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RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

Nicky's Mom — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:11:52 GMT

Thank you Chy! I'm glad your cat knows to stay out of the street. There are 3 cats in my neighborhood (it's all condos, which are right next to the street and there are no yards) that always seem to be out. They regularly go where they want, including across the street! I worry about them a lot! I'm glad yours has a much safer place to be and knows the rules. (Especially to listen to your human parents, a least about the important things like not going into the street.)

Nicky's Mom

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

Chy — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:06:10 GMT

[quote]Nicky's Mom (5/19/2008)

I'm glad you all understood what I was trying to say and didn't try to tar and feather me, lol. (I have had some bad experiences with message boards before so I'm always afraid I'm saying the wrong thing or something and that everyone is going to jump all over me.)
( Chy, I hope your cat stays in your yard, far away from those nasty cars! Your fence idea sounds like a good one.

Nicky's MOM[/quote]

You haven't said anything that I can find any fault with. We're all cat lovers here, so no need to worry. Even if your pet philosophy is different than mine, I can always accept a different point of view and understand how different situations call for different solutions.

The one idea that I feel has been driven into my baby, is that the street is NO!!! She was severely screamed at and spanked when she went into the street, years ago and will not go there. You can tell when a cat goes into the street, because they get calluses on their paw pads. Her pads are soft and silky.
She knows the tone of my voice when I sincerely say NO!! and she will not repeat behavior after she hears that tone. This works for inside too. and she is constantly amazing me with her obedience.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

Nicky's Mom — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:18:35 GMT

I'm glad you all understood what I was trying to say and didn't try to tar and feather me, lol. (I have had some bad experiences with message boards before so I'm always afraid I'm saying the wrong thing or something and that everyone is going to jump all over me.) I had forgotten about the dangers of antifreeze and cars. I don't know how I could forget about cars, because many years ago, we accidentally ran over an outdoor cat. My dad tried to stop in time but couldn't avoid hitting the cat. So we pulled over and went to check out the cat, who was in pretty bad shape. We decided to take it to my friend's house, because her mother worked in a vet's office and they lived very close by. Well, we found out that the cat actually belonged to them, because when carried the cat out, my friend yelled "Sebastian!" They appreciated us bringing the cat and knew it wasn't our fault. Poor Sebastian didn't make it and I've felt horrible about that ever since. I hate it that we accidentally killed my friend's cat. Chy, I hope your cat stays in your yard, far away from those nasty cars! Your fence idea sounds like a good one.

Nicky's MOM

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

PeaLoki&Gabe — Sun, 18 May 2008 15:48:36 GMT

Porbably the safest assumption is that the statistics on indoor/outdoor cats are about barn cats. Which to me, is the saddest life of all for any animal. A well treated barn cat gets kibble to supplment their diet, maybe medical care when needed, they're almost never spayed or neutered and almost never get their shots. And farmers almost never know how many cats they actually have.

Radtech probably missed the most obvious danger to a cat, cars. some cats learn to look both ways before crossing the street, others aren't quite that astute.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

Chy — Sun, 18 May 2008 13:08:38 GMT

Thanks for your comments and concerns, Nicky's Mom and radtech. I totally agree and understand everything you've both said.

I got my baby at 8 weeks and making the decision to let her out was a very hard one to make. Even harder was the training period that lasted for over two years. Since the Coyote episode, she has stayed in her own fenced in back yard more often and has been coming inside earlier than ever before. The worry never goes away, but in my heart of hearts, I really feel like it's cruel to keep my cat inside all the time.

She has really had a wonderful life so far and she seems to want to please me and has been so obedient that sometimes I wonder if she really is a cat ;-) Other than the Coyote fear, my biggest fear is that a neighbor will sell their house and the new owners will not like cats. This is a ridiculously pet friendly neighborhood, which weighed heavily on my decision to let her outside.

