By Whisker Wonders,
One Saturday afternoon, my grandmother called, clearly fed up with being a pet parent to a chicken feaster, Lucky.
“If you don’t come for this cat, you’ll repay me for every single chicken she’s eaten!”
By Sunday morning, I was on the road, and Lucky, who had been feasting on my grand mother’s chicken was coming to Nairobi with me.
Coincidentally, my landlady had travelled upcountry that weekend. So I quietly introduced Lucky, then visibly pregnant, into my already delicate household, hoping she (landlady) wouldn’t notice one more tail.
Lucky settled in smoothly. But two weeks later, she gave birth to a litter of four.
I prayed that by the time the landlady returned, I’d have found new homes for the kittens.
When the Basket Isn’t Good Enough
I’d prepared a cozy nesting space lined with towels, tucked in a quiet corner. Perfect, I thought. But Lucky had other plans.
One morning, I went to check on her and found the basket empty. Panic. Absolute panic.
Moments later, my landlady appeared. She had just returned. “Cess! Kuna kitu kwa ceiling yangu! Kuna paka huko juu ama ni panya kubwa?!”
I stepped outside and met Lucky at the entrance to the landlady’s kitchen. She gave me that look. You know the one. Then she meowed pointedly, turned, and climbed through a small ceiling opening.
Seconds later, I heard soft, familiar meows from above. Lucky had migrated her kittens into the landlady’s ceiling. I was almost evicted that day.
Operation Cat Catch
There was only one solution to calm things: launch Operation Cat Catch.
I made a few frantic calls and finally found a local plumber who agreed to help. Armed with a flashlight and more courage than I had, he climbed into the ceiling.
The kittens were on the move, crawling through beams, squeaking for their mum. For over an hour, it was hide-and-seek in the rafters. But eventually, one by one, the ceiling kittens were brought down safe, warm, and slightly dusty.
I returned them to their basket. The plumber sealed the opening. Disaster averted.
My landlady stood there, arms folded, watching the whole operation unfold.
“Cess… hizi paka zako zitanimaliza.
I gave a sheepish grin, still cradling a kitten like a rescue trophy.
🐾 Whisker Wonders Reflections
Cat parenting in Kenya isn’t always cute cuddles and soft purrs. Sometimes it’s stolen chickens, secret ceiling nurseries, and landlords questioning your life choices.
But I’ve learned that with love, humour, and a few emergency contacts, even the wildest pet drama becomes a memory worth keeping.
💬 Got your own cat chaos story? We’d love to hear it. At Whisker Wonders, we celebrate the mischief, the mayhem—and yes, the ceiling kittens too.
Read more: From Nairobi to London, Meet Lucky the Pampered Cat.
