Are they more tender and juicy?
My cats have always been indoor cats and now, in their crotchety and demanding golden years, they long for the open air. They are entirely unsuited for the open air and the outdoor cats who will kick their asses if they go out in it, but they don't know that.
And it's springtime. The time to call out to the wild, or at least whine to it.
The whining was too much for me today. Sparky sat by the screen door and yowled, and moaned, and yodeled for hours to be let out. He has quite the vocal range and some of the sounds he makes don't sound like they should be coming out of a cat. I think he's trying to speak English when he says, "Ow-wow-wow-ow." If he could make a "T" sound, he'd be saying "out."
I thought, If I let him out, he'll shut up. And then I thought, Any time he spends outside is time he can't be peeing on the rug. And then I opened the back door.
Sparky sat on the doorstep and yodeled a little more before he got a clue and stepped outside. Monte Alban wafted downstairs and asked to go out as well. Sparky immediately went exploring under the porch and around the perimeter of the yard. He went through a gap in the fence and explored the fenced-in backyard of the house next door. Fortunately, he didn't go through a gap in that fence to check out the world beyond and instead came back. Monte Alban just hung out and grazed in the grassy spots.
I kept an eye on them to make sure they didn't stray. I also kept watch for the local outdoor cats whose arrival would have signaled an end to the idyll, what with the ass-kicking, blood, and flying fur. All was peaceful. I had quiet, well-behaved outdoor cats for maybe an hour. They even mostly ignored each other until Sparky started hunting Monte.
Sparky: The ferocious jungle tabby stalks the gray shadow beast!
Monte: Leave me the fuck alone, nutjob!
Of course, in cat it's more like:
Sparky: *rustle* *rustle* *slink* *stalk* *attempt to hide behind a leaf*
Monte: *HISS*
Hmm. Time to go inside. I distracted Sparky with a piece of grass and encouraged Monte up to the back door, then hoisted Sparky into the kitchen.
Maybe tomorrow we'll do it again.
405 words | April 3, 2007 10:03 PM | Felis Major