Also my experience with cats is contrary to the statistics we've all come to know. All my cats, when I was growing up were in/out cats and they all lived past 18 and one to 23. My brothers cat, my Aunts cat and my friends cats are all over 17 now and have all been in/out cats. I know of 3 indoor only cats that have met their demise from dangers inside the home. One from consuming a dropped prescription drug, one from ingesting a cleaning fluid and one who was poisoned from indoor insecticide. One of my fears is that a fire may start while my baby's trapped inside and I'm away from home. So cats can be unsafe indoors too. Safety really has a lot to do with the owner and his/her ability to be aware of danger.

I'd like to see some more specific evidence from those statistics to see if they included alley cats that were born outside and never had a home with a human, because that would be understandable and add a lot of weight to the side of the low life span numbers. Also how many that did have homes were just let out willy nilly, without the owners really taking stock of the dangers in the neighborhood or using common cat sense? Without the proper attention, an indoor cat can lead a life of a doorstop, and I really feel deep down inside, that that is bordering on cruelty.

My fence needs repair and I'm considering replacing the whole thing and designing a cat fence with all kinds of attachments that would give her endless options for climbing, playing and hanging out. I think she could adjust to the new boundary limitations if the design was interesting enough, so we'll see.

Cats can adapt to so many exciting things to do if given the love, patience and training needed. Eat your hearts out, indoor kitties

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

radtech — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:30:35 GMT

Well, I can tell you that it's pretty much impossible to have a post like yours without everyone telling you to keep your kitties indoors.

I fully understand where you're coming from. We have 6 cats, the last 2 since october of 2007. They all came and went as they please through a cat door. There were never any incidents with wild animals or dogs, just an occasional injury from getting legs caught in fences or scrapes from thick wooded areas. One of our lovely neighbors,however, complained about the cats coming across his yard and another neighbor commented that he was going to start shooting cats that were sitting on his car, so all 6 became indoor cats. They really didn't fuss too much until it started getting warmer. they have access to a small screened in porch via the cat door. We recently built an enclosure that is attached to the screened in porch via another opening. It's fully enclosed in chicken wire with a screened door so we can come in and sit with them and use a weed eater to keep the grass down. We have a ladder in there and some scratching cedar posts and benches and a bird bath for their water bowl and other things for them to play with. They really love it and don't whine to go outside anymore since they can go outside to relax in the sun whenever they want. I feel so much better knowing that nothing can get to them and hurt them. I've even taken 3 of them out on a harness. 2 of them did very well and rather liked it. But it's not the same as being able to roam.

Trust me, in a purrfect world of nice people and friendly animals, my cats would all be indoor/outdoor. I fully believe that cats are happier when they can roam around and run full blast and play in the tall grass, but we don't live in that kind of world. I don't blame you for letting your cat out to live as a cat was meant to live. As long as you can live with the possible consequences, then all's well.

You've given a lot of thought to the obvious dangers of animals and mean people, however, what about the accidental ones? It sounds as if your cat roams around the neighborhood freely and your neighbors seem to like him/her. However, the hidden dangers are things like antifreeze. many people have radiator leaks and antifreeze sitting out that aren't trying to kill cats, but don't think about it at all. so accidental poisoning is a real possibility. Also, many people set out rat poison. Even a mouse that eats rat poison in a house might be a danger to a cat. When mice eat rat poison, many times they go outside in search of water and die outside. If your cat were to consome any part of that mouse, it could also die from the rat poison.

the one thing that I know,and call me selfish, is that I don't ever worry now. I don't stand at my back door and call and call for one of them to come in. I don't leave for work wandering all day if they are going to be home when I come home.

We are already thinking about expanding the cat enclosure to give them even more room to frolick. It's only about 9 x 14 now and we would like to double that. It cost us almost $300 and it was well worth it. It's actually a lot cheaper than a lot that I've seen. It's just 7- 4x4s with some 2x4s along the top and bottom and then chicken wire around the entire enclosure, including the top, and then a screen door with a lock on it so noone can open the door and let them out for meaness. Sure they could just cut the chicken wire, but the cats run back in the house anytime a stranger comes around.

