The Dreaded Vacuum Cleaner

the last time the cleaning lady was here, i was home because i was too depressed to leave the apartment. normally i stay out of her way by going out for a few hours.

the cats are used to her. they may not like her, but they know who she is. when she arrives, Hopper and Hee Seop disappear, but Basil and Angelo stay put. that is, until the vacuum cleaner comes out.

i remained in the bedroom with the door shut, so the cleaning lady would know not to clean that room. because our building is so old, the door frames have settled so the door doesn’t catch the way it’s supposed to. still, you have to push it with some force to enter.

i was asleep for most of the time she was here, but the vacuum woke me up. even then, i was still only half asleep, but i felt a weight land on the bed. i couldn’t find Hee Seop before i retreated to the bedroom, so i figured it was him.  he probably hid himself somewhere in the room where i couldn’t find him, before i went in there when the cleaning lady arrived.

when i heard the front door lock behind the cleaning lady, i opened my eyes and expected to see Hee Seop on the bed.  no sign of him, but Angelo and Basil sat at the foot of the bed. they must have slammed their bodies against the bedroom door in order to escape from the vacuum cleaner. this was surprising because Basil doesn’t try to enter the bedroom during mealtimes when either Hee Seop or Angelo is sequestered there. i figured that Basil simply didn’t realize he was capable of barrelling through a door.

i’m not sure if Hee Seop is even afraid of the vacuum because he lived outside for at least a year and may be more accustomed to loud, frightening sounds. Hopper, on the other hand, couldn’t care less. brave girl.

what is it with pets and vacuum cleaners anyway?

Conley, Darby. Get Fuzzy 2: Fuzzy Logic. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2002. 66.