Yesterday we broke with our new tradition of letting the cats outside on Sundays and let them out on Saturday. They all had a lot of fun running around, rolling in the dirt and chasing down lizards.
Frankie was good for the most part but, unlike last week, he ventured through the fence… twice. I didn’t worry about him though. I jut kept an eye on him and he came back before going too far. I did have to go through the gate and pick him up from the side of the property, both times, and bring him back to the back yard. He also used up a lot of energy and I saw him panting several times. I thought he was tired and would slow down, but I was wrong.
Last week both Chris and Puck caught a lizard but this week Chris was the only cat to bring home the prize. He did it by showing us he is still a bad cat. He wondered onto our neighbor’s patio and walked back out the door less than twenty seconds later with a lizard in his mouth, proving he is still the top lizard catcher in the family, despite his weight gain. I don’t totally blame Chris for going on her patio. If she would close the door that wouldn’t happen.
Chris showing off his lizard
Frankie tired and panting.
I uploaded a video of what I go through with these boy but it is fairly long. If you don’t have the time I recommend starting at around 6:45. In case you don’t watch the video, I should mention the lizard is alive and well, assuming some other creature hasn’t eaten it since yesterday.
It has become a routine lately that the cats go outside for ten or fifteen minutes every Sunday. I put Frankie’s harness and leash on and walk around the yard with him while Rose keeps an eye on Chris and Puck. It seems that Frankie has gradually come to realize that there are plenty of interesting things in our own back yard and has become less envious of what is on the other side of the fence. The last time I had him on the leash he did not even attempt to go through the fence.
It was then that I decided it was time to lose the leash and let Frankie play with Chris and puck unencumbered. I was pretty confident that he would stay close if I watched him and “herded” him away from the fence if needed. I was also certain he would return home since he has done so before and he was now very familiar with the area. I did need to hedge my bet a little in case I was wrong so I decided to stop at PetSmart last week. They have a machine there that engraves tags, so I bought one for Frankie and put his name, our address and phone numbers on it.
On Sunday I put the tag on a collar that I have had for awhile and put the collar on Frankie. We then crossed our fingers and let them all out.
Surprising, Frankie was not a bad cat and stayed close most of the time. The only issue I had was when he walked into our neighbor’s patio like Chris did a few weeks ago. Chris, however, caught a lizard and ran into the house with it. Oh well, at least they had fun.
Sunday we let all three cats explore the back yard again. Frankie still needs to be on a leash so he doesn’t run away but Chris and Puck were free to play while Rose kept an eye on them.
Frankie is getting used to the leash and harness and did not get as freaked out by the sudden stop like he did in the past. The three of them spent some time, just like last week, trying to catch lizards. Unfortunately for them, the lizards were a bit quicker than they were last week when Chris and Puck both caught one.
Where are you lizard?
Everything went well until after we brought the cats inside. That is when, after noticing how desperate our plants needed water, I decided to go back out and water them. I should have been more watchful for bad cats because on the way out Frankie surprised me and slipped out the door with Chris right behind him. Fortunately our neighbor left their patio door open and Frankie went inside to explore. I didn’t have my camera so I was not able to get pictures of him trapped in someone else’s home.
I didn’t want to possibly break the law by going inside so I went around the other side and was able to get him to head towards Rose who scooped him up coming out the door. Hopefully someday I will be able to let him out without worrying he will run away.
Sunday was a beautiful day so we decided to put the harness on Frankie and let him outside. He has been terrible lately with his picking at the screen by the front door. Counting yesterday, he has pulled the entire screen off the window at least five times, three times after I put tape on it to hold it in and once after I put extra tape on it. Rose thinks he was an outside cat and we are being cruel forcing him to stay inside. I understand her concerns but I think we live too close to a busy road for that to be an option. Perhaps if we lived down the road a bit I would consider getting him a collar and letting him out during the day.
I got Rose’s help and let all the cats out the back door on Sunday. I held Frankie’s leash while Rose watched Chris and Puck. Everything went pretty well for a while then Rose yelled to me that Puck had caught a lizard and brought it in the house. She wanted me to get it out but I had to get the cats in first so I gave her Frankie and went to get Chris. While I was trying to catch him he caught a lizard too.
I gave him to Rose who was able to get the lizard out of his mouth while I went inside to find Puck. He was in the bathroom where he had dropped the lizard into the litter box. Not sure what his plan was but I scooped up the lizard and put him outside.
I brought my new camera with me and took a video but unfortunately I had replaced the memory card with one that was too slow to handle video so it kept shutting off after a few seconds of shooting. I also tried to get a picture of Chris with a lizard bit he moved too fast for a good shot.
Rose’s mom came to visit on Thanksgiving and accidentally let Frankie outside. If you read my previous post, “Frankie’s Big Adventure,” you would know that Frankie is a cat who likes to run and does not stay close to the house. Twice he led us on a wild chase and I fear we will lose him if he gets out again. Fortunately, this time, the three of us surrounded him and Rose’s mom grabbed him as he tried to go under our truck.
