The Missing Cat - Fine Homebuilding FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Main Menu
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Main Menu Subscribe
Great Moments in Building History

The Missing Cat

Great moments in building history: Feline companion trapped in a bathroom remodel

By Judith Wasserman Issue 207
Article Image

One day, we smelled something funny in the bathroom. Dead critter under the house? Mushroom farm? My husband, Saul, went underneath to look and found dry rot, the kind you get from old plumbing that was not so well done in the first place. The shower had leaked into the wall through the valve cover, and suddenly, it was time to remodel the bathroom. OK, it wasn’t really necessary to remodel the whole room—just the tub and tile surround would do for now. At least we would repair the framing and make sure the plumbing didn’t leak again.

Like the smart architect I am, I hired a general contractor. Then I went out with Saul to select tile. But this story is not about marriage counseling; it’s about my cat.

In short order (I hired a good contractor), the tub was removed, the tile was demolished, and the drywall was taken down to the studs so that the builder could find and repair the water damage. After all the wood was made good, he replaced the tub and redid the framing of the apron, installing the greenboard so that it would be ready for the tilesetters in the morning.

That night, my 20-lb. cat, Gandalf the Grey, didn’t show up for dinner. “Oh, he’s just annoyed that his bathroom is being disrupted,” I thought. “He’ll show up in the morning.” Well, he didn’t, and I was getting worried. This cat does not miss meals. And he doesn’t poke around in strange holes, either. When he isn’t waiting in front of his food bowl, he can usually be found acting as my office manager in charge of rubber bands and pencils, making sure they hit the floor with regularity.

Gandalf is also a dog in cat’s clothing. He comes when he’s called, sits at my feet, and does not meow. Not the most likely candidate for a disappearing act. So I sat down at the computer and printed out a bunch of missing-cat notices, but thought I’d give him one more evening before I posted them.

That evening, I heard a very faint meow. I looked all over, but no cat. Maybe he was out in the side yard? It was getting late, and it can be hard to find a gray cat in the dark. I looked all over the side yard, but no cat. I came back in. I heard him meow again. OK, this cat was really here somewhere. Maybe he got under the house? I grabbed a flashlight, pulled aside the crawlspace cover, called the cat, shone the flashlight around, poked my head underneath, but no cat.

Finally, it was time to go to bed. I put on my pajamas and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. (The sink was not part of the remodel—not this time, not yet. Remember the part about the marriage counseling?) This time, the meow sounded like it was right under the bathtub, so I got the flashlight again and crawled under the house in my pajamas, maneuvering my middle-aged body around drain lines, rusty nails, and various structural supports.  “Poor cat,” I thought, “maybe he’s injured and can’t crawl out.” I made my way to the area under the tub, where I thought I’d heard him, but no cat. Then another meow! I looked up, and there, in the floorboards, was his little furry face. He was trapped between the wall and the bathtub.

Poor cat, indeed! No food and no water for two days now. Saul went down there with his little Sawzall, but we were both nervous about cutting away too much wood because we had no way to support the tub for the night. We poked a tiny cup of water up through the hole in the floorboards and wished Gandalf pleasant dreams.

I called David, the contractor, first thing in the morning and left a message that there was an emergency. I left another message 15 minutes later. When David called and asked what the emergency was, I described the cat behind the tub. David laughed his head off, but he had someone out in less than half an hour and freed my cat. I now have a new set of instructions for pet-owning clients who remodel bathrooms.

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Sign Up

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

×
X
X

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

More Great Moments in Building History

View All
  • The Patient in the Basement

  • The Wheelbarrow

  • The Missing Cat

  • The Builder’s Hand

View All

Up Next

Featured Story

staircase renovation

Staircase Renovation

Loose, tilted flights signal trouble underfoot, but even major problems can be fixed with screws, blocks and braces.

Featured Video

How to Install Exterior Window Trim

In this episode of Shop Class, learn how to measure, cut, and build window casing made of cellular PVC, solid wood, poly-ash boards, or any common molding material. Plus, get tips for a clean and solid installation.

Related Stories

  • Podcast 319: Building in a Flood Zone, Who Pays for Warranty Work, and Converting Attics to Living Space

  • Fine Homebuilding Flashback: 1981, The Magazine's First Year

  • Podcast 318: PRO TALK With Adam Feldman, Pt. 1

  • Fine Homebuilding – February/March 2021, Issue #297

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

  • Fine Homebuilding All Access
  • Fine Homebuilding Podcast
  • Tool Tech

    Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

  • "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

    Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

    Sign Up See all newsletters

Video

View All
  • FHB-Podcast, episode 319

    Podcast 319: Building in a Flood Zone, Who Pays for Warranty Work, and Converting Attics to Living Space

  • FHB Podcast PRO-TALK #318

    Podcast 318: PRO TALK With Adam Feldman, Pt. 1

  • flared cedar shingle siding detail

    How to Install Flared Sidewall Shingles

  • FHB Podcast 317

    Podcast 317: Natural Air Changes, Flashing Windows in Brick Walls, and Cleaning Construction Messes

View All

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • Fine Homebuilding Magazine Slipcase

    Buy Now
  • 2020 Fine Homebuilding Archive

    Buy Now
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition

    Buy Now
  • Musings of an Energy Nerd

    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 297 - Feb/Mar 2021

    • Foundations for Success
    • Staircase Renovation
    • Ditch the Hose
  • Issue 296 - Dec 2020/Jan 2021

    • Insulating Glass Keeps Getting Better
    • Simple Way to Make Old Walls Straight and Plumb
    • Making Sense of Minisplits
  • Issue 295 - Kitchens & Baths

    • Condo Kitchen Reimagined
    • Row-House Remodel
    • Rise of the IAQ Monitor
  • Issue 294 - Oct/Nov 2020

    • Schoolhouse Reimagined
    • Tool Test: Folding Sawhorses
    • A Better Way to Build Tall Walls
  • Issue 293 - Aug/Sept 2020

    • A Practical Guide to Fall Protection
    • Installing Frameless Cabinets
    • Make Any Tablesaw Safer

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Manage Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility

© 2021 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Account

  • Log In
  • Join

    Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

    Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

    All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

    Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

    More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

    Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Follow

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 52%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in