Cooped up too long

Thanks to Tropical Storm Alex, which didn't even come close to us, we've been experiencing windy and rainy conditions since Friday evening. We are getting the outer bands of the storm, which means periods of stillness when you think it's over, and then bursts of gusts and howling wind and blowing rain, when you know it's not.

Our guests have been trying to have an anniversary dinner on the beach since Thursday but have had to postpone due to bad weather. At least it's not cold, and the heat and humidity has eased. They still have tomorrow night, fingers crossed for them.

And fingers crossed for the cats too, as they are not used to being inside for so long, and they're driving each other and us crazy with their spats and their restlessness. Minina, the smallest little adult cat I've ever had, is full of pent-up energy and prowls from doors to windows to check on the outdoors. She is also now adept at banging on the folding accordion door leading to upstairs until she unfolds it enough to slip through. Once she is through, it's only a matter of time before Luna, Maya, and Smokey follow. Not that there is really anything of interest up there, I think they just want to go up there because they know I don't want them to. Or they are hoping our bedroom door will be open and they can play or sleep in there.

With guests upstairs, possibly napping, I can't go barging up after the cats, nor can I yell at them to get back downstairs. All I can do is whisper their name and hope they are curious enough to come down and stand close enough so I can grab them. But they are always ready for the grab, and have a good technique going - they back up at the last second and race back up the staircase. They go just out of reach and then peer at me through the railings, taunting me because they know I can't catch them.

Last night I got up in the middle of the night and saw that the door had been pushed open. I didn't know how many cats had gone upstairs, and since there was nothing much I could do, I just left the door open and by morning all but Smokey were back down. We need to figure out some way to latch the door so it can be opened by humans on either side but not by cats. Right now the big water jug is acting as a door stop. I really am looking forward to better weather so I can just push all the cats out onto the back terrace. Maybe tomorrow.