Still adjusting

You know, I didn't say cats were smart. Though I do think there are cats that are smarter than some dogs.

We have a two-story entryway, with some windows high up, stairs on one side, and the railing up above where the upstairs hallway starts. Simon decided awhile ago that he liked to walk up the stairs on the wrong side of the railing, by clinging to the carpeting edge. I tried not to have this give me a heart attack.

Last night, Simon was laying (lying, whatever!) in the hallway upstairs, with his head, shoulders, and front paws through the railing and hanging into thin air. I think he was looking down below at his brother.

It was the girls's bedtime and I went into Julia's room to tuck her in while Allie looked over the railing to see what Simon was looking at. The next thing we all heard was a loud thud, and Allie screaming that Simon fell.

Yep, the inevitable happened. We think he twisted around, tried to adjust himself with his non-existent claws, and slipped. Either that, or Allie pushed him. I prefer to believe the former.

Regardless, he fell a good 10 feet and landed on his side (not his feet) on the hard vinyl-covered floor. He missed the front hall carpet, which I suppose would have been softer by a miniscule amount, by about two feet. He immediately ran into the dining room.

Much knashing of teeth followed, as we debated whether he was hurt and if he needed to be checked out by our vet. He's acting OK, so we just watched him carefully. Today, we know he must be sore. We still had a little painkiller left from the declawing last week, so we gave him some of that this morning.

Rabies used up one of his nine lives with us when he hid for 8 1/2 hours on his first day here, giving us fits. Simon has now used up one of his nine lives. It's a good thing they're still kittens--but they're making me feel older by the day.