So I'm innocently eating lunch at my desk in the caviary. DH is out walking our grandpuppy we are babysitting, a half-grown Doberman.

Just now, DH comes in with the dog, turning him loose. Dog apparently suprised the cat, who was doing whatever in the laundry room by the back door. Dog lunges, cat screams and runs into kitchen, dog in hot pursuit. Cat leaps onto the counter; dirty breakfast frying pans and silverware clatter to the floor, probably beaning the dog, who has to skid to a stop by the caviary door.

Cat leaps from counter over the gate, into the caviary (where he's not allowed), stampeding the poor piggies who more freaked by the clattering cutlery than a cat dashing by. Cat spies me and continues running, out the other caviary door and up the stairs (where he's also not allowed.) I drop lunch, run around the desk and manage to partially gate the stairs while I run screaming up the stairs after the cat. Dog knocks aside the gate and runs up the stairs (I think DH was trailing this parade, yelling obscenities or whatever).

Just as I nab the cat, dog barges in and cat is snarling and spitting in my arms, trying to hook the dog. I manage somehow to kick the dog's ass down the stairs where DH nabs the leash the dog has been dragging. I'm still carrying yowling, spitting cat and I toss him over the gate as I again gate the stairs and caviary. (You can get to the stairs from the caviary but not into the caviary, without crossing a gate.)

Cat lands near dog, whom DH is trying to shove into a crate near the stairway. Dog breaks away and chases cat who runs onto the wood stove (good thing it was nearly out), then makes a mad dash past the dog, who is finally caught by DH and shoved into his crate. Meanwhile I and the cat head for the bathroom...

...where I had left both toilet seat and lid up after scrubbing the toilet with cleanser just before lunch. As I get to the bathroom, the cat flies out of the toilet where he'd leaped without realizing the seat was up, spattering me with cleanser, which I was NOT happy about. He ran out and I think ended up back in the laundry room I cleaned mopped up the bathroom, now a lot cleaner than I thought I'd had time for.

And then I ate my now-soggy salad.

Yeah, uh-huh,  I feel less stressed.