All the cats are sleeping quietly around me - so what (or who) has fallen down the stairs?

Readers may have guessed already. When I first moved into the townhouse, I planned to keep the two box turtles and the star tortoise out in the car park where they could snuggle under turtle tubs and fish tanks, wander to their heart's content or even come inside, if they wished.

The plan, however, was vetoed by my turtle vet who dropped by to inspect my facilities. Although the soi is small and without much traffic, cars still chug back and forth. Because these three turtles were on the ground, she said, they were at risk from the dust and fumes which could do their bodies great damage.

Besides, although the bottom of the gate is too near the ground for the turtles to squeeze under, every time I opened it, Yoyo the cat and Raja the star tortoise would make a beeline for freedom at the same time.

Yoyo would zip out much sooner of course. As he rolled around on the street, slipping nimbly away from my desperate grasp, Raja would tramp determinedly past the gate.

"Put those turtles on the second-floor balcony," my turtle-vet ordered. Now in the upper regions of the house, they share their new home with several more turtle tubs and they can still come inside if they wish.

They do wish. Pharlap, the male box turtle, has claimed the upstairs bathroom. His lady generally wanders around, checking out corners and trying to climb onto shelves.

Then came that thud and the plops. I find the box lady halfway down the stairs lying slightly stunned on her back. She has tried to descend the stairs. For a turtle, those stairs are high. When she took her first step she must have hit the next stair with the thud I heard, then overbalanced and rolled a few steps farther down, plop plop plop.

I briefly consider buying a gate that parents use when they have stairs and young children, but it is much too complicated for me to find one that would let cats pass but not turtles.

Instead, I decide to wait and see if the box lady has had a learning experience.

Turtles do show some ability to learn - and to solve problems. I don't know if any studies have been done, but I have seen it in my own turtles. They've learned, for example, who brings them food, and also which cat is most likely to fish them out of the water.

I'm pleased to tell you that the box lady now knows about stairs and gravity. The next morning when I climb the stairs to bring the second-floor turtles their breakfast, I find her at the top. There she is waiting for me. As I walk past her, she turns around and follows me to the balcony. She wants her morning meal.

Questions about your pets? Fax (02) 751 4446 or e-mail laurie@nationgroup.com.

By Laurie Rosenthal