Well the cats' outdoor privileges have been suspended indefinitely, thanks to our big male Romeo. Everything has been going nicely with allowing the kitties to hang out on the back deck, get a little sunshine, fresh air, chase the bugs around. Mostly they just slept out there with the warmth of the Springtime breezes. Until yesterday. I always check on them periodically, like every fifteen minutes. Yesterday as I walked over to the window I was just in time to watch Romeo leap onto the railing and go