. About 20 minutes passed. The ears were moving a bit, as if he casually looked to sides, groomed his chest and so on.
Then - plot twist - some guy appeared out of nowhere! He just walked by us to the parking garage. The red head popped up and looked at him... and at us. I swear, this cat stared right at me smirking. Like: "You thought you were sneaky? Adorable".
Well... reset. We waited for the head to disappear (Shy stepped down to the bench) and quietly moved to our car, thinking what to do next. I wouldn't be surprised if Shy appeared on the hood, knocked on the windshield with his paw, stuck his tongue out at us and then pranced away laughing. It was getting darker. We decided to grab a snack at a nearby store and come check one more time, not really hoping for quick success anymore. Especially when some woman with a dog showed up looking for a pass through the yard to the street. Luckily, they didn't go past the planter.
The ears were still there behind the bush when we came back to our observation post. We wouldn`t see them for much longer, as it was already dark. We gave up and went home, hoping the trap was still set and Professor Shy didn't completely outsmart us this time.
The vet appointment was at 8, so mom came back at 6, not really hoping for anything... Mr. Philosopher was peacefully napping inside the trap! He even ate at least some of the food, but didn't try to break free at all - no clumps of fur, no scratched nose, nothing. As if he tried, realized there was no way out and decided - well, if that's what has to happen, so be it. He was quiet even when she carried him to the car and later at the vet. Defeated... for a bit?
