Sometimes I think, that we as humans think we can do better for a "helpless" critter than they can do for themselves.
At least I felt that way when Boo came to live inside. If you've followed here at all, you know that Boo is a feral cat that showed up at my house one day looking for food. I fed him, and he stayed. He's in the background of almost every single outdoor photo I'd taken for a year. Nearly my constant companion while outside doing something he deemed "interesting" enough to take part in. Which probably means "she might feed me!" in his little head.
Frequently in the evening, a little white cat would come to our living room window and peek in as we watched our evening shows. If the window was open, he wouldn't be scared to hang on the window screen to show his loyalty.
About November, the neighbors warned my husband that they'd be putting out poison for possums that kept making his horses sick. He knew the little white cat hung out down at our house and was worried he might get caught up in the poison. In he came, and he's been inside ever since.
But you know, he always feels a little "caged". Like he THOUGHT being inside would be a good idea, but now that he's thought about it a bit, he's rethinking his stance.
He frequently stares outside pensively like he's got something important that he's supposed to be doing and it's *out there*.
I was getting the front end view of that pose for a year, and now this.
So a couple times he's jumped outside and I let him. I'm morally opposed to outdoor cats as they don't have as long of a lifespan as indoor cats. I've started to wonder though, is he happy inside? Because I'm confident that a lion can live a longer life in a cage too, but is that really where he wants to be?
So come spring, I may toy with the idea of letting Boo be an indoor/outdoor cat. I'll hope he comes in at night because, let's face it, the loss of his dangly bits and the never ending cat food bowl has given him a little bit of a trailer park waddle. I'm no longer sure he can outrun a coyote.
But don't tell Jingles that, because he's kicking his ass on a regular basis.
still.
3 comments:
Our cat Willow is an indoor/outdoor model. Almost totally outdoor in the summer months, and pretty much totally indoor during the winter. She seems to like it that way. I very much like your analogy of the lion.......we must think quality of life, not quantity.
He is such a beautiful cat.
Our cats are indoors. I do let them go outside under supervision and both are leash trained. One has to wear a hugger type harness though as she is a tripod and darts about which makes me am afraid she'd hurt herself with just a collar. But, it turns out she loves it. She lets me put it on her without a struggle. When she is ready to come in, she goes inside and waits patiently for me to take it off.
The other cat has a breakaway collar; but, she is so old and doesn't have a care in the world. In other words, she is slow as cold molasses and I really don't have anything to be concerned about with her other than her tendency to explore and explore. I have to stick with her or she'd wander too far off.
we compromised with our cats - they can go to the garage and that is it. still though, a constant in out in out in out... I love the shots you got of Boo. There is an adjustment period - he'll probably get there (especially in light of the trailer-park waddle -hehe! next is the 'oh crap, it's cold out here' - they spoil fast).
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