Our poor boy was going nuts in my aunt's little one room apartment without even a window to look out of. So she has taken to keeping him in a harness and letting him outside on a tether.
Now, I don't like the idea of cats on leashes. But I totally understand my aunt's fear that Biscuit will get run over or eaten by a passing dog. And of course I'm all for keeping little birdies and bunnies from death by claw or tooth.
( A question for other cat people - how do you deal with the inside / outside issue? How do other cats live? )
While I was there visiting, we let him off the leash. He romped and sniffed and rolled and had a great time. And then the real fun began.
Dakota, the neighborhood tramp showed up.
Who's this in my territory?
I bet I can sneak up without her seeing me...
Hallo.
Don't hallo me, you sassy little twerp.
Aw, come on and play with me!
I want none of this, back off! Can't you see my ears and the hackles on my back? Don't you understand cat-speak? I'm old, and this is MY turf.
Damn little upstart pipsqueak won't leave me alone. Maybe he won't see me here. If I sit like stone and don't look at him... maybe he'll go away.
She wouldn't play with me! I didn't mean to scare her, honest. I just wanted to runandjump and playandwrestle!! Oh well, I'll pounce on this fluffy stuffed thingee.
Hey, it looks a lot like my new friend!
Update: Don't miss this week's Friday Ark for more animalius. (is that a word? feh, don't quibble...) And this week's Carnival of the Cats will be purring at Boxing Alcibiades.
Good to see the boy having fun. Here, our three are indoors cats. They have the run of upstais and down, so it's not all that restrictive. One was a "stray" who adopted us as a kitten and roamed the neighborhood for her first couple of years. We let her use our garage for shelter and fed her until one day she sneaked in past me and hid, refusing to leave.
Still here, refusing to go outside. Must be something really mean she doesn't wanna face. heh
Posted by: David | July 15, 2005 at 06:48 PM
When I was a kid, our cats were indoor/outdoor cats. As I got older, I realized they needed to stay indoors (different cats) for safety's sake.
My first cat was a stray and used to being outside until he found us. He hung around for about a week until I let him in the house (I was a year old). So he knew his turf early on.
Posted by: Kris | July 15, 2005 at 08:50 AM
My two stay inside all the time. When I was younger, two of our cats were deliberately poisoned. That made us confirmed keep the kitties inside people. Now coyotes roam nearby and critters are disappearing, especially cats. Inside is safer for my two.
Posted by: Kat | July 15, 2005 at 07:58 AM