Thinking outside the box

[Mobuck]

Last summer the boys helped me add a 'ceiling' to part of my covered deck. Unfortunately, they were in a hurry and left a few gaps around the posts that should have been covered. Fast forward to last week when two of the cats had kittens and one of them decided to move the entire litter(s) through one of these gaps into the ceiling. I removed the 12" wide access panel and gathered all but 2 of the kittens but when I stopped for lunch, Ms Kitty carried all those removed back to the ceiling. Back to square one and start over. At least they weren't too hard to reach. GA did a head count and reported one kitten short but I was certain I'd got all of them. Replaced the access panel, plugged the final kitty hole, and called it done. An hour later, we heard the unmistakable sounds of that last kitten FROM ABOVE THE CEILING. I was far too tired to have a do over so had to leave the little bugger until next morning. Back up the ladder, remove the access panel, and discover that the kitten is in a back corner with no way to reach unless another full size panel is removed--something I can't do alone. Thinking-thinking-thinking-how do I reach 12' across a space too small to crawl into?
FINALLY, I remembered I'd made an extension for my leaf blower to clean out the gutters and it would fit the shop vac too. Back up the ladder, shove the hose back into the kitten's hidden corner, turn on the shop vac, and poke around until I heard the sound change. Sure enough, pulled hose with suction held kitten back out of the far corner like magic.
Pretty proud of myself for such an innovative and out of the box solution.

 

[bedfordboy]

Need to apply for a patent on your new “Cat Vac” system

 

[GunnyGene]

Last summer the boys helped me add a 'ceiling' to part of my covered deck. Unfortunately, they were in a hurry and left a few gaps around the posts that should have been covered. Fast forward to last week when two of the cats had kittens and one of them decided to move the entire litter(s) through one of these gaps into the ceiling. I removed the 12" wide access panel and gathered all but 2 of the kittens but when I stopped for lunch, Ms Kitty carried all those removed back to the ceiling. Back to square one and start over. At least they weren't too hard to reach. GA did a head count and reported one kitten short but I was certain I'd got all of them. Replaced the access panel, plugged the final kitty hole, and called it done. An hour later, we heard the unmistakable sounds of that last kitten FROM ABOVE THE CEILING. I was far too tired to have a do over so had to leave the little bugger until next morning. Back up the ladder, remove the access panel, and discover that the kitten is in a back corner with no way to reach unless another full size panel is removed--something I can't do alone. Thinking-thinking-thinking-how do I reach 12' across a space too small to crawl into?
FINALLY, I remembered I'd made an extension for my leaf blower to clean out the gutters and it would fit the shop vac too. Back up the ladder, shove the hose back into the kitten's hidden corner, turn on the shop vac, and poke around until I heard the sound change. Sure enough, pulled hose with suction held kitten back out of the far corner like magic.
Pretty proud of myself for such an innovative and out of the box solution.

That kitten will probably have an alien abduction story to tell to the rest of the litter.

 

[blume357]

Years ago a chimney sweep who was nationally known told about setting up his equipment at a customers house and starting up his new sweep vac and wanting to see how much suction it really had and then seeing one of the customers kittens looking at him..... he had to take the vacuum apart to get to the poor little traumatize critter but it was okay... those original vacs has a 4" hose.

 

[Kevin]

Great save! That would be really funny to see.

 

[xTopGun]

Great save! That would be really funny to see.

Mommy, really, I was huddled up way in that back corner where you told me to go while you were gone - and then all of a sudden, I was lifted up by this magical force and whisked away. It happened just like I said . . . . .

 

[nekvermont]

I bet you're the only person on this forum that has given a kitten a hickey.

 

[Richard76]

wonder how it works on squirrels.........

 

[kentucky yeti]

Years ago a chimney sweep who was nationally known….

Nationally known? Are there tv shows or something showcasing sweeps?

 

[eveled]

Blume you are the only nationally known chimney sweep I’m aware of.

Geez I’m glad the little guy is ok. I can imagine latching onto its head and sucking its eyeballs out.

 

[Jeepnik]

Wish we had thought of that. Once had a call to rescue a cat stuck in a storm drain. After trying to coax it close enough to grab for a half hour assistant chief stuck the nozzle of a CO2 extinguisher in and fired it off. Cat came right out and was last seen heading at warp speed to parts unknown.

The woman who called contacted the base IG and reported we were mean to her trapped cat.

Apparently the fact that the cat left the drain under its own power was lost on her.

 

[Mobuck]

I called the patent office asking if anyone had already patented a (fuzzy kitten) sucker, They hung up on me.

 

[blume357]

You got me Mobuck... I'm really glad I was not holding my coffee cup... it would have been a mess.

As for the nationally know chimney sweep... I guess I just meant in the sweep industry.. Lucky Dale was his name and he was famous and a real character.... he was also a collector ... one item he liked to collect was record albums... when he died his collection was something like 2.5 million.

 

[wheelgun1958]

I called the patent office asking if anyone had already patented a (fuzzy kitten) sucker, They hung up on me.

Likely someone has. You're just in the wrong forum.

 

[Yaworski]

when he died his collection was something like 2.5 million.

2.5 million dollars or albums?