hazards

when i got back to my apartment this morning from my walk with bad dog, there was a cat loose in my hall. mac went through the door first, saw it before i did, and took off after it, pulling the leash out of my hand. they went around the corner of the hall and them came flying back around to me. i tackled mac and put him in the apartment. then i went to find the cat. i was reassured by the fact there wasn't blood on the carpet. the cat had gone out the door that mac and i had just come in, which means the whole adventure happened so fast that the door didn't have time to close. when i found the cat out in the open stairwell, she was still breathing hard with dilated pupils, but seemed intact. i don't know if she's a stray or belongs to someone in the building. once i came back in the apartment and made sure that mac still had both his eyes and that his nose was intact, i realized that i strained my arm. so i've been icing and elevating it. i'm so alert to all kinds of hazards to dog and to people walking dogs in the outside world: skateboards, cars, squirrels, etc., but i was not expecting a cat in my hallway. i think bad dog enjoyed himself though.

later i found out that the cat belonged to my neighbor, who says it's the first time the cat had gotten out in 14 years. my neighbor was grateful that i told her that her cat was out and where to find her. i don't think she really took in the fact that her cat had a near-death experience.