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The cat came back … with a bad attitude
By Gina Spadafori
July 25, 2009
I keep my cats inside for a reason, and it probably not one of the reasons all the experts give you.
Well, sure, I keep my cats inside so they don’t become road pizza, or get snapped up by a foraging coyote roaming along the creek behind the house. I also keep them in so they don’t themselves snap up smaller critters, and so my neighbors who don’t like or have cats don’t have to deal with mine.
But the No. 1 reason I don’t let my cats out? Because access to the outside turns Ilario into a butthead.
When he’s outside, he won’t let me near him. He clears the area of mice and rats — very efficiently, I must say — and then starts hunting in the tangled berry vines and tall weeds along the creekbed. He lounges fat and happy on the brick patio, and disappears under the house when he wants to be left alone. He rubs against the dogs, purring, and tiger-huffs for his love Clara to join him in his predatory rounds — but she’s rather have her dinner on a plate.
Eventually, he decides maybe that food-on-a-plate thing is so bad after all, and after two or three days of staying just out of arm’s reach where I’m concerned, he slips back inside when I open the door for the dogs.
And then he ignores me for two or three days, roughly as long a period as he stayed out in the yard.
During this period he’s an orange ghost, slinking just along the outside of my peripheral vision. If I approach him, he’s out the cat door into the garage. When I feed him, he waits for me to back away before he’ll even approach the dish.
Let’s just say it’s not exactly a warm and rewarding relationship for me.
But then … I get my orange squirt back.
After a day or two of life with my feral tiger being trapped in the house, Ilario will hop onto the bed while I’m reading before sleep, push the book out of the way and settle his orangy bulk onto my upper chest with all his purr motors going.
“Welcome back, Lars,” I’ll tell him, and he looks at me with eyes wide, as if he say he has no idea what I’m talking about, but hey, would you catch that spot right behind the ears for me?
After that, he’s a warm and loving cat — until the next time he slips out.
Which is why I work very hard to ensure there is no next time.
Image: Ilario, “You talkin’ to me?” My wild child, in his “feral” glory.
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Gina, the fence that is suppose to keep my cats in came in six days. However, getting someone my husband considers the best man to do it—well, he was busy until this Monday. I am hoping he keeps to his word and I will be able to tell you all about this marvelous cat fence.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 25, 2009 @ 7:15 am
Great story Gina, kind of a Mother Nature
mind-meld going on. Ive seen that too, like they dont want be associated with you in the great out-doors, like a teenager who is embarrased to be seen with their parents, lol.
Comment by Sandi K — July 25, 2009 @ 7:27 am
Gina, I have a big problem deciding how many birds a day should I allow my young cat to kill.
I hate the killing, so I say none, but she tells me by her action that she should be allowed one or two a day—not to eat, but just doing what a cat usually enjoys doing.
Ilario is so handsome, and I am glad he gets along well with your menagerie.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 26, 2009 @ 5:55 am
I would say none. :) You don’t want your cat killing endangered birds, and you don’t want disease and parasites.
Indulge the hunting instinct with interactive toys. That toy on the banner now — the Play ‘n’ Squeak — is really something. When the company signed on, they sent me some samples. My hunter Ilario went crazy! Every “mouse” has a chip in it that plays a recording of a real mouse when it’s tapped.
Check ‘em out by clicking the banner.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 26, 2009 @ 6:35 am
Thanks—maybe that will cure my vomiting spells when I try to pick up a deceased bird.
Phyllis gave me a good idea in that a plastic bag is a good to use but picking up the bird, even with an instrument, gets me gritting my teeth and feeling sick at the same time.
I’ll try getting the toy but on my computer I am having trouble seeing the banner—only see the pet insurance ad. I know I am not the most computer savvy person, but I do try to get the info. If I see the banner, I will get Sophie the toy.
She is in now—and has gotten O birds this A.M.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 26, 2009 @ 7:53 am
The banners rotate. Hit refresh and the Play ‘N’ Squeak will come up eventually.
Here’s a direct link: http://www.playnsqueak.com/
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 26, 2009 @ 7:57 am
I visited the Playnsqueak website and clicked on the mouse sound player. I didn’t hear anything, so I clicked several more times to see if I needed to change some computer connections or whatever, then I turned up my speaker volume and heard a noise. When I looked up from the computer, I saw about 6 cats striding into the room with looks of curiosity on their faces - guess THEY heard the squeak the FIRST time… I’m going to have to get one of those.
Cats’ reactions to being outside varies from cat to cat. I’ve had some that love to roll in the dirt and scratch their backs, eat some grass, then run inside to use the litter box because there’s no “bathroom” outside, while others, like Ilario, hate to have to come back inside, and have to be caught.
Comment by Shadepuppy — July 26, 2009 @ 1:39 pm
Gina, Simon’s cat has a new short up
http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
of course, you might not want Ilario and Clara to pick up pointers!
Comment by JenniferJ — July 26, 2009 @ 2:42 pm
Allen (my Ilario look-a-like), escaped for the first time ever a few weeks ago. When I realized he was missing, I ran outside and started calling his name in as calm a voice as I could - and he responded right away. For the next five minutes, while I searched the woods behind my house, we played Marco Polo; I called, he meowed, I called, he meowed. Poor baby was cowering under some thick bushes and didn’t move even when I bent to pick him up.
He looks longingly out the windows and makes this pitiful yearning cry every now and again, but, thankfully, doesn’t try to dash out the door anymore.
Comment by A.C. — July 26, 2009 @ 5:53 pm
Gina, my happiness is immeasureable today.
I do not get those moments often, but today is one of them.
I have the fence up, put up by fencing experts, and now I can let Inca, my cat, roam inside—it is almost the size of the yard!
With our meager money supply, I still think it was worth every cent.
The fence man is going to advertise it so he can get more business but I would be happy if other people would so enclose their cats so there would be less broken hearts around when cats get lost.
The Hemenway House in Florida has fencing from them, and the fenceman is pretty sure it will work, so right now I am confident about its security for cats.
The website is http://www.purrfectfence.com/
Christie Keith had her whole yard enclosed once, and I was jealous—but no more!
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 29, 2009 @ 6:56 am
I’m so glad you’re happy with it! I have GOT to get on it, and get my own cat fencing installed. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 29, 2009 @ 7:18 am
Gina, this is the first day of the test, as you know. The only problem is the squirrels are having trouble getting out once in a while. However, they do have an alternate route which is climbing up the apple tree in the middle and jumping out. The squirrels have to learn a new route for themselves, that is all.
However, the fenceman made sure the branches left on the tree would not entreat a cat—they would be too light for a cat to climb onto.
Fun—fun—fun I am having Right Now!
If you have a wooden fence already, there is a cheaper alternative and that is a top fencing to keep predators out and cats in.
See ya—on to watch the whole scenario play out with the birds, squirrels, and two black felines.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 29, 2009 @ 7:48 am