Buck got out last night. My friend and I were standing at the front door, talking, as she was leaving, and he got out. He has only tried this once, and he got halfway down the stairs and freaked out and came back.

This time it was, "See ya!" No looking back.

He has no claws AT ALL (again the disclaimer: a former owner did it). There is a killer orange tabby down the cove who is known to the vet because of the cats that come in for treatment after his attacks. So you can see why Kitty's Mommy gets a little worried.

All that really seemed to have happened was Buck got a little wet, his feet were muddy, and he had a few small tufts of hair that were out of place or loose. I think he turned tail at the sight of Orange Kitty and fled home. Sometimes I like it that he's a sissy boy.

I did give him the displeasure grasp, where I take hold of his ruff and make him look at me. He knows this means "bad kitty". I don't pull on him or hurt him, just look him in the face and tell him I am Not Pleased. Then he squirms and wants to go be invisible for a while.

He knows he's in disgrace because he's not trying to sit on my lap or lie on the kitchen table. He's minding his P's and Q's and just sitting by the woodstove. Occasionally he makes the rounds to hog food from his sister, but otherwise, the assholian behavior is in check.

He'll recover.