My friend Deborah recently had family visits at her home, necessitating a reminder on the door that Charles (on the left) is inclined to make a dash to “freedom” if the door’s left open long enough.
Deborah writes:
I suppose I can take down the Charles warning poster on the door now that my visitors have gone. In the upper right hand corner is a picture of Charles in his previous life in a 14th century French dungeon cell. He has fond memories of the rose bush growing up the fortress walls! My grandson wanted to know his name in that life and I told him that it had been Charlot and that he had been born in Cambridge (England as opposed to Massachusetts where my grandson was born). Eight year olds are great because their imaginations are in full bloom and they do not yet have any cynicism!
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I can appreciate her concerns! Dougy is my little escape artist. The joke is he’d follow his nose to Fargo before he realized he no longer was at home. He doesn’t want to escape so much as catch up of neighborhood scents.
There are a few outdoor cats around, and they know Dougy knows they know he knows they know he knows that fact! (Sorry for that construction. It seems to have landed in my consciousness and demands I use it till I wear it and myself out!)
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I found Deborah’s sign charming and asked if I could use her photo for this blog. Her response:
Charles says he would be honored to grace your blog again.
He did make a few escapes while the visitors were here although they were good about remembering to check for him. He makes a few escapes on me anyway, with one yesterday when he sauntered down the walkway.
He never tries to go fast but he does have a bit of the “nah! Nah!” In his walk. He is proud of himself and not above taunting his jailer. He is the kind of cat you can sling under one arm if the other arm is busy such as with the groceries one was about to deposit on the table before the cat escaped.
I’ve never had to go bushwhacking to get him. The one time that I did not notice his escape and was only alerted to it by his brother giving the “there’s something in the yard” stare, he seemed quite bored by all the free time he had in the great outdoors and was already walking back up the walkway towards home.
Still, with kids and commotion, I think the sign is necessary because not everyone has an escape artist for a cat.
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I’ve been known to post an “escape kitty” sign on my door as well, though the late Louie the ginger cat, a shelter rescue, definitely had street smarts Dougy lacks:
Louie was an inside cat that enjoyed indoor/outdoor life before I got him at the animal shelter as a five-year-old. He definitely liked his outside time, so I eventually caved in to his wishes and followed him on his walks.
Signs of the times! We kitty people sometimes have to protect our wee furbuddies against their normal curiosity.
Kommando tries to escape once in a while. On the other hand, Snoops the rescue kitty has no interest in going back out there
Once again, our cats are alike!
could one put a body harness on their cat & attach a line to the clothes line I wonder
I think Deborah intends for them to be indoor cats. She has a screened in porch, I believe, where they are allowed to go.
I’ve had a cat take a blink of an eye to get out of a body harness…! I think I’ve seen other designs that would work the way you suggest.
Deborah noted that mosquitos and black flies are problem where she lives. It’s seasonal.
I understand.I have several friends here at the apartments that keep their cats in because of not anting them to catch fleas.
That is another concern for sure. I think the fact that they are statistically likely to live longer lives as inside cats is another benefit.
Lexi was like Dougy in that she often followed her nose, never trying to run away, but wandering off without realizing how far she had gone. I had to watch her closely when we were out in the yard because of that.
That’s Dougy exactly!
I also have never thought of making a warning sign for the door. It is a good idea.
I found it helpful. Mainly, it stops people to see what it is about if you make an interesting graphic out of it, then they act accordingly. It also could serve as a notification in emergencies that there are animals in the house that need to be saved, too.
Of course, with two cats, one wants to escape and the other is timid about the open door, I’d better serve them by noting there are two cats inside and please note they may try to escape.
A little lie, perhaps, but Andy might change his mind one day when I’m not paying attention .
We have a warning sign on our door too, although I have to watch guests almost as carefully as the cats. Most people here have indoor/outdoor cats, and they forget ours stay inside.
That is a problem. I also have occasional visitors who don’t intend to stay long enough to come in but want or need to talk with me for a short time while I stand in the open door. Yep, Dougy sees it as an opportunity! I have to remind these people that I have a snoopy kitty that wants to explore outside.
We have to be very careful – even they are all of them absolutely nice cats !
How true! I personally don’t believe in letting pets out without supervision.
A good example is Charlie, my neighbor’s dog. He is a good boy, but he is all dog, too. He found a chicken bone that someone tossed on the ground.
Had my neighbor not been supervising him, Charlie would have eaten the bone, risking internal injuries.
My fur bean is an inside wanting out
LOL! I hope with your approval….!
I know something about escape cats. Good luck.
It will take strategy and catnip…!
A great story to read. dougy and Charles must be kindred spirits.
Similar for sure. I have to watch carefully when someone comes to the door because Dougy can slip out silently, being a kitty on kitty paws!
What a cool legend!
My friend Deborah is an imaginative person! I thought it was worth sharing, too, obviously.