This is how an exclusively indoor cat gets his feet dirty.

You may have noticed in some of our photos that the back living room has a fireplace that is no longer used. Instead, it has a “faux” wood-burning stove (actually an electric heater) in front of the opening. However, there is still space for a certain cat to go behind it.I actually thought I had cleaned it sufficiently. Once in awhile Foster would go back there, especially if really little kids or other noisy guests happened to come in. I hadn’t noticed any ill effects, until recently, when somebody had soot on his ear and the bottom of his feet!

And that same someone didn’t particularly want to have the bottom of his feet photographed!

(Truth in blogging: It’s pretty hard to grab a cat’s foot with one hand while taking pictures with an iPhone 6 in the other!)

I could hear the wheels turning: “Hmm…I wonder if I could climb up the chimney?”Successfully lured out with a new favorite toy…the handle from a paper grocery bag!

So now you know.

Any questions?