Your decision and it's not an easy one to make. No judgement here, just advice and scenarios.

the one thing I really miss is being able to sit in my backyard with the grass a little high in some places and watch them play and chase each other across the yard. It was like a little "wild kingdom" and it was so fun to watch and take pictures of them chasing butterflies and grasshoppers. Maybe one day our entire backyard can be enclosed! Something to think about...

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

Nicky's Mom — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:15:04 GMT

To Chy: We have had many cats over the years who used to be strays and therefore outdoor cats. They all adjusted well (over time) to being indoor only cats. We used to let our cats out during the day as well. (it's been over 20 years.) But a couple of things happened to change all that. Our cat Snowball (who looked just like allmycats' Snowball) was stolen and then our other cat Tiger was attacked by three neighborhood dogs! (it took my mom 3 or 4 hours to get him down from the tree the dogs chased him up.) We had to rush him to the vet because the dogs had taken a couple of inches off his tail. The vet told us that our Snowball (who was a pretty tough girl) was protecting him. Those two incidents scared my mom so much that she never let any of our cats out again. (This was over 20 years ago.) So you may be able to turn your cat into an inside cat. If there weren't so many dangerous things around, I would let our two guys out. They do love it if we open the window! (but not enough for them to be able to push the screens out, because we live on the third floor and they could fall.) Screened porches, if you have or can have one added, are great for cats. Please don't think I'm judging you or anything, just wanted to let you know that some cats can be turned into indoor cats. The tiger poop sounds like a good idea! It might just keep those coyotes away! (though they are probably just hungry, you certainly don't want them eating your baby!) Your cat is beautiful, by the way!

Nicky's Mom

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

PeaLoki&Gabe — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:17:51 GMT

I'd imagine bear, or any other predator excrement would work as well. Dogs are instinctively afraid of bears. I live in Western PA, where we have a fairly large black bear population. My parents keep bees, and have gardens, apple trees, and a grape arbor, which are all very inviting to black bears; we suspect a bear had wandered into my Sassy dog's territory. She's never seen a bear before but she alternated between cowering and defensive posturing.

She's not the bravest dog, but she had a very strong reaction to it.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

imtripodsmom — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:55:51 GMT

Welcome, Sara. When you pet a cat, usually it will get so stimulated that it gets to a point where it's like it's mating, and it bites to let you know it's had enough. Learn to read the cat's body language and stop when you see it about to bite.

To the rest; concerning the big cat poop, that reminds me of something that occurred here in Orange County, CA. Back in the 70s we had Lion Country Safari, which was a wildlife exhibit where guests stayed in their cars, rented a tape player with a guided tour on tape; it's long since gone, though. Anyway, I saw a story in the local newspaper about this guy who had trouble with deer eating his garden. After trying the usual remedies with haphazard success, he called Lion Country Safari, explained his deer problem, and asked if he could have a few bucketfuls of lion poop. The keepers collected the poop and had it waiting for him when he arrived. I remember there was a picture of the guy loading lidded buckets of the stuff into the back of his truck, with a couple of cute lion cubs checking it out. It worked great--he kept the lion turds in the buckets, opening the lids before dark and covering them the next day because frankly, lion doots are pretty strong, and he didn't want his neighbors complaining. His wife was complaining about the smell, though; she contended that the deer must faint when they caught a whiff of the lion droppings. But the guy got his garden back! So I'd say it's worth a try!

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

slb2071 — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:05:20 GMT

Hi my name is Sara and I am new here.I have a cat named Princess Daisy.I need advice about how to stop her bitting.She lets you pet her then she turns around and starts bitting with no reason.

SARA

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

divinemslou — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:33:55 GMT

In my humble opinion, you should consider making Mr. Bean an inside cat once again.

Seems he might be in danger from the dogs AND from the dog owners.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

TravelNurse — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:53:30 GMT

I am not, by any means, a cat expert... and I am pretty hands off with my buddy, Mr. Bean. He is also an inside/outside cat. But, if I felt at all like his life would be in danger, I would coop him up for a good while until I felt it was safe for him again.

