I think it was last Sunday. We were home in the afternoon when Wally went on alert, looking into the front yard. Then other cats began looking around expectantly. Next thing was an orange blur flying across the deck. Before I could get the few feet across the room and out the door to see what was happening, Toby had gone flying off the side of the deck.

His timing was exquisitely bad. I got out just in time to observe the arrival of an odd canine couple from down the hill. Maka, an older big friendly dog, leads his funny little scruffy terrier assistant up the hill on occasion for a run around our yard. This was one of those occasions, and Toby hit the ground just as the dogs came up the hill, so he took off up the mango tree and out of their range.

First there was relief. Then you could see his face change to worry. How to get down from the tree? Toby didn’t seem to know.

I sent Maka and friend heading home. Then Meda and I spent another half-hour or so talking Toby down from his perch. He tried several different approaches before doing the smart thing and coming down backwards.

Anyway, it was a bit of excitement in Toby’s week.

I’ll be stuffing Duke and Silverman into carriers and taking them off for a week’s stay at VCA in Kaneohe while we’re gone. That’s always another bit of excitement.

Next week on Feline Friday, I’ll introduce Casey and Cookie, two kittens recently adopted by neighbors. They’re at that 9-10 week old kitten stage, just about maximally cute on the kitten scale. But that’s next Friday. Stay tuned.