Nightmare in broad daylight

The moment Dr S left my house, I had a gut feeling Pole had escaped again. True enough, when I rushed back to check, she had.

She was not in Bunny's Place.

I called and heard her mewing. She was up on the 8-foot wall, walking on the ledge. She kept mewing, wanting to come down, but was too afraid. 

 She kept walking along the wall, not knowing how to come down.

 She's clearly stressed as she was hyperventilating through her mouth.

 She went to the back wall (there is no back alley) and walked along all the way to the gutter. There was no way in.

 That's her at the triangle corner.

 Pole tried to come in through this corner but the netting was nailed in.

 I tried to get her to come to the front where she could jump down onto the dustbin slab and come right back into our front garden, but she was too afraid.

To my horror, she jumped into the next-door neighbour's garden. Oh my gosh, they have a big golden retriever. I quickly went to the neighbour's and pressed on the doorbell but no one was home. Their fence is so "well-sealed" there was no way Pole could come out though she tried.

I kept calling for Pole and she kept mewing and coming towards me but she could not find a way out.

Soon, the dog woke up and I heard his collar-bell.

Pole jumped back up the wall. Phew!

This time she went to the back wall and jumped into the back neighbour's garden.

Our electrician was around and he helped me on this wild goose chase.

He helped me take the ladder and I climbed up, but Pole wouldn't come. Then, the back neighbour said Pole had gone out of their house. Oh no, that overlooks the main (mad) road to USJ.No human could cross that road alive.

I decided I'd drive to the neighbour's house and look for her. I parked my car along the road and called for Pole.

There was no mewing. I feared the worst.

I then called the electrician and he said Pole had jumped back up the wall.

Phew!!  I quickly drove back home and there was Pole, on the wall, trying to come back into our house.

This time I brought the ladder, climbed up and she came to me. I had to pull her down by the legs and I caught her!!

Brought her back, confined her in the room...

 Pole, Pole, Pole..sigh, why, why, why?

 She was very unhappy in the room and wanted to go out again. I couldn't keep her in, she sneaked through the door again and this time, it was as though she wanted to show me how she escaped.

 That hole??

 She scales the wall to let me see.

Pole somehow latched her paws onto the vertical wall and scratched at the net, trying to open it, but she couldn't tear the net, so she let herself fall down.

Then, she showed me something else. She jumped up to the first horizontal bar of the sidegate, and from there, jumped up the very top of the gate (that's 8 feet up), walked long the top and got on to the adjoining wall with the next-door neighbour. Okay, so now I know her escape route.

But she cannot come back as she is too afraid to jump down, so she goes walking along the wall all the way, mewing, and hyperventilating.

Pole, why must you do this?

 Here's Cow, so worried about his sister, mewing for her to come in. Pole is behind the netting, can you see?

 My friend, Cathy, came over to help me. Together, we watched Pole. She was nearby, walking on the neighbour's roof. This is the neighbour with the big Golden Retriever.

We watched her for about an hour, called her to lead her to the front so that she could jump onto the dustbin area and come back, but she didn't dare go to the front.

 Finally, my husband came back and Pole responded to him. All the females (including Tabs) respond to him. A long story cut short, he got Pole down.

All afternoon, I had to deal with the different contractors coming in and out. Cathy kept Pole company in the room with the rest of the cats but Pole was clearly uncomfortable. She wanted to go out again. She even went over to Bobby to scratch him. Poor Bobby...

Dr S did say some cats just do not like being confined at all. They NEED to go out. If Pole could assure me (but how?) that she will just colonise the front garden, I would readily let her out so that she can be happy. But how can I be sure she won't go to the neighbour's again? I wouldn't want to offend the neighbour....especially when I've just moved into this new neighbourhood.

I have so much on my mind right now, and have not even prepared for tomorrow's event. I have to go for the briefing now. If you have ideas, please leave a comment.

I think right now, there is no way she is going to be happy if confined. She just wants to be free as that is the lifestyle she likes. I just have to "compromise" and ensure her safety. And happiness.

Stress kills, I know....for me, too!

Help....