Driven to Distraction

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As I drove our Niobe cat home from the vet this morning, she apparently decided the view from the cat carrier was inadequate. Of course, she chose her moment perfectly as I was on a particularly tricky section of freeway and was thus powerless to prevent her unzipping the top of her soft-sided carrying bag and making her way to the passenger seat.

Ah-ha, I thought, at least I don't have to worry about her getting down into the footwell and interfering with my feet on the pedals -- I've got hand controls.

She must have been reading my thoughts because the next thing I knew she was in my footwell figuring out the best way to get up on my lap. She found it, and a moment later, just as I turned into our street, she discovered her ultimate target -- my arm.

Realizing, of course, that the only truly consequential thing in the car that needed messing with was my left arm, she proceeded to first cling and then climb on to my sleeve. By the time I steered us into the driveway, she managed to get enough of her weight on the control wand to apply the brake just as we reached the garage door.

Her timing was flawless but her knowledge of the rules of the road is lacking. Next time, I think, I'll do all the driving.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Aack! Thank goodness for smart but naughty kitties.

d.a.
Anonymous said…
You may need a luggage lock for that zipper to keep Houdini in. I'm glad she obviously paid attention in Driver's Ed. :-)

Knit Wit
Anonymous said…
It's a great story....and you're both really lucky that the urge to drive didn't hit her several minutes earlier. Glad you're both safe.
Anonymous said…
My god. Every time I have to drive our cat to the vet she tries to claw my face off. And that is BEFORE we get her in the cat carrier. Once she got out while in the car and crawled in there with the feet and the brake and the gas pedals and tried to get me to have a spectacular crash, all the while I'm screaming at her to "STOP IT!"

Needless to say, we get to the vet ok, and I'm the one who looks in need of medical attention. Glad to hear your cat was a helpful sort, and not trying to remove your lips, like my little torture cat tries to when she is freaked out.

Annalisa

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