I thought she was gone...........

That little fart!!!!!!!!!!!!

It all started with my new neighbour next door. He has a large moose, I mean dog, in his back yard. He's a very nice boy (the dog, not the neighbour.....although I should mention that the neighbour is nice too!)Well, last year, I had Ruby in a harness and a long line on a stake in the backyard. I watched her all the time but the Poop Machine always got tangled up in the bushes or she hopped on top of the fence and would get stuck.......so I had a dilema. Keep Smelly Bum on her leash and risk her getting stuck on the fence with the dog next door snacking on her, or letting her roam free........hmmmmmm.

Well, being that Ruby cannot bear fury children, she has all her sharp little claws (my shoulders can testify, her favorite seat in the house scarred from her weapons penetrating my skin) and her fear of all things with legs, I thought that she should be old enough to go outside and be free.

I've been shadowing her for the past few weeks to kind of guide her (yea right, tell Ruby what to do?) and show her where her boundaries are. So far so good............except for last night! I let her outside after work, it was soooooo nice out. I was with her for the first hour or so, then I went inside and checked on her from time to time. At around 8pm I went out to check on her..........GONE!!!!! I couldn't find her ANYWHERE!! I called and called for over an hour! It was getting dark....try finding a black cat at night! Finally I see the little turd in the lady-neighbour's-yard-baby-play-pen. Here I am, hanging over the fence trying not to look like a stalker, coaxing Miss Thang back to our own yard. She stretches, licks herself, flicks her tail at me and sashays the opposite way! Why you little........! After another 15 minutes of grovelling to the High Priestess she decides to listen to me and come home! Of course I kiss her and mush her up until I'm hacking up hair balls.

Needless to say, that little Farty Pants scared me! Apparently she's a roamer and I gotta keep my eye balls on her. Little Poop Head!!

Peace

 

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I have an orange tip Siamese that kept escaping when we put up the doggie door for our puppies a few years ago. I thought for sure he would never come back. But sure enough, he came walking right back in in the middle of the night. Needless to say I was worried sick and forbid him to go outside(hahahaha...Telling a cat where he can and cant go)
Now he's teaching all my other kitties how to go outside!
But no worries, if your cat likes her home(which she obviously does...duh), she'll stay within her boundries. Getting her to come in when you want her to however....

 

'Michelle & Ruby'...that was highly entertaining :lol: ever thought about writing a book...or even a 'humorous' column for a local paper, you have a way with words.

Oh...by the way...my sisters name is Michelle and one of her cats names is Ruby (the other one is Diamond).

 

I used to let my Missy outside until she disappeared for 3 days!!!! I got her back after I put her picture and a plea for her return up at a local store.
The anxiety isn't worth it....then 3 years ago I lost a cat I'd had for 9 years to, most likely, wildlife - ain't worth it. Then there was the $200 vet bill for Sessy (the 9 yr. old I lost) when something ripped her belly open when she was outside - again ain't worth it.
I used to have inside/outside cats...but everyone in my neighborhood has lost cats in the past 2 years to something that's hanging around for dinner. I can't do that...I spent a year watching the sides of the roads for Sessy, running ads in the paper. I kept her blankie on the porch waiting for her return.
The worse is not knowing what happened to them

 

Alright, that's it! You made my mind up. I have been toying with the idea of letting my cats out too. I recently propped open the screen door because surely Sabrina wouldn't go out and Copper wouldn't go far. Both came out and Copper stayed close at first, then headed to the neighbor's behind me that has bulldogs. Sabrina did the silent meow and was about to scale the chain link fence when I grabbed her and stuffed her back inside.

Thanks for the story/warning!

 

Oh Mary, I'm so sorry for all of your little darlings. It must have torn your heart out.

I will definately stick to Ruby like glue when she's outside. I know I shouldn't let her go.........but she cries and cries at the backdoor with her little face all scrunched up like a furry prune.......I just don't have the heart not to let her roll around and chew on grass. I guess I have some thinkin' to do.

Actually DeLaUK, I've mucked about with the idea of writing......I have some wicked ideas for a good horror story, but that darn Stephen King always steals my ideas! I had Ruby Tuesday's name picked out before I even had the kitten. Because I'm a Rolling Stones freak (I've seen them 6 times!) I HAD to name Farty Bum after one of their songs.......even though she hisses at me when I sing it to her...I'm no Mick......I think I sound more like Keith!

I know how you feel Coppersmom.........every time Squirty Pants even looks at the back fence, I run for it and head her off at the pass. I'm a mess when she's outside. Like I said before, I have some thinkin' to do!!

Isn't it funny Onix....even when you're sooooooo mad at them for not listening to you; they're licking their toes and looking at you all squinty-eyed, your heart just melts......I can't stay mad at her. If it weren't for Ruby, I wouldn't have ulcers and gray hair. Hey wait, that's a bad thing!!!

Peace

 

i have tried finding 2 black cats outside in the dark a few times. it ani't fun.
then you see glowing eyes and eventualy see the rest of the cat after your heart attack :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

letting cats outside, no.

I have not let amy of my Manx's out. My older cats one Manx one domestic Torty use to go out but even then the Manx would only go out to the porch and the torty would only go mid yard. That would only be for couple of hours of sun. At that time I had a very large Malamute/Wolfe and Shep/Husky that would watch over the 2 of them so I felt comfortable with them in the yard. My current ones, I do not let out. They have done fine just having space and toys. Not to mention lots of high bookshelves since Manx's are prone to a great deal of leaping and climbing. My Tom though does get curious occasionally and will wander out the back door but all I need to do is tell him no and he comes right back in. Too many things that cats can contract these days.

 

not too mention the cruel people in this world...I once fished a cat out of a river behind my home whose throat had been slashed and the poor creature had been tossed into the river. I gave her a respectable burial. Poor thing

 

Milo loves the outdoors and I always worry about him whenever he gets let out. I know he stays clear of cars and roads but I worry about poisons around the neighborhood- toxic plants, fertilizers, weed killers, pesticides, etc. Thanks for your very entertaining story. More please! :mrgreen:

 

my cats are inside cats but they do manage to get out once and a while. :mrgreen:

 

That is great writing by the way!! I really enjoyed it...it made me laugh and gave me good visuals.

I just wrote a post about my kitty Hunter...I should move it to here.

Ok ok...I just copied it to here...

Hunter is a purely indoor kitty...but he always is looking out the windows scratching the windows ect. Well I've started taking him out back (we have a 12x10 or something backyard....yeah it's really really small)....when I have been watering my herbs and planters.
He's been soo soo sooo good UNTILL....Saturday,
he got this look in his eye...and was eyeing the fence (which is tall with points at the top)...anyway....I diverted him twice, warned him and THEN...the little devil made a jump for the fence, make it to to the top...I had to grab....yell....scream...and take him in threatening to never let him out again.

For those of you with indoor fur kitties....do you ever let them out into a secure area????? I feel bad keeping him inside all the time, but I'd feel more badly if he got squished by a car on the city streets!!!