Tag Archives: Bad Cat

I’m Not Ready to Go Inside Yet

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It happens every time. Whenever it is time for Chris to come inside, he gives me a run for my money. I suppose I can’t blame him. When I let him out I have to watch him and I rarely have the time to just hang out and babysit a grown cat.

Lately, Chris has been the only one allowed outside. Frankie turned out to be a runner so it is not safe to let him out. He’s been out twice and both time we had to chase him through the neighborhood to get him back. I’m afraid we will lose him if it happens again. Puck likes to go outside and he generally stays close but sometimes he gets nervous and wants to go back in right away so I don’t feel bad leaving him inside.

Chris makes getting out the door his mission in life. I often let him out just because it is easier than trying to stop it. For example, if I have a lot of groceries to bring in I let him out so I don’t have to fight with him on every trip. Sometimes I don’t let him out but he slips past me anyway. In either case, I usually give him a few minutes and then try to retrieve him and bring him back inside.

That is when he gives me the most trouble. He knows when I am ready and he goes out of his way to avoid me. I think that is also when he starts looking for a lizard because he doesn’t want to go back in empty-handed (or empty-pawed).

Here is a recent attempt of me trying to get Chris to come inside.

The Conquest of Fort Box

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Recently I gave the cats a nice box that they liked to play in and then I took it away because we had to ship something and it was just the right size. I felt bad about it so when I came across another box at work I grabbed it.

I decided to make this one better than the last so I taped the top closed and cut two openings; one on the front and one on the side. I then cut a few peep holes in it so the box could feel like a little fort with spy holes to watch the “enemy.”

I named it “Fort Box” and the cats took to it right away, especially Colonel Chris who took over command of the fort.

Bad Cat Chris in Fort Box

I hereby assume command of Fort Box.

Bad Cat Chris in Fort Box

I know you’re there Frankie

Bad Cat Chris in Fort Box

Okay, Puck. Your turn to stand guard.

Puck in Fort Box

It’s scary in here. I’m shaking.

Bad Cat Chris and puck at Fort Box

Puck! You’re supposed to be inside the fort.

Bad Cat Chris at Fort Box

Like this. I’ll show you.

Bad Cat Chris at Fort Box

I wonder if there is an attic?

Bad Cat Chris at Fort Box

I can see you guys so don’t try anything.

Bad Cat Chris at Fort Box

You can have your turn Frankie, when I am done lying here doing nothing.

Our cat Frankie at Fort Box

Finally! What’s this?

Our cat Frankie at Fort Box

Yuck! Tastes like cardboard.

Our cat Chris at Fort Box

C’mon Frankie! It’s my turn again.

Bad Cat Chris in box

Where did you go Frankie? I was just kidding. You can come back. I’ll share.

 

 

Did You Do This?

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Last weekend we traveled to a far away store where Rose bought a new shirt, among other things, that she really likes. After wearing it once she washed it and hung it from the bedroom door knob. When we went to bed that night and closed the door, the shirt was unwittingly left hanging from Chris’s side of the door. You can see where this is going, can’t you?

Bad cat Chris confronted for the shirt he ruinedAbout thirty minutes after our five o’clock wake up call from Chris, who stands outside the door crying and scratching on the door, Rose discovered that her new shirt had several holes clawed into it. She confronted Chris, who was lying on the bed in the spare bedroom and said in a loud voice, “Who did this?” “Did you do this?”

That’s when Chris started rolling back and forth on the bed, showing her his belly and talking to her. It was as if he was saying, “Look at how cute I am. Forget about that shirt and check out my cuteness.”

20140621_Chris and Puck_063

It worked. Chris played it exactly right and got off scot-free.

The Cat Tree

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Out of our three cats, Chris is the only one I feel comfortable letting outside. Puck is okay when let out. He doesn’t go far but he is near impossible to catch when it is time to go in. Frankie can never be let outside. It is unfortunate but after leading us on a long chase through the neighborhood… twice, I feel if he ever got out again we might lose him. When Chris is let out he usually starts by eating grass, nothing worrisome there, but I do have to remind myself that he is still a bad cat and I need to keep an eye on him.

Sunday afternoon I had to bring the trash out and Chris was at the door crying to be let out so I thought a few minutes outside wouldn’t hurt. As unusual, he ate grass while I brought the trash to the barrel at the side of the building. On the way back I got into a long conversation with the neighbors. While this was going on, I kept checking on Chris, who was gradually working his way toward the side of the building. When he got far enough away, I ended my conversation and went to get him.