Mr. Bean was originally an indoor cat for about 2 years (I lived on a second story flat with no yard to speak of). But when I got back from the sand box, I moved to a nice townhouse with a fensed in back yard. i was really scared about letting him outside, and he was just as scared about going outside. It took him weeks before he would even walk in the grass! Eventually, he owned that small area and found his ways out (over the walls and fense). He only goes out at night, and only stays out for maybe 4-5 hours. But I worry about him a lot. My neighbors are all dog lovers, and don't take kindly to cats!

I am sure that you are worried about how your cat will feel being stuck inside now, but I can't imagine how you would feel if it didn't come home. From what I can tell, you love it dearly!

Steph

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

PeaLoki&Gabe — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:36:29 GMT

I think the neighbor that admitted he had put anti freeze out for the cats, has moved away. That does not mean I think he was the only one who would do such a horrible thing, and he won't be the last.

he was moderately successful, I didn't see any strays or ferals for a couple of years, but nature abhors a vacuum, and the ferals are back. But also a couple of rat infested buildings were torn down last year, so that may lure the ferals back to the area.

I should've reported him but in truth I didn't know exactly where he lived.

But yes my point was that there's all kinds of cruel people in this world and that you never know what can happen when you let your cat outdoors. While life indoors may not be as interesting, it is certainly safer, and will ensure your cat will have a longer life.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

allmycats — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:57:22 GMT

renosteinke (4/20/2008)

Coyote poop in your yard? Sounds like you need to visit the local zoo.

I'm serious. I had some sort of canine - probably a large dog - visiting my yard regularly, after I got my Motzie. So, one morning I went to a local zoo, and came home with a bucket of BIG cat poop. Lion, Tiger, leopard ... you name it. I scattered it around the yard and - Presto! - no more visits.

LOL!!! That is funny, they probily never gave anyone poop before lol! Sorry I just find that funny.

I have seen, Fox, Bear, Cyotie, Wolf , mt. lion you name it here on the farm. So far they haven't killed my cats. I love all animals!

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

Chy — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:54:41 GMT

@SuperCat
Well you're braver than I am, I wouldn't be able to sleep if my baby wasn't safe inside at night. I think it's true though that, while a cat may be akin to prime rib to a predator, it's not the easiest to catch. We have lots of rabbits, possums and much slower prey to distract the local coyotes away from cats, but I feel I can eliminate most mishaps by keeping my baby in at night.

@renosteinke
Hmm, this sounds very interesting. A few questions, before I call my local zoo.
Did the zoo just give the poo on request? How did they give it to you, in a bucket? How did your cat react to it? I don't want to freak out my baby. How did it affect your lawn? Good fertilizer or bad for the grass? Aside from coyotes, this would probably help me with those few dog owners who don't clean up after their pets.
Did you observe any negative effects at all from the tiger poop?
Thanks,

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

renosteinke — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:57:14 GMT

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

SuperCat — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:04:50 GMT

I've never seen a coyote in our area, but a lot of fox. My cats do stay out all night and I have fixed my deck so that it is blocked off so the cats can jump up and get to safety.

The best option is to have a dog, but our last dog just passed away at the age of 10 and having a dog is just like having another child so we aren't ready for another one yet.

My cats stay out all night maybe twice a week in the summer and not at all in the winter. We live in the woods and have 5 acres with 80 acres of swamp wildlife area in back of us. I have never heard of a red tailed hawk taking a cat. Even an owl will pick anything over a cat -- we have tons of rabbit and rodents for them. I can just picture you running in flip flops in pj's chasing a coyote!

Worry worry worry......

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

Chy — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:41:08 GMT

My baby has been staying within her fenced in yard, more this week than ever before. I wonder if she witnessed me chasing the Coyote, screaming like a banshee? Maybe she learned a lesson, like I did. Hopefully.

