The weather was so beautiful last weekend that I decided to let Chris and Puck outside for a little exercise. I felt bad about leaving Frankie inside but I was not sure about what he would do once outside. I also did not feel comfortable trying to watch three cats at once.
- C’mon Puck. What are you waiting for?
I see you having fun out there!
Okay! Enough pictures already!
Looks like this isn’t a good time to ask for hot dogs.
What about me?
Chris: Puck. I think I found a way in. Puck: What do you want to get in for? Chris: Oh yeah, you got a point.
C’mon guys, let me out.
After a few minutes, Rose came out and said I should let Frankie out too. I told her I would be happy to but I needed her help to watch them. So Rose agreed to stay outside and help babysit.
We opened the door to let Frankie out but he was hesitant at first.
Okay Frankie. You can play with us if you want to,
Come on Frankie. It’s great out here.
Are you sure it is safe?
Okay, here I go.
I’m outside! This is great!
There’s so much to do. Where do I start?
I think this is where work is done. I don’t want to go in there.
Oh Frankie! You need to do a better job cleaning your ears.
No, this isn’t catnip.
After doing a little exploring close to home, Frankie decided to venture further away. This is when I had to stop taking pictures and pay attention. I put myself between him and the far side of the yard, hoping to encourage him to turn around. It didn’t work. He slipped past me and started heading for the other side of the property.
Our building has six units. We live on the side closest to the marina and that is the side I am familiar with. There is a fence and a gate on each side but I only ever use the one side so I don’t really know what is on the other side. On our side there is a wall that separates the Marina from our property. My only concern there is that Chris will crawl under the gate (which he has done), but even then he has a long way to go to get out of my sight. We also have a padlock on the gate that can be a bit of a hassle because the numbers are hard to read for an old guy like me.
The other side borders a large condo building and, until Frankie started heading toward it, I never noticed the fence had gaps big enough for a cat to walk through. I yelled to Rose that I needed her help but she was not there. She went inside the house.
Frankie did just what I thought he was going to do. He ran straight to the fence and walked right through. I thought about running back into the house to tell Rose I needed help but instead I headed for the gate to walk around the fence. I forgot about the lock so I had to fumble with the combination. that is when I learned that the numbers were different on that padlock.
I quickly ran back to the house, told Rose I needed help and headed out the front door. I hurried back over to the condo property to look for Frankie. When I got there I saw him between cars and when I approached he walked through the fence to our side. This is exactly what Chris would do to me at our last Condo (see here – coincidently, if you follow this link and click on the second photo and enlarge it, you can see our current home).
I walked all the way back around to our side only to see him walk through the fence again. To casual observer, this must have seemed funny, but I was not amused. So back around I went only to have him disappear through the fence again. This time Rose scooped him up and put an end to the games. I have a feeling that outside time just got more difficult.
Bad Cat Chris 
Sounds like outside time indeed has become more difficult! I bet they enjoy the exercise and sun but it’s tough keeping track of three wanderers/explorers. Definitely takes two of you and even then there may be a few challenges along the way!
Pam
I thought two cats was difficult. If I let them out again I will need Rose to stay at her post. 🙂
maybe leashes would be easier? Or take them out one at a time? Is that feasible?
If you follow the link at the end of the post, it leads to a story I wrote about Chris when we lived at the condo. In it I talk about trying to put a harness and leash on him and how he would get out of it like Houdini. I gave up on that idea.
Your adventure is why we now have a catio and only the three eldest of us have outside privileges. Good luck training Frankie. So enjoyed seeing your gorgeous photos with the nice sunshine. It is snowing here AGAIN today! Have a great weekend. Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
Thanks. I hope the weather clears up and you graduate to outdoor privileges. 🙂
Oh dear! And they were having such fun before Frankie got a bit too cheeky for his own good. I agree, leashes might be a good idea for now. I’m sure they’ll all complain about it, but it’d make life easier for you! Or maybe just a leash for Frankie until you feel you can trust him more?
It might work for Frankie but I gave up on putting Chris on a leash (see link in blog post).
Haha fair enough. Damn cats and their iron wills!
🙂
Those photos are great! They all seem to have a lot of fun in the sun! 🙂 We hope things will get easier with time…
Have a PURRFECT weekend! xoxo Roxy & Tigerlino
Thanks. They were definitely having fun.
Reblogged this on Bad Cat Chris and commented:
Frankie’s first time outside was also when I discovered he was a runner.
That is a scary story. Naughty kitty! I do love a happy ending, tho.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
We thought we might lose Frankie but I guess he likes us.
They do enjoy the outdoors.
They sure do.