Most of you know I Tabby Cat have a 10x 10 kitty condo in our back yard with a top on it to protect me from our Avian predators here in the forest. The hoomans purchased this "jail" supposedly for my "protection", after I "came back from the dead" last summer.
Mom and Dad decided it would be to my benefit to be able to still go outside, (seeing as how I'd always been an outside kitty). But now that I have a permanent disability with my crippled leg, bad back, and my "advanced" years the question arose as to how I might do that, and not become the lunch of another forest creature. Voila the "jail", as I call it.
I have never had a deep appreciation for my kitty condo=jail. Nopes never have liked it. I voiced my opinion on this subject every time the folks would plop me inside it's confines. Over time I'd begin voicing my opinions when they would grab up me, my water dish and food bowl concurrently. (I may have a bit of Alzheimer's, but hey I'm not brain dead yet). I knew we were heading outside to my "torture cell."
What cat in his right mind would want to go outside with birds, chipmunks, mice and squirrels galore to be trapped in an enclosure and not be able to stalk and (doubtfully but hopefully) catch said critters? Exactly, not a single one.
Needless to say the grass began appearing a Lot greener on the other side. I began making plans for my great escape. With a watchful eye I observed everything my pawrents did, and how they did it. One thing in particular caught my attention. Whenever Mom or Dad cleaned my little box they'd subsequently take the bag they placed my "business" in out the back door, which just happens to be by my littler box and not too far from my comfy bed and blanket...
Ohh yess furiends an opportunity is seen and a plan is born. Now I didn't make a mad dash for freedom right then, the very second I noticed this. Nooo, I watched, waited and planned.
One night the Mom seemed extremely tired and distracted. Now this might be the night I'd been waiting for. You see I didn't want to make my break for freedom only to be noticed, grabbed and thrown back into the slammer. I wanted to make a run for it and be out long enough to enjoy my freedom.
As I said earlier, the Mom seemed pretty tired and distracted, I could tell she wasn't paying me a bit of mind as she was scooping out my litter box. I smiled a wicked smile as I knew this, this was my moment. I was going to make a run for it and pray the kitty gods were watching over me. Freedom , mice and moles here I come!!
Sure enough the door stayed open enough extra moments for me to slither my crippled body as fast as I could out the door before it closed. I slinked close to the side of the house in the dark underbrush in hopes that she didn't notice me missing from my usual place of supervision. I held my breath, if she realized I was gone it would be mere seconds before she came out the door screaming my name like a banshee. I let out a meow of joy and euphoric bliss! Free free at last!
I was so overcome with excitement by my new found freedom I quite honestly didn't know what to do first. I decided the best course of action would be to give myself a thorough cleaning and contemplate the situation. After a few min.s I let out a contented sigh and decided I needed to meander through the garden gate and see what might now lie on the other side. I was truly trembling with anticipation after all these months of living inside and being confined to my kitty jail.
Sniffing here and visiting my old hunting grounds over there I lost all track of time. I didn't know if min.s had gone by or hours. I was simply enjoying my taste of freedom. To tell the truth I had found being an inside kitty a terrible bore and had started spending a lot of my time asleep dreaming of the days of my youth and reliving my glory days of being a fierce hunter.
Finally I grew tired of wondering about and my tummy had begun to rumble so I knew considerable time had passed. I gave a bemused giggle and wondered why the Mom hadn't come looking for me. Then I remembered how tired she'd seemed and the last thing her saying was she just wanted to sit down for a while. (Synonymous for Mom's taking a nap) Uh Oh, so she fell asleep I'm out here all alone and no one knows I'm outside? Oh my Cats!! What a predicament I've gotten myself into!
Suddenly I remembered the huge owl that likes to sit in the tree at the edge of the yard looking for bunnies!! OOOH nooo, I thought, "I'm nowhere near as fast as a bunny these days! I heard a noise in the deep (now dark) forest. Was that a twig snapping from a coyote lurking, waiting to rush forward and grab me for a snack?
I ran up the steps as fast as my crippled legs would carry me deciding maybe, the grass isn't always as green as it looks at first glance. The forest is a lot more scary at night now that I realized I'm all alone even though my family are just on the other side of the door.
I went to the open French door and began what the folks call my caterwauling in true earnest. Hummm, nopes, no Molly coming to bark at my appearance on the other side of the door. My heart began racing a bit faster. With all the enthusiasm I could muster I began wailing for all I was worth. By now I was truly frightened by the things going bump in the night, and I was honestly starving. Surely it had to have been at least 2 hours since I'd last eaten?
Finally that dumb mutt, took notice that I was outside about to be mauled by wild animals . Thankfully Molly started barking like there was a murder taking place outside. Still no Mom's. After what seemed like an eternity, but probably was only 10-15 min.s a sleepy looking Mom show's up saying Molly what's the problem? After a few weak mews Mom says, "Tabby Cat, what on earth are you doing out there?" Suddenly it comes to her what must of happened and when it happened. With a shocked expression on her face she says, "Tabby you've been out there for hours."
Realizing my freedom was quickly becoming a thing of the past in mere milliseconds, I chuckled to myself and said quietly , "Well yes I have".
As we all find out sometimes the thing we long for the most, isn't what we thought it would be, and the very thing we already have is what makes us the happiest.
I stood at the back door waiting patiently for my Mom to come and get me. Picking me up she gave me a look over making sure I hadn't gotten hurt, lovingly telling me "Tabby don't ever do that again. Something could have happened to you."
Remembering the big old owl at the edge of the woods I shivered thinking to myself, You're right Mom, I won't be doing that again anytime soon, but...maybe another day, a longg time from now. MOL
After filling my tummy with something good to eat I decided a nap was in order and an appreciation of what I'd had all along; a loving family that does all they can to take care of me, good food, and just as I started to dose off,(Molly comes over giving me sniffs to make sure I'm ok) good furiends who love me with all their hearts.
Love and Peace,
Molly, Tabby Cat and our Mom
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