Indoor Cats

The glorious Mr. Fluffypants

When I was a kid, cats were strictly outdoor animals.  (Okay, at our farm all animals were outdoor only animals.  My parents were old school that way.)  I always wanted one to sleep with me but my mom was having none of that.  I grew up, got a house of my own complete with cats and dogs.  They were indoor/outdoor animals. The cats got to sleep with me but also hunt birds, climb trees and all the things cats enjoy doing.  I had kids.  My kids love animals the way I do, but one of my children is C. R. A. Z. Y.  about cats.  She's also quite sensitive and when something goes wrong with her day,  it can sometimes ruin her whole world.  She has a special bond with one of our cats, Mr. Fluffypants. He's become something of a therapy animal for her.  He can instantly sooth her, bringing the sunshine back to her life with willing cuddles and licks.

Freddy and Mr. Fluffypants birdwatching.

One day, Mr. Fluffypants decided to act like a cat and pretend he couldn't hear us calling him in at night. He sat on the neighbor's deck, in plain view, and just looked at us as we begged him to come home.  For three days.  That was a pretty long three days for us as we tried to minimize his disappearance for our daughter.  After that we were hesitant every time we let him out, and kept a close eye on him.  I trained the cats to come running at the sound of a spoon on a plate.  Then we moved.  Twice in a year.  Moving with cats can be tricky.  They'll sometimes try to go back to the old home, or get in trouble with unfamiliar streets or animals.  It was important to keep all of our pets safe during this time, so all three cats became indoor only animals.  I feel a little guilty even though I know it's for their safety,  even though I have an enhanced interest in keeping Mr. Fluffypants safe for our daughter's sake.  I know life in a house is dull for a cat, they are natural roamers and hunters. Toys and kids are fun but I'm sure my cats miss climbing trees and really sunning themselves on fences.  I've hung a bird feeder where my cats can sit in a windowsill and watch them eat.  I did it thinking it would entertain them, and it does.  I do wonder though, if it's more of a cruelty to show them what they can't have.  They sit and chitter at the birds, noses almost pressed to the glass.   Our cats are safe, but are we cheating them?

It was a pretty good show this morning.