The Little Pack

Both of our cats are indoor cats. We live too close to busy roads to even consider letting our cats be outdoor cats. There is no question that indoor cats live longer, healthier lives than outside cats. Besides, we always say that Archie is too dumb to be an outdoor cat. He would probably nap in the middle of the road, thinking the warm pavement was the perfect place for a snooze. Once in awhile, we will take Archie outside and hold him in our arms. We could never do this with Baby Titten as she hates to be held and we would be scratched to heck. Lately, we have taken him out on the deck and sat him in our laps, where he is fairly content to hang out. Unfortunately, now every time we sit on the deck, he waits at the slider and cries his head off while desperately digging at the door the entire time we are within his sight. This is better now that it has been warmer and we have had the air on, only because we can’t hear him cry. Because we don’t always respond, and because he has decided he loves the fresh air, he has taken to “escaping.” Today, while I was letting the dogs inside, he made a dash for it (and by dash, I really mean a slow stroll). Dixie was on the porch and went after him and pinned him to the porch, holding him there until I could pick him up, as though she knew he wasn’t supposed to be outside. Once inside where she continued to punish him by trying to smash him to the floor and lecturing him by making this strange grumbling complaining sound. For the record, I did not condone the smashing (we never condone smashing of the cats), although she was successful once. She definitely has a mind of her own.