My doorman had called a week or so earlier to say my downstairs neighbor had bedbugs and by law all adjacent apartments in our building had to be inspected. I was given a date in the coming week when I was to admit a bedbug-sniffing dog who would determine if the infestation had spread.
But Passover was approaching and with holiday preparations and all that cooking to do, I completely forgot about the bedbugs until the appointed morning when my doorman called to say the handler and his dog were on their way up.
We have one cat and had been babysitting my son’s two cats while he was traveling on business. He had red-eyed home the night before, had crashed at our place, and was sleeping off his jet-lag while all three cats were roaming around the apartment. Seder was the next night and I had just cooked a big batch of chicken soup and was making matzo balls when the doorbell rang.
I opened the door to Dave and a lovely black and white female dog named Remy.
“I must warn you there are three cats in the apartment,” I told Dave, “but I guess they’ll hide from the dog.”
“Sorry,” he said, “but you’ll have to isolate the cats, I suggest you put them all in the bathroom. Meanwhile we’ll wait outside in the hall.”
So waking my son we scurried around to find all three cats and get them into the bathroom. Then Dave explained that if Remy detected any bedbugs, like a good hunting dog, she would stop in her tracks and point. And thus curious to see Remy in action, we followed Dave as he led her from room to room.
Thankfully, Remy found no bedbugs, but with a sniffing dog inspecting our apartment, three cats scratching to get out of the bathroom, and me timing my matzo balls on the stove, it sure felt like a Seinfeld moment!
– Dana Susan Lehrman
What a near Catastrophe! Please don’t tell me that Remy ate the matzoballs or did she find last year’s affikomen? Now I feel very itchy. Thnx