That short jaunt outside rekindled his passion for the outdoors and he spent a lot of time that day crying at the door and scratching on the window. I decided this would be a good time to put his harness on him and take him outside. I bought the harness a few months ago but Frankie refused to let me put it on him so I gave up and put it away somewhere.
It took awhile before I found where I put the harness but the lead wasn’t with it. I had to call in the help of our resident expert tracker and Rose located it with no problem. Again, Frankie would not let me attach the harness. I managed to get it over his head but he struggled too much and I couldn’t put it around his body and attach the clip. Finally, Rose helped me. I held him while she attached the clip. I then attached the lead and opened the front door. Frankie and Chris both ran out the door at the same time. Frankie took of in a sprint and was surprised when he reached the end of the rope and was suddenly stopped. He rolled onto his back and was quite cute when he suddenly go up and ran again.
This behavior repeated a few times and then, as if by magic, he had the harness off his head and was just being held around his belly. I knew that wouldn’t last so I scooped him up and put him inside. I then collected Chris and we stayed in the rest of the day.
The next day Frankie was at it again. He seemed to be desperate to go outside. It was a nightmare to leave the house or come back because he was right there trying to escape. We have put up with Chris doing that for years but never had to worry about losing him because Chris stays close. He will wander off after a while but I usually get tired of watching him and bring him inside before that happens. Frankie will run and keep running, stopping briefly to investigate whatever catches his eye, before returning in the direction away from the house.
I decided to let him out again but skip the harness and use a regular cat collar that I had in the closet. I bought a few collars four years ago when we moved back to Florida from Myrtle Beach. I wanted to put one on each of the cats with our contact information in case they escaped during our trip. Rose poo pooed that idea. She thought I was being weird and paranoid so the collars never got used.
I put the collar on Frankie. It had one of those plastic clips that are easy to put on and take off. I then hooked the lead and opened the door. Again, Chris went out with us and again Frankie ran until he reached the end of the lead. I tried to keep up with him because I didn’t want the collar to choke him but he was too fast.
He eventually figured out that running was not good and slowed down a bit but he had to investigate everything. He would walk around bushes or under our neighbor’s chairs and I had to keep moving his lead from one hand to another to keep it from getting tangled. After a few minutes he saw a lizard and lunged for it. When he did the color snapped open and he was free. I was able to grab him right away and pick him up only because the lizard distracted him. I carried him into the house and gave up for the day.
Saturday we tried again. I realized what we did wrong when attaching the harness and wanted to give it another try. Of course, he made it very difficult to put it on him but when I did we went out the back door this time. Frankie was becoming a real pain about trying to get out the door and Rose didn’t want him to expect to be let out that door. I understood her reasoning but I first wanted to get Frankie used to the area so he would know where home was if he got out by mistake.
I asked Rose to help because I wanted Puck to go out too. I felt bad that he was always left inside. So off they all went, Frankie on the lead with me and Puck and Chris under Rose’s watchful eye. Frankie immediately led me away and we found ourselves at the far side of the back yard where Frankie tried to slip through the fence. This time he couldn’t. I didn’t want to pull him like a dog or horse so I picked him up and walked him closer to our back door.
Rose was having a little trouble with Puck by then and decided to try to catch him and bring him in. Frankie was investigating the bushes by our neighbor’s patio when Chris stopped by to say hi. He and Frankie exchanged sniffs and then Chris noticed the screen door to their patio was open slightly so he decided to go inside to investigate. That complicated everything so I picked up Frankie to bring him inside. Meanwhile, Rose had put Puck inside and then went to retrieve Chris.
Whew! That was an exhausting eight minutes. I don’t think I want to do that again for a while. Now we just have to put up with Frankie picking at the window screen. I tried blocking it with objects today but that didn’t stop him. Hopefully that won’t last long.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night keeps Chris from wanting to go outside. There have been times when I have come home at night during a cold rain only to have Chris slip past me and run outside. Once out, he doesn’t care that he is getting wet. He only cares that he is outside.
Last weekend he was begging me to open the door on the patio and let him out, despite the fact that it was foggy and wet. I complied and he ran out and immediately started eating grass. He must be getting old. Two years ago he would have raced out the door to look for lizards (see here), now he just eats grass. Granted, he does other things too, but he always starts with the grass.
I got Rose’s help and let all the cats out the back door on Sunday. I held Frankie’s leash while Rose watched Chris and Puck. Everything went pretty well for a while then Rose yelled to me that Puck had caught a lizard and brought it in the house. She wanted me to get it out but I had to get the cats in first so I gave her Frankie and went to get Chris. While I was trying to catch him he caught a lizard too.
Bad Cat Chris 