GREYTOWN CAT CAUGHT OPENING NEIGHBOUR'S GARAGE DOOR ON CAMERA — INSTALLER SAYS DOOR IS "WORKING PERFECTLY"
The door's under warranty. The cat isn't.
A Greytown cat has been filmed letting itself into a neighbour's garage by standing on its hind legs and thumping the wall button, and the bloke who fitted the door wants it on record that this is not a fault.
The garage belongs to Raewyn Cotter, who put a camera up in July after finding her Hilux door ajar three mornings running and "paw prints on the tray like it'd been doing laps". The footage shows a tom named Basil trotting up the side path at 5.40am and leaping at the button by the internal door. The roller goes up. Basil walks in.
"He's not even sneaky about it," Cotter said. "Sits in the driver's seat. Once I found him on the chainsaw. My husband's blaming the installer. I'm blaming the cat. The cat's blaming no one, he's a cat."
Basil's owner, two doors up, said he'd been "wondering where he was getting the sawdust from" and offered to pay for "whatever a cat-proof button costs". That turned out to be nothing, because nobody makes one. Cotter has since rung South Wairarapa District Council to ask if there was "a bylaw or something". She was told there was a form, and that the form was for dogs.
The installer, a fitter from Masterton who asked to be named only as "the bloke who did it properly", said he'd been out to look and found nothing wrong. "Button's at standard height. Door goes up when it's pressed. It got pressed. That's the job. You want it higher, that's a Tuesday job and it's cash." In fourteen years, he said, he'd been blamed for wind, kids and a possum. "Now a cat. That's a first. Fair play to him."
The button has not been moved. Footage from Wednesday shows Basil arriving at 5.38am, opening the door, and this time closing it behind him.
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Reader Letters
couchgremlin
This is barking mad!
★ JoannePetone
Honestly, how about investing in proper security. I know the Hutt can be sketchy, but at least our cats stick to their own garages.
LyndaONZ
Raewyn should just be proud her garage door works perfectly. Not rooted at all!
★ Margaret_F
In our day, cats knew their place. Gerald and I never had these troubles because we didn't spoil them. The youth today, honestly!
★ BarryBishopdale
Bloody cat's smarter than half the politicians out there! Wonder if it can negotiate a trade deal or something.
kauri_kid
You know it's bad when cats are opening doors better than some tradies do.
★ Trev_Hornby
At least the installer owned up to it. She'll be right, Raewyn. Just need to shift that button up a bit. Bloody clipboard munters would love this one!
wayne1987
Mate, that installer was out of line, honestly! But Raewyn seems a bit relaxed about it all.
ropeable_dave
Council needs to get involved. They'll regulate everything under the sun but can't sort a bloody renegade cat problem. Typical.
tired_in_riccarton
Dogs must be shaking their heads at this one. Cats getting into garages while dogs just lie by the kerb.
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