Naturally, Chris doesn’t want to get got so he runs away from me, which I expected. My main goal was to herd him toward the front door. I’ve noticed lately that Chris tends to be very casual while outside until he knows it is time to come in, then he desperately starts looking for a lizard while avoiding getting caught himself. A few times he has shocked me by actually catching one with such short notice. On this day there were no lizards in sight but he wasn’t ready to be caught yet so he tried something new. He ran up the side of the tree in our front yard.

Bad Cat Chris in a tree.Bad Cat Chris in a tree.I was a bit surprised at first, especially because he went up it like he had done it a hundred times. I took my phone out and took a couple of quick pictures but then had to put it away because he started climbing higher and I wanted to get him while I could still barely reach him. He wasn’t too happy about being pulled out of that tree but unfortunately tree climbing is not one of the benefits of being an indoor cat.

Photo Friday: Temporary Cease Fire

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Chris still torments Frankie which surprises us because he never treated Puck that way. I think Frankie is not as willing to cede to Chris’s authority as Puck is so Chris must feel that he has to show him again and again who’s boss. It could also be that Chris wants to show us how bad of a cat he can be. Sometimes though, there is peace in the house.

Frankie and Bad Cat Chris

I Want to Come Inside Now

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Sunday afternoon I had some food to cook on the grill. That is always difficult because I have to go in and out the door several times and each time Chris is always at the door trying to escape. It is usually easier to just let him out and then deal with bringing him in when I’m done. I always feel bad letting Chris out because Puck and Frankie see that and then they want to go out too.

On this occasion I decided to let Puck out too but Frankie had to stay in because he’s a runner. Chris went straight to eating grass as usual and Puck walked about twenty feet and then came back. He started talking to Frankie and pawing at the screen, as if he was pleading with Frankie to let him in. Apparently he forgot where the door was. I noticed there were many people near the pool and I’m sure that made him nervous. I guided him to the door and tried to get him inside before Frankie came out. I then went back to grilling.

After a little while I needed to go in for something and decided Chris had spent enough time outside. Instinctively Chris knows when I am coming to bring him in so he bolted away from me. At that very moment he noticed a lizard and grabbed it. Now he was ready to go inside.

I tried to pry his mouth open to get him to drop the lizard but his jaws were locked shut. He also growled at me to show his disapproval in my behavior. I then thought if I just gave him time, he would eventually want to put the lizard down to play with it but he just stood by the door, with legs and a tail hanging from his mouth, waiting for someone to let him in.

Bad Cat Chris with lizard.

 

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For some strange reason all small animals and insects must be played with inside the house. I don’t know why Chris has this rule but while he was standing by the door I thought maybe he has a bit of OCD. He hung on to that lizard for a good five minutes, pacing pack and forth. Eventually it stopped moving and he put it down to check on it. That is when I grabbed him and brought him in.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t done cooking. I had to bring in the kabobs and bring out the Zucchini. It wasn’t worth fighting with Chris so I let him out again. He just laid down next to the door while I tended to the grill. After a short time the food was almost done and I thought I would put Chris in first. Of course he ran, this time behind the grill where he saw a lizard on the propane tank. There is also a spare tank next to it under the grill and Chris jumped on top of the two tanks while the grill was on, and ended up with another lizard. Bad Cat! Suddenly he was ready to go inside again.

Bad Cat Chris with lizard.Bad Cat Chris with lizard.

I had to wait him out again. Eventually he walked around behind the screen where the air conditioner is and dropped the lizard and stepped on it to keep him close. That was my chance to grab him but I was too slow. I’ve noticed this before but it never really registered until now that cats catch their prey with their front paws and then grab it with their teeth.

Finally, after what seemed like a long time, I was finally able to get Chris away from the lizard. This one was still alive so I picked it up and put it in the grass before bringing Chris inside. I used to worry about the lizard population until Chris started focusing on eating grass when outside. It looks like the hunter is back.

 

Lizard Breath

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Chris got out last week when I was bringing groceries in the house. When that happens, it is just easier to leave him out until I get everything in the house and then go get him. He spent the whole time eating grass and rolling around on the sidewalk until he knew I wanted him in. He then made me chase him. As he was running away from me a lizard caught his attention and he quickly caught it… Then he was ready to go in the house.