So I had planned to write about my Remote Area Medical experience from Tuesday. You know, it was their last day and all that so I thought it would be worth writing about.
Then the cat escaped. Twice. Argh!
Let’s start with the basics, the adorable little guy below came with the husband (the pupster, came with me – luckily they co-exist wonderfully). When he lived with my hubs, he had a temporary kitty door that led out to the deck. He never expressed any interest in jumping down and exploring further, so all was good. From time to time, he’d run out the front door and roll around on the stoop a bit.
Once he moved in with me (and the pupster) he lost that outdoor privilege. Not because he was bad or anything, but because we don’t really have a safe space for him. So basically, he’s an indoor cat. He will from time to time run out the front door or escape out the back if the screen door isn’t latched. Typically, he doesn’t go far and just rolls around on the sidewalk or visits the flower beds in hopes of finding critters and bugs.
Yesterday, I left to run some errands. Turns out, the dog lead got caught in the door and the door didn’t close tightly. I had my hands full with the dry cleaning, so I never noticed it didn’t click shut.
Fast foward about and hour and a half…
I come home and see the door is open just a crack. Turns out the dog’s collar blocked the door from opening any wider. While the pupster couldn’t escape (much to his dismay), the cat could squeeze through.
And squeeze he did.
I didn’t find him anywhere inside (or at first glance outside). After running through our tiny apartment, checking all the known hiding spaces, crying out his name, I open the front door and there he is, crying to come back inside.
Since we’d been to the vet earlier, and he was a bit traumatized, I thought this was the end.
It wasn’t.
Later in the day, I put the babygate up at the front door to bring in some of the cooler evening air. While I was reading on the couch, I heard the mastermind cat, trying to escape yet again. But I stopped it. Until he realized I was in the back office working on the computer and he stealthily escaped again. I found him outside on the front stoop just sitting. Of course, I insisted he come in right that instant and I shut the door.
A couple hours later, I’m cooking dinner and I realize the screen door is open. Open as in, someone snuck out. Again. There he was, just rolling around the sidewalk meowing up a storm, as if saying “look at me mom!”
The hubs gets home later and poof! again, the cat bolted out before he could even walk in the door. And yes, he’s been known to do this from time to time. Argh!
I don’t know what’s going on here. Maybe it’s all payback for taking him in the car to the vet – he didn’t mind the actual shots, just being forced into the carrier and the actual car ride. Either way, I’ve had enough. No more unauthorized outside visits. My heart can’t take it.
So I ask you, what’s a gal to do? Aside from making sure all doors are fully and completely shut from now on. Do you have an escape artist cat? What do you do?
