It was around ten o’clock when all the weirdness started. I was sitting in mom’s bedroom window looking for Denali because she had slipped outside when grandma took the trash out and wouldn’t come back inside. All of a sudden the dogs at one of the neighbor’s house started barking like crazy; and there are a lot of dogs over there too, there’s over ten! Of course Shizuku and Big Mama started in too (copy-dogs!) and then every dog on the street started chiming in. They made such a racket. I thought maybe there were coyotes, or maybe skunks, and I really started worrying for Denali. When she gets scared she tends to freeze and her defense isn’t very good either. She’s afraid of using her claws, especially after that time that she lost two of them in a fight.

I was about to go and get mommy when the emergency lights at the neighbor’s house came on. The whole place was flooded with light and then it started. First there was this annoying chirping-bleep sound that trucks make sometimes. Both the old man’s truck and grandma’s truck make that sound sometimes – mommy’s car doesn’t make that ridiculous sound which is why I like it – it wasn’t their trucks making the noise though. To make matters worse another annoying and loud sound filled the night air not long after and then there was a popping noise that I’ve come to realize means our neighbors are firing these dangerous things called guns. After awhile the cops (grandma and the old man call them pigs so your humans might too) showed up and their cars had the flashing lights going.

Do you see now why I was worried? Something crazy was going on and Denali was out in it all!

Mommy went outside when some knocked on our door and when she came back in Denali was with her, safe and sound. I was so relieved to see that she was okay, her fur was standing on in and her eyes were wide but she was okay. Maybe now she’ll learn not to go outside late at night! Mommy explained to grandma and the old man that some cat burglars tried to break into the neighbor’s house, but didn’t realize that they were home and that there was an alarm. When they realized their mistake they beat a hasty retreat and apparently hit one of the trucks, which made the noise. Somehow they also set off the house’s alarm too.

The gun fire was our neighbor exercising his right to “bare arms”. I think I missed something there because I really don’t understand what bare arms has to do with shooting things.

Mommy thinks the cops were looking at this all wrong. She says no cat burglar would be stupid and careless enough to target a house this early while it was occupied and then “trip every alarm as they run away”. She says that, more than likely, it was some kids who wanted to mess around with his farm equipment for kicks or play a prank. I think she’s right. No cat would be so rude and inconsiderate to raise such a fuss, not to mention, cats aren’t thieves either. Those cops were clearly dog-lovers.

Honestly though, all that I care about is that Denali is safe and sound. That and now I have my sleeping-buddy to keep me warm. I’m not letting her out of my sight again!