# The great balloon caper!



## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I brought home 2 balloons last night from work. I thought Neelix would get a real kick out of them and WOW did he. He would pull it down from the ceiling by the ribbon and drag it all over the apartment.

I admit I was quite liking it. He was always easy to find, just follow the moving balloon.

Book did *NOT* agree. He was VERY leery of the balloons. This morning it all came to a head. Neelix was running around with the ribbon and the balloon was following him. He passed book and the Ballooon went on on side, Neelix on the other. Well Book wigged out and tried to run... but Neelix was NOT letting go of his beloved ribbon. 

Book got super tangled in the ribbon and freaked out worse. He ran with the balloon bouncing off his back. I tried to catch him but no way.... he cleared everything off the counter. Including my canister set which of course all popped open dumping flour, brown sugar, and oatmeal all over the dining room carpet. He knocked my iMac right off my desk (and took everything else with it), knocked my TV and blu ray player onto the floor, knocked my turntable over as well as the DVD rack and Record holder. Then he headed into the bathroom where he knocked everything off the counter (including the new apotochary set I made earlier this year), took everything off my dresser and night stand. He was making his second lap and the balloon ribbon snapped (finally). He went into the pot cabinet and stayed for HOURS.


He FINALLY ventured out about 1/2 an hour ago and the first thing he saw was.... the ballon on the ceiling (where I can't reach it now that the ribbon snapped). Back into the pot cabinet. I finally blocked the apartment door opened and worked the balloon through the door with the broom. It's not soaring free and Book... well he's still hiding.

I feel so bad for him. He's always so timid but this.... this was really awful for him. That thing attacked him and tried to savage him.... At least he thinks so and I'll never be able to convince him otherwise.

As for me, it'll take days to clean up all this mess. It looks like my apartment has been ransacked.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Poor Book! 

I can't even imagine having to clean up this mess.

Hurricane Book. *Cat*egory 5.


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

I a. So sorry, poor Book! However, I was laughing as I read it. It was like out of a sitcom or a cartoon! I hope that the poor baby recovers from the ballon attack and that you recover from the shock of your poor ransacked apartment.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I was kind of hoping there was a video at the end of the story but I guess that would have been beyond cruel. Poor Book...


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Oh poor Book and poor you! Hope the clear up doesn't take too long and looks worse than it is.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Ok... I'm a crappy cat mom but I admit it. I was laughing so hard my sides hurt while he was racing around..... I thought I was going to hyperventilate. He was trashing the place but I was laughing and all the time hoping he wouldn't hurt himself AND that the balloon wouldn't pop, I was afraid that noise would fracture his little psyche forever.

I let him WATCH me from the pot cabinet while I turned the balloon loose outside. So now he's out and about. A bit jumpy still but feeling much safer. He's also a LOT more affectionate than normal. He's always friendly but right now he's all about Mom holding him.


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Well, getting extra affection is the bonus. Kind of every balloon has a silver lining LoL


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

Well, of course he is! Mom saved him and chased the horrible monster out of the house. You are his hero!


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## DeafDogs&Cat (Mar 27, 2013)

OMG I am so with you Mow! I would have felt terribly guilty... but would have died laughing! poor Book, and poor apartment. 

But I wish there was a vid, too lol


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Today I learned that cinnamon stains a beige carpet. I'm going to have to bring a carpet cleaner now..... it sort of needed it after Neelix dragged potting soil everywhere. Now this, there's no getting around it.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Oh dear God! Poor Book, I know this has probably traumatized him...
At the same time, reading your narrative of the situation, has me rolling on the floor!!
And that whole disaster, following Neelix's escapades...well mercy!
And you just did your Super cleaning!!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

The new tagline in the house is now , "Don't MAKE me get the balloon!"


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

mowmow said:


> the new tagline in the house is now , "don't make me get the balloon!"


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## DeafDogs&Cat (Mar 27, 2013)

You absolutely KILL me MowMow! Seriously, my stomach hurts!


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

OMG laughing so hard...Poor Book! No video, but that description came pretty close -I've got a pretty good image of Book flying along with the balloon bouncing off his back. 

So Book went into the pot cabinet and didn't come out for hours? Smart cat. :mrgreen: 

Sorry about the clean-up though. And I hope Mr. Book has fully recuperated from his balloon nightmare!


