On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 03:00:54 GMT, Gerald Miller
wrote:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 07:10:58 GMT, Sue wrote:



I've told this story on some NG before but don't know if it was this
one where I rarely post. I used to have a cat that came in the house
through the chimney. The first time it near scared the daylights out
of me (and probably the cat, too). I heard a rustle, rustle, rustle
in the chimney and next thing I knew the cat streaked out of the
fireplace (didn't have glass doors) with soot flying all over the
place. I didn't have the ability to do anything about the chimney so
that became the cat's way of getting in when no one was home. After
several trips, she came through sootless as she'd swept the chimney
nice and clean. Needless to say we never closed the flue. )
Sue
Sounds like a well trained, useful pet to me!
In our former house, a starling entered through the chimney/gas
furnace draft damper. After much effort, I gave up on capturing the
intruder and went out for the evening, leaving the house cat in
charge. When we returned, all we found were one bird foot and a few
feathers on the floor in front of the TV.
In the current house, after installing a HE furnace, the chimney
serves only the water heater. one day I heard a fluttering noise in
the vent from the water heater. After several heat cycles I determined
that the bird was moving back and forth between the vent pipe and the
clean-out. with much stretching and one arm in the clean-out, the
other in the flue hole, I was able to extract the young starling.

I don't know what the diameters of these things are nor how big your
arms are, but your story gave me visions of the fire dept having to
come and extract you. )

Although I should have wrung its neck, I figured that after four days
(min.) in the chimney, it deserved a second chance!

I agree. You did the right thing.
Sue
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada