Tales From the Front: Cats Multiply on Job Site

Recently, a crew at Barnum Floors in Des Moines, Iowa, was installing hardwood floors for a family who had decided to schedule a vacation during the process; they were excited at the prospect of coming home to a "new" home. They let the crew know that their cat would be in the upstairs master bedroom suite and that a neighbor would be stopping over to feed the cat. When the day arrived to spread the final finish coats, the guys had the front door propped open to unload equipment, and when they closed the front door, they saw a cat wandering across the hardwood floor. They carried her upstairs, put her in the bedroom, spread the final finish coats, locked the door and left. On Monday morning, there was a frantic message on the Barnum voice mail from the customers asking to call them right away regarding their cat. Barnum owner Gary Barnum called immediately, and they told him that when they got home, their bedroom was in shambles—the cat had been climbing the draperies, knocking over pictures and using the mattress and bedspread for a litter box. It turns out that there had been a stray cat in the neighborhood lately, and that was the cat the workers had put into the bedroom—along with the family cat. Needless to say, Barnum had to replace the mattress, bedding and draperies. "Luckily, the homeowners were understanding and actually found humor in the mishap," says Manager Kathy Barnum. In fact, the cats had become friends, and the family even ended up keeping the new cat.

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