I Want to be an Outside Cat

"Why Can't I Go Outside?"

"What this? An open window?"

Neko so wants to be an outside cat. That is just not an option out here in Roxborough. We have bears and mountain lions, but the bigger dangers to cats are coyotes and foxes. I understand that, though, the biggest threat of all are owls. Apparently we lose more pets to owls than any other predatory. Now, we have explained this time and time to Neko, but he still doesn't get it.

"Is this for me?"

We have a raised deck with no steps down. We let Neko out on the deck, but if we don't watch him, he will take off on the cat walk. Yes, we actually have a cat walk surrounding our house. It was built before we had a cat. Then we have to track Neko through the woods, hoping he doesn't get bitten by some raccoon or squirrel, or encounter a skunk. 

"Could this mean freedom? So close?"

This is where being married to a home designer helps. He blocked off the south end of the deck. He started small to keep Neko on the deck putting up a barrier of a trash can or barbecue. However, cats are tenacious, especially Neko. So the barrier became bigger and bigger. 

"What the '&%*! 'is this? A barricade?"

I think we have finally achieved peace. He now will sit on the deck for hours watching the birds and squirrels, maybe yearning to be able to fly, or jump from limb to limb, but at least he has stopped howling at the deck door.

">sigh<"