Murphy and I were outside first thing this morning. He was chattering at a quail that was sitting on the wall...
He figured out that he wasn't going to be able to jump up at the quail before it could fly off. But, they stared at each other for a while.
Next, the furry boy in the light and shadows...
Then, in the sun and looking under the gate...
That's part of the "morning routine" I sometimes mention: it's our "guy time" out in the courtyard.
2 comments:
The fierce tiger surveying his desert territory.... That quail had to be irresistible.
Yesterday it was 79° and I was sitting on the back porch swing playing guitar after my 3 PM bike ride when I saw the fox again. He was ~50 yards away near the irrigation pump. But this time, Lucy was sleeping in the shrub near the AC unit by the house about 20 feet from me. Worried about her not being fully alert, I went outside the screen to lure her back in. That was enough to make Mr. Fox run off. But I worry about her if she is not on alert, as she always is when catting around at night. Despite the risks, she would not be happy being confined indoors. Fingers crossed, but she has made it to age 13 going outdoors (in fact, mostly outdoors in the summers).
Each cat parent has to determine what works for them and the feline family member(s). Between traffic and predators, our cats have had us as protectors. Smoke was the only cat we've had that was allowed free reign, and that stopped when we moved into town. She got out once and was gone for 10 days... the three of us were heartbroken, imagining what might have happened. When she did come home, it was obvious that she had been "roughed up" by something. That was the end of the free reign. Smoke lived for another 17 years and was happy to be an indoor cat.
Molly was allowed to roam by her previous owners. She was the first of the "Cat On A Leash" family members. Izzy and Rufus were only outside on a leash, except for when we were on our deck in Texas. We let Murphy be outside here in AZ, because there is a 6' block wall all around the property and one of us is always out there with him. No sign of him being a flight risk. On a couple occasions when out in the van, he has hopped outside without a leash, but waits by van for one of us. And little Stella likes to look outside, but shows no interest in being out there. After her early months of having to fend for herself in that parking lot, she is very happy to be living the good life. Indoors.
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