I have a question for you parents and pet owners out there. (I know you can't really compare being a parent and having a pet. For example, pets tend to shed more than kids do.)

Anyway ... have any of you had that sinking-feeling moment when you realized that maybe your beloved little creature was ... well ... kinda stupid? And you felt a little sad about that?

I experienced this feeling yesterday. Background: The S.O. and I adopted two cute little brother kittens from the Humane Society of Southern Arizona several months ago. I named them Buster and Maeby. Today, they're still cute, albeit larger, kittens.

Anyway, Garrett was cleaning the carpet yesterday—meaning he couldn't hear a damn thing. When he turned off the carpet cleaner, he heard Maeby letting out a blood-curdling YOWL in the Arizona room. He rushed back there and was alarmed when he could not find Maeby at first. Finally, he realized: Maeby was stuck behind a bookshelf, wedged between it and the wall. About this bookshelf: It's up against a corner, with a bookshelf right next to it, and a large box on top of it. The only way Maeby could have gotten stuck: He must have gotten on top of the bookshelf in the small space between the box and the wall, and then he must have either fallen or jumped behind the shelf. (The shelf leaned forward a little, leaving a space between the top of the shelf and the wall about the size of Maeby's width, not much larger.)

Anyway, Garrett had to basically dump everything off of the shelf and move it to free Maeby, who was unharmed. The shelf has since been fixed so it no longer leans.

But ... how stupid must this cat be to have gotten himself wedged where he did? I mean, gads. I should also note this is the same cat who has gotten a paw caught in one of those sticky bug traps that exterminators leave behind. Twice. (His brother, Buster, has never managed to do this.)

So, I think Maeby's obviously not the brightest bulb. As a matter of fact, there's evidence he's pretty damn dim. And I feel sad about this.

Anybody out there had similar experiences? Thoughts?