Now if I could just get those birds to stop dive bombing her. They've been at it constantly this week, because there were some babies hatched recently and they're in parent mode.

No more Coyote sightings this week and I've alerted all the pet owners in the neighborhood, who have reported that they haven't seen any either. Maybe the word got out, in the Coyote world, that there is a crazy person screaming and chasing them in this area.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

divinemslou — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:38:37 GMT

Imtripodsmom, you are absolutely correct. Poisoning and / or killing domestic animals by other means is a felony and should be reported. However, many sickos in our society will continue to do these horrible things. PeaLokie & Gabe's story reinforces the dictum - KEEP YOUR CATS INDOORS.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

imtripodsmom — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:06:22 GMT

To the person--forgot to get the name, silly me--who said there used to be some jerk who was putting out antifreeze to "take care of" the cats in the neighborhood--I hope you or somebody gave him a piece of your mind, and called the humane society on him. People like that are evil, and what he was doing is a felony.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

divinemslou — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:42:52 GMT

Chy, there is a product advertised in CatFancy magazine that you can add to the top of your fence to prevent your cat from leaping over the fence. I can't remember what it is called, but you might want to look into it.

I will do whatever it takes to prevent my purr babies from becoming predator meals.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

Chy — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:14:44 GMT

@Maruul

Let me complete the humorous image for you. I was wearing flip flops and pajama bottoms. Ever run in flip flops? My legs are still sore

@PeaLoki&Gabe

She has a fenced in yard, but jumps over the fence at will. When she's outside, I always have the same feeling as when the kids walk to school by themselves. Something could always happen, but I've researched the area and eliminated as many pitfalls as possible before letting them go.

@renosteinke

Boy we think alike. I agree with everything you say. This Coyote definitely had my baby's scent and because it was a juvenile I was most concerned about encountering the mother too, because I've seen such teams before.

My baby has many escape routes and lots of hedges and trees to use for defense, as well as quick access to the roof. It fact the whole circle we live on is rich with hedges and fences. The neighbors are constantly telling me my baby was hanging in their yard or on their fences, so I know where she is most of the day. They also tell me that she's not very friendly, which simply means she won't let anyone pet her, which I prefer, since I don't want her to get too secure with anyone but me.
I sized up everything and everybody in the neighorhood, before I made the decision to let her out. She was raised inside the fence and I had some time to contemplate enclosure, before she was able to jump the fence. I bought trial material and tried to see how best to extend the fence and experimented with my ideas as well as found enclosures on the net. All the so called pro's told me the same thing, that a cat will eventually find a way out of an outdoor enclousure if it wants to bad enough. Now that she knows every single bush and fence in the neighborhood, I feel safer than when she was first learning the ropes. I look at this incident as a wake up call to myself to remain ever vigilant. There are at least 30 dogs that are being walked around my block, mostly early morning and just before dusk and I try to only let her out between those times, after the area has been sniffed out. It's this once in a while occasion that freaks me out, but if I have the time, I'm out there looking for her and keeping an eye peeled for danger.

@divinemslou

She's in from dusk to dawn and has never been out all night. She has been staying in her fenced in yard a lot more lately and my neighbors are telling me when she's in their yard - they love her. She hangs in a pretty safe area most of the time, that is unaccessable to Coyotes and strangers. Mostly in the backyards of retirees and widows, who welcome the company, and their connecting backyard of Gray Kitty.
I have never seen a Coyote directly in my driveway before, or even this early at nigh. I know that some neighbors purposely put their cats out all night and they are all gone now. Those cats were unloved and displayed reckless behavior way before their demise and I've trained my baby to not be reckless and she obeys, strangely enough, for the most part.

@slegned

An air assault from a Hawk, is probably the hardest to prepare a cat to defend against. At least a sparrow, protecting it's babies, will squak before it divebombs.

Thanks everyone for you thoughts, it is much appreciated. She has come in between 7:30 and 8:30 the last two nights and has cried to go back out, but mellowed out in her window seat after a couple of hours of being ignored by me.

