A Flying Rhinoceros in a Crowded Room

We have a cat. We also have a gerbil.

The gerbil is kept in a room where the door is kept closed.

Sometimes if I'm in the gerbil room I'll keep the door open. The cat doesn't mess with the gerbil too much unless the gerbil is particularly active, rustling and kicking chips out. And if the cat gets too interested in the gerbil I can just kick her out and close the door. Apparently what I failed to do the other day was the step where I kick the cat out prior to closing the door.

And how did I find out I neglected to do so? No, no - nothing like that - no bloody gerbil remains are involved. It was simply that the hubby and I were watching TV and relaxing - a rare occurrence for me. Then we heard a huge thump from upstairs. Like a furniture tipping over thump, or a flying rhinoceros landing in a crowded room thump. I yelled out, asking the ducklings what just happened and if everything was OK. Then I realized they were on a different floor from where the flying rhinoceros had landed.

Hubby and I raced upstairs. The gerbil door was closed as it should be. The hubby pushed it open and there was the cat, all wide-eyed and innocent, staring up at us. Next to her was a pile of toppled stuff from the shelf next to the gerbil cage. Who, me? she seemed to be saying.

And the gerbil was just sitting up, poking his head from his pile of chips and bedding, blinking at the light sleepily. Huh? Wha? What's all the noise?

Somehow the cat got closed IN the room and when she awoke she decided to check out the gerbil. From up close.

Quack!