Cosmo Takes a Stroll

Cosmo, the eldest of my pride, is an indoor cat. In the almost 14 years he's lived with me, he has only rarely gotten out and the last time had been a few years before this incident.

I had returned home from the store one night, opened the front door and there was Cosmo ... and OUT he went - not in a hurry, just a casual stride like it is something he does every day.

No really expecting compliance, I commanded "Cosmo! Get back in here!" and all that I received in return was THAT look and a very stern "Meh" sound.

I couldn't help but suspect how he KNOWS that I am one-legged and on crutches and how I will just NOT be able to catch him. He would let me get 6-inches away from him, then take 4 more steps and look back at me again with that "Yeah, right" look. To be honest, I was laughing at the 'cattitude'.

"Okay," I said. "let's see how long this lasts." and I stood there and watched him sniffing the air and the leaves, and just casually and very happily strolling around.

Every once in a while I'd say "Cosmo!" and he'd just give me that look again as well as another "Meh!"

I went back Into the house and waited, wondering how I would get my wayward cat back into the house (food wasn't working).

After about 45 minutes, the fireworks finale went off at the local baseball stadium. Even at their distance, it was kind of chest-thumping.

I laughed, got up from the couch and opened wide the front door and stepped aside ...

Two seconds later, all I saw was a big gray streak come TEARING back through the doorway.

That'll teach him. Maybe.

Written by guest writer, John Rahn
Thank you, John

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A Three Cat Night

It was a three cat night...
By guest Author, John Rahn

Living in South Florida it doesn't get really cold that often.  But recently we had a couple of very cold nights.

I pretty much refuse to turn on the heat (aaarrgghh I really hate furnace air) as it doesn't get that cold in this house unless the wind is blowing pretty good outta the north.

I went to bed this night after several hours of working at the computer. 

Cosmo was snoozing happily in his spot atop the big monitor, where it was nice and warm. My Dusty cat was curled up in the comforter folded up on the couch, and Oreo, being the child of the pride, was just plain working off young energy (or working up heat energy) running back and forth through the house, 'chirping' like crazy.
I turned the monitors off, got up from the desk and slid in behind Dusty on the couch (she refused to move an inch).

I carefully eased the comforter from underneath her and covered us both up.  She snuggled in against me, purring very happily. I pulled the comforter up to my chin and drifted off to sleep, just Dusty and I on the couch.

At five o'clock I woke up to the alarm, and it was by then quite chilly in the house. Trying to sit up to hit the snooze button, I discovered that all three cats were not just on the couch WITH me, but they were all on the couch ON me, and not very happy that I had to move from underneath them.

Think this means I need to turn on the heat?

Copyright John Rahn
January 16, 2003

Kitty Door to the World

What's behind door number one? That's what we've been wondering for quite some time now. It's mysterious bamboo covering, it's hidden fragrances faintly seeping through. This was our only nose connection to the outside world in front of the house. Of course, we have sensitive noses and smell things so much better than our human slaves companions, but when you have to filter everything through a securely fashioned bamboo screen, it is less than ideal.

We have demonstrated repeatedly, our displeasure at having this barrier between us and the real world. As you can see by the picture, I have been so disgruntled about it.

No queen should be put through this kind of deprivation. Ninja and I, in particular have done everything we could to get through to those numbskulls, er... not so psychic humans to ameliorate the problem. Spyder hasn't quite figured it all out yet, though we have attempted to describe to him what he is missing.

So, imagine our relief when The Monk and Miss E tore the bamboo screen off the front door! Of course, it is still not quite perfect. Since Ninja cut all those gigantic holes in the window screens a few months back, The Monk replaced the front door screen with "cat proof" screening. I have to admit is appears to be tough stuff based upon Ninja's not having any more interest in ripping them open.

However, after replacing the screening, The Monk also placed Plexiglas on the bottom half of our side. Foolishness if you ask me. If we really wanted to cut the screen we would just jump above the Plexiglas and have at it. But, we are civilized cats, after all. So, we respect the Plexiglas barrier, which is not glass at all. It is not at all like the aquarium glass, but more like the big jug that holds our special drinking water that doesn't come out of the faucet.

What dumbfounded us about the precautions being taken at the time was the quadruple thickness of the bamboo screen placed on the outside of the door. Ninja tried many times to get a claw into it with little success.

But after these months passing, it was enough that The Monk and Miss E decided it looked shabby. They took it down and it has made an exciting difference in our lives. Silly Spyder, he says the Dowager Queen sits out there in the sunshine by the door. I could smell no other cat. Besides, I am queen around here! We are delighted to see all the beauty outside our own front door that has been hidden from us.

I was so thrilled about it all! I was like a kitten on discovery! Once I could gather up all the front door outside smells, I ran from window to window to verify in which direction the smells derived. Ninja was ecstatic just to look out the front door. It has opened a new vista for us all.

Hopefully, now, with the weather less cold, Miss E will leave the front door open for us for longer periods of time. We have so much to teach Spyder of what all these new things mean.