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

Oh my. I was hoping that balloon didn't pop. I think that would've really driven Book over the edge if it did! And though it sounds horrible, I think I'd still get a balloon for Nelix but keep him in a room without Book next time.

I think I'd be upset with all the extra cleaning and stuff to replace now, and hope your Mac, blue ray, and any other electronics still work! 

Btw, was this a rubber balloon or Mylar? I'm imagining the traditional red ballon, but still curious....


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

It was hysterical in a way, but poor Book and wow, what a path of destruction. 

_Some _people (no one on this forum) would have gotten mad at the cat.


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Aww, poor Book!! My timid kitty Cosette got the thin handle of a paper shopping bag around her neck and RAN from it. That darn bag followed her all over the house. Poor thing was a wreck when I finally caught my poor panicked baby to remove the offending bag. 
Book learned how bad balloons can be! They are scary like clowns


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

it was a black rubber balloon with an orange ribbon.

annoyed the mess, yes. Mad at Book, no. It sure wasn't his fault.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

How is Book doing this morning?
Poor Boy!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

He's just fine. I gave him a good long muscle massage last night, I thought it might help prevent soreness today from so much...exercise.

He's been sticking pretty close to MowMow or I all day (and all last night). He's snoozing with Mow on the fleece bed.


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

OMG how horrible AND how funny lol - poor Book, that guy is just star-crossed isn't he? Glad he has come through the mishap without too much lingering trauma, or so it seems. How about your electronics, did they fare as well? I was in stitches reading your description, while simultaneously my heart went out to Book thinking how completely out of his mind he was. atback


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Everything seems to be working just fine. No permanent damage done.


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## zuma (Nov 5, 2009)

Oh poor Book, but I was literally laughing out loud too. I'm glad there isn't any lasting damage to a fragile psyche or expensive electronics


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

As I read a cartoon was playing in my mind. I think I would have been standing there with my mouth open. What was Neelix doing while this was going on?


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## G-PEG123 (Feb 20, 2014)

That is SO funny! Except the horrible mess. I was thinking "Get a balloon" right up until the mayhem started! I hope your place is back to normal by now.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Haha! Neelix was hilarious. He started off like Woohooo, we're gonna run! The when Book cleared off the counter he got scared and ran to me (I was standing next to the couch). This was about the same time MowMow woke up and came up on the back of the couch by me to watch the chaos. 

When it all ended and I looked for Neelix he was peeking out from around the shower curtain and gave me a huge open mouthed MEOW!. I told him it was OK and went on to look for Book and Neelix followed right behind me.

I just finished a final vacuum after treating the carpet. I always put the laundry basket over the treated spot until the cleaner dries and I vacuum it up again..... but it wasn't CLOSE to big enough to cover all the spots. I had various boxes open side down all over the dining room  Waiting for the resolve to dry. Neelix had a blast jumping from box to box until I finished vacuuming and cleaned it all up. House is all back to normal now.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

...til the next episode! KitterKat Club enterprises sounds really fascinating!


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## BotanyBlack (Apr 6, 2011)

ok first of all *hugs to Book* (when last I was on he was still healing from a broken leg...) and yet I laughed so hard.. so did my OH who for some reason decided to read over my shoulder...


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

How's Book? Did you get everything tidied up? I know what you mean though. This is a frightening sitch for one of your furbabies, you TRY not laugh, but... it's...so...FUNNY!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

He's actually not doing that well, I should have kept MowMOw's appointment and taken Book instead. He's acting super squirrely around the apartment. Anything he passes on the ground (like cat toys or slippers or the couch pillows Neelix is always knocking down) he acts squirrely and spookie and circles it.

I've always suspected he had eyesight issues. The vet looked at his eyes more than once and said they seemed fine and healthy. Now I can't decide if he's still nervous after the balloon thing or his eyesight is getting worse. His eyes are bright, not milky or weird or anything. I noticed that he's much worse in half light. If it's super bright he's fine or very dark he's fine... but in twilight where it's very shadowy he skulks a lot and spooks at toys and things on the floor.

I dropped a grocery receipt the day before yesterday and I watched him circle it for ages until Neelix started playing with it. Since it was a wonderful new toy I left it for Neelix and last night Book was STILL circling that darn thing. He's also become much more obsessed with me.  Normally he looks to MowMOw for reassurance but lately when he's nervous he calls until I come to him. If I reassure him he stops skulking and his tail goes up and he's fine... until something spooks him and he calls me again.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Poor little guy.


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