As many of you know, Caleb and I had - and lost - a sweet cat last year. His name was O'Malley. We had him for about four months but you'd think we had him for years. He had such an awesome personality. On one day (September 13th to be exact) I let him out and he did not come home.Your guess is as good as mine is as to what happened. I did a lot of searching, posted flyers, listed on Craigslist and checked the animal shelters, but to no avail. There had been sightings of fishers in the neighborhood and many cats had disappeared around the same time period. My assumption is that he ran afoul of something bigger and meaner than he was, and wasn't able to come out the winner.
Since then, we have adopted and raised Sally. We got her in October as a 9 week old kitten, and she has become our little baby. She is seven months old now, and with the melting of the snow, comes the promise of spring. And the question nags at me - do I let her outside OR do I keep her safe inside?
On one hand, I am one who believes that cats are naturally outdoor animals, and that they actually LIKE being outside. We also have a rodent issue in our yard - moles digging up the grass, chipmunks chewing at our home - and we would certainly benefit from having a hunter on the watch.
On the other hand, I know that I would be utterly devastated to lose Sally. She wakes me up purring every morning and greets me when I come home at night. She is my little buddy and keeps me laughing with her crazy antics. I think even Caleb is even a little in love with this sweet girl. We both cherish her immensely.
I know I am ridiculously attached to my pets. From my guinea pigs, to my rabbit to my cats, I love them all. They are my children, and when I lose them, it breaks my heart a little.
So I don't know what to do. I have heard both sides to the argument, and I just can't make up my mind. Am I being cruel by keeping her inside? Or am I just pressing my luck - and Sally's - by contemplating letting her out?
I just don't know.
Just knowing that there are fishers in the area would be enough for me to keep her in. Cats are curious and can be too curious at times. Knowing that she would most likely enjoy the grass, bugs and the game of cat and mouse - dropping her prizes from her latest hunt on the steps for you to find can really pull at your heart strings. But that's just what our children do - give us that innocent look as they beg for one more cookie - say pretty please with that tiny pouty lip - or promise to be listen tomorrow if they can play Wii boxing right now. It's up to us as parents to make - what we feel is -the best decision for them. Knowing there a risk that if you let her out and she may get really curious and wonder off or simply ignore your calls, purse lips kissing noises and rattling of the treat tin I'd say keep her indoors and add things from the outdoors to her habitat. I'm not saying have Caleb install a pond in the living room but perhaps a cat tree made from a sturdy fallen branch/tree - you can cover the base with a piece of carpet for scratching and make a few - depending on the branches - carpet covered platforms for restin and survalance spots. If you REALLY want to bring her outdoors a cute little harness and leash might look rediculous but shed be outside and safe.
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