BTW there was a Coyote poop in my yard the next morning, which I removed and put fertilizer down around the area to kill the smell. Someone recommended I put Cayenne Pepper around the perimeter of my property, but I don't know how effective this would be for...well anything.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

divinemslou — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:37:21 GMT

Good for you, Slegned! We also have coyotes, hawks and owls where I live - Phoenix, AZ. The best places for cats are: indoors and screened enclosures.

Small cat doors provide some protection but not a lot. The cat has to make it inside the door before the predator gets him.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

slegned — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:04:44 GMT

We have coyotes where I live too (Columbia River Gorge, OR). Also have to be watchful of red tail hawks that can carry off cats.

My two stay inside and have free access to the screened patio.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

PeaLoki&Gabe — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:15:19 GMT

There's cat doors that will only open for the animal wearing the transmitter for the door (like a garage door opener).

I don't know much about coyotes and cats, if a cat survives the chase with a coyote how willing are they to go out and do it again? I know little nuisances like rain or snow can keep my trio happily indoors all season. (By the time snow falls again they've more or less forgotten about snow- they know they don't like but aren't sure why).

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

divinemslou — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:57:51 GMT

renosteinke's ideas are teriffic. The best idea is to keep your cat indoors.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

renosteinke — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:05:07 GMT

The coyote you saw was probably a juvenile, not yet on his own, but doing some exploring.

Never underestimate coyotes, and their love of fresh cat! I have watched coyotes patrol apartment complexes, pausing at every place that had a cat - just checking to see if someone got careless.

Two common cat-owner practices make the danger even greater. leaving out food is one - to coyotes (and other critters) cat food is like ice cream! They love it, and will become frequent visitors.
The second is less obvious ... bells on the cat's collar. Coyotes quickly learn that the bell means a cat is near ... so the hunt begins. Think of collar bells as "dinner bells" for the coyote.

If you're going to insist on letting your cat out, at least provide as many protected places for the cat as you can. Spaces too small for the coyote, trees to climb, fenced in, protected places.
For example, a pole wrapped in carpet, propped against the house, makes it a snap for kitty to climb to the roof in a hurry. A length of 6" sewer pipe is plenty large enough for a cat to scramble into ... but too small for the coyote to follow.
More expensive, a 4 ft fence is easy for a cat to leap, but a barrier to the coyote. You can also provide small spaces under the fence, that the coyote can't fit through. Thick hedges are another possibility.

Some folks have gone 'all out,' and made simply huge enclosures for their cats. Large enough for real bushes, maybe even birds.

If you're going to have a 'cat door,' it's best to have several small ones. You don't want the coyote ... or other critters ... to come inside as well. Nor do you want to provide a hunter with a 'sure place' to stalk his prey.

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

PeaLoki&Gabe — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:52:34 GMT

I had a neighbor boy tell me he was "taking care" of the cat problem in my neighborhood by putting out anti-freeze for them! I haven't voluntarily let my purrr kids out since (even though I don't think he lives in the area anymore) Have you considered a window box for your kitty or an outdoor enclosure? Something that would allow her to be outside but confined and safe? so you don't have to go through this. Otherwise get yourself a script for Ativan, Xanax or other anti anxiety medicine, cause it's going to be a looooooooooong summer for you

RE: My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

Maruul — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:25:49 GMT

That's scary just to read about! Although the image of someone screaming and chasing a cyote is kind of funny... but still mostly scary.

This is why our cats are strictly indoor cats. That, and they're scared of the outdoors...

My heart can't take this outdoor kitty anymore.

Chy — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:37:50 GMT

To anyone who's read my posts, you know I made a conscious decision to let my baby go outside during the day, since she was weened. Fenced in at first, then followed for almost 2 years and disciplined when she went in the street or displayed risky behavior. She's been incredibly disciplined and well behaved. She usually comes in at dusk, eats and is content to be inside for the rest of the night. In fact, she's been consistent for the last 6 months with this routine. I'm aware of all the risks involved, but really feel deep down that she will have a more interesting life, even if it magnifies the risks.

