Wi-Wi and Mr. Jonathan
Mr. Jonathan is the head of a family of seagulls who visited us every year when we lived in our house that perched high overlooking the cliffs. Ron often tossed Ritz crackers to them during the time that Mr. Jonathan was raising his family. Our cat, Wi-Wi, often stayed at a close distance and played hide-and-seek with Mr. Jonathan.
Of course, the visits of Mr. Jonathan often have some natural but messy consequences. When the next Spring came and the Jonathans returned to build their nest, Ron decided not to feed them again.
When Mr. Jonathan came to peck the window for the first time after almost a year, we were firm in our decision to ignore him. However, that didn't last very long. Our Wi-Wi tried to remind us by jumping up to the high ledge where the Ritz crackers were stored (but that place was never visited by the cat). It was quite clear that Wi-Wi wanted us to treat her friend Mr. Jonathan!
We obliged. Who can say no to lovely Wi-Wi?
The puzzle about Wi-Wi
Wi-Wi is an indoor cat. When we adopted her, we signed on the dotted line promising to raise her indoor. Now and then she wanted to go out. We fitted her with a leash and with some practice, we walked her around rather nicely.
The situation changed when our dog Russell joined the family. Unlike the other cat Bi-Bi, she was rather cautious about the dog. To avoid Russell, we walked Wi-Wi less often.
When she slipped out of the house, I was worried. How will she come back? There is one door downstairs that is away from the dog. I went down to check and called her name many times to no avail.
In the middle of the night, Wi-Wi mysteriously appeared in our room. The house was sealed and all windows/doors were closed. How could she get in? Ron started to imagine possible sleepnwalk or there is an invisible black hole somewhere in the house.
Just to test the theory, Ron let Wi-Wi out the next night and I definitely would not open any door for her. Surely enough she reappeared sleeping comfortably in the bed in the middle of the night. What magic riddle is in her little mind?
The only possible route I could guess is a truly tricky one. There is a thin but plausible gap at the outdoor caged area next to the window. She needs to jump on top of the caged area, slip through this gap and then drop down to the ground. From there, she can go through the dog/cat door to the kitchen with the hope of not waking up the dog who usually sleeps near that entrance and loves to chase her. Then she has to jump over the dividing door between the kitchen and the living area.
When I first mentioned this detailed route for reentry, Ron couldn't believe it. Wi-Wi hasn't been near that area for a long time and has never tried that gap. Well, in the spirit of CSI, I went to look for evidence with a flashlight. Indeed, there was some fine hair near the gap. There is no question that Wi-Wi has figured out an obscure one-way trap-door function!
The puzzle was solved.
