Thoughts for Thursday – Cats Out and About

A favorite topic here, as you may have noticed, is whether to let your cats outside or keep them in. And a general consensus is, it depends on the cat. Cats are small, but some of them are mighty big in purrsonality. They know what they want and when and generally figure out ways to get it. Have you noticed that about your delicate kitty-cat?

If fluffy want the warm spot you left in your favorite chair, she will bug you or simply stare you down until you finally leave. And boy do cats have patience and stamina. Cats can be extremely focused and it can be difficult to distract them from that focus.

Most cat owners have certain rules. No peeing outside the litter box is usually number one. No scratching the furniture. And some of us say, “the out-of-doors is off limits.” Now, as you know, if you’d had many cats, some of them will comply without a complaint. Lily and Sophie stay as far away from the outside doors as they can when one’s open. They’ve never tried to dash out. But I can’t say that for all of the cats I’ve shared my home with over the years.

Dinah was almost a year old when we found her at an animal shelter. And she’d evidently been allowed to venture outside. She loved being inside, but she definitely wanted the option to go out on demand and boy was she demanding. It took us a while to realize that, while she enjoyed playing out in the sunshine and adventuring in the backyard, she also did her potty-duty while outside. In fact, she refused to use the litter box, even when it was raining.

Smokey, the cat I patterned Rags, the star of the Klepto Cat Mysteries, after, is an indoor-outdoor cat. He loves time inside with his people, adores a good lap cuddle, but he’s an adventurer and he must also have outdoor time. So he has kitty doors, which are closed at night. He comes and goes during the day as he pleases, however, and this certainly pleases Smokey. He’s the king of the neighborhood, after all.

Sophie and Lily like to watch the neighborhood cats enjoying our yard and they may be thinking, “Those lucky cats. They get to lay in the sun and chase bugs and butterflies and explore.” But I’d like to think they’re saying to themselves, “Poor kitties. They must not have a cozy and safe home like we do.”

 

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2 Responses to Thoughts for Thursday – Cats Out and About

  1. kathy says:

    I have a kitty door and my kitties could go in and out all day but come nighttime the door got closed and they were OK with that I think that’s why my Katie lived to be almost 23 years my Lil bit was almost 19 and Jack was 18 I lost him just last year . Nothing good happens to kitties at night time outside

    • Patricia says:

      I love having a cat outside with me when I putter in the yard. I miss that now that my cats are all indoor cats. But you’re right, nighttime for cats outside can be dangerous.

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