Every once in a while she will not come home on time, but I know she has a friend - Gray Kitty - who she hangs out with and I can usually find her in that area and scoop her up and bring her home. (Gray Kitty is a story in and of herself, which I will tell with picts at another time. Gray Kitty has a house but no home, long story, and I and two other neighbors feed her.)

Anyway the last few nights my baby meowed and paced all around the house and repeatedly went to the back door after she came in and ate. I think the recent hot weather has made her want to go back outside. Maybe she sleeps more during the day and is still too awake at night or maybe it just hasn't cooled down enough inside to make her comfortable. So because it's actually still sunlight out when it's her usual time to come in, I allowed her to stay out a little bit longer last night, even though she did make an appearance at the back door at around 7:30, her usual come in time.

Well, when it got to be around 9:pm and she still didn't come home, I walked around to Gray Kitty's house to look for her. As usual Gray Kitty comes right out and rubs against my legs and wants to be petted. Gray Kitty would rather be petted than eat.
I checked Gray Kitty's bowls on her front step and they were empty, so I went back home and filled up a cup with dry food and brought it back to her, along with some water. Still no "my baby", so I went back home to see if she showed up.

As I came around the corner, I saw a Coyote coming out of my driveway. I screamed bloody murder and ran towards it as fast as I could. It darted out in the street and was almost hit by a car, who's occupants also started screaming at it. I chased it around the corner and it was running toward Gray Kitty's house, so I continued screaming and running after it. It went right into Gray Kitty's yard and under a truck. When I got there, it took off down the block and I chased it as far as I could until I couldn't find it anymore. Panic set in, so I went back home and checked for my baby, then went the other way around the circle to see if I could further scare the Coyote and chase it from the neighborhood. I eventually came around to where Gray Kitty lives and started calling for my baby. Thankfully Gray Kitty came out from the backyard and was visibly upset, but unharmed. Gray Kitty is sort of my barometer for my baby's survival, since I consider my baby to be much smarter.

For the next 3 hours I nervously walked around the neighborhood looking and calling for my baby. For a while I sat with Gray Kitty as she finished the meal I brought her, hoping my baby would come around. No such luck.

My neighbor's were having a party, the first of the year. In the past, when they are partying, my baby would always come home a little late. I think she enjoys watching what's going on, so that gave me a little solace.

Starting to think that the worst may have happened, I returned home and thought about everything that had transpired. I just couldn't believe that, from the evidence, anything bad had happened to my baby, but I have never seen a Coyote this early in the evening before. BTW it wasn't very big, not that that makes any difference.

So at around 12:45, I went out again, but just stayed in my backyard and cast her favorite fishing toy over and over. Scratch and jump and here she comes over the fence. What a relief!! For some reason she still wasn't ready to come in and would run away and jump back over the fence in a very playful mood. I eventually cast her fishing toy into the back door and she eventually ran inside.

All I could do is lecture her on how bad it was for her to stay outside so late. I know, probably futile, but what the heck.

I wonder if she saw the Coyote, because she was more vigilant than usual staring out the window. I hope she learned something.

Tonight, I expect her to come home around dusk to have a snack and then want to go out again, but I'm just going to have to tolerate the whining and turn on the AC to make her more comfortable. Last night was just too horrifying.

I suspect that the summer months will offer up this kind of scenario again, so I'll be looking for new ways to be ever vigilant.

Once she figures out how I'm going to get her to come in early, she'll figure out a way to get what she wants; it's never ending.

I'm glad I have this place to vent this type of thing, so if you've made it to the end of my story, I thank you. Feel free to give me any advice you wish. Never let your cat out of the house again, is probably not an option at this point. She'll be four in July and stays close to home much better than she did when she was younger, so I hope this trend will continue.

Why do I love cats so much??

This pict is 2 years old, I really must take some more picts.