Honey Anderson
I have yet to work out if Honey, the honey coloured Burmese that is staying with me at the moment really thinks he can fly or just has a terrible sense of balance. His owners upon meeting me warned of his propensity to fall ( or dive) out of very high windows, (a couple of times landing unscathed in a conveniently placed swimming pool) so I knew what to expect. On the first day after his owners had dropped him off Honey let out a few theatrical miaows for their benefit then proceeded to make a confident exploration of his surroundings. Used to travelling, having just emigrated with his family from Australia, Honey seemed to take this change in his accommodation in his stride.
He later curled up on my lap and snoozed a little, waking every time he heard an unfamiliar noise, he would stare upwards his eyes widening with curiosity. The thing Honey seems to be most curious about is a ladder in the corner of the sitting room that leads upwards to a mezzanine that is a spare bed. I have pretty high ceilings so it is no easy feet for a cat to get up there and so far out of the many that have passed through, only two have made it up the ladder to the sleeping area above.
That evening after a stint on the balcony I picked honey up. He really is irresistible with soft beige fur and huge green eyes, he enjoyed being walked around the apartment, craning his head so far back to get a good look around, that he nearly toppled out of my arms. I held on to him tight to keep him from falling but honey was completely unfazed.
As I settled onto the sofa for the evening honey continued to roam taking in all the new smells and grimacing occasionally to get a good sniff of lingering scents from my previous feline guests. While patrolling his eyes were often drawn back to the ladder and upwards to the platform on top. I kept one eye on him as he hopped onto the cocktail cabinet beside the ladder and continued to stare, suddenly and without warning Honey leapt from the cabinet, but not towards the ladder, he had launched himself at the picture that hung on the wall beside it. Landing with the lightest of touch atop the frame with first one foot and then another, he sprang instantly, bouncing off the frame and knocking it sideways before landing halfway up the ladder. His right paw was arched over one of the rungs as he dangled awkwardly . Honey stared at my with a look that spoke a 1000 words, a couple of which were ‘help me…please?’ . I was already there, shocked into action by the calamitous sound of his ascent, I unhooked him carefully and scolded him gently while holding him tight.
He know longer seems interested in the ladder or the platform bed it leads to, although occasionally I catch him staring up at it wistfully. There was no damage done apart from my nerves being slightly frayed and a slightly crooked picture, as Honey Anderson really does seem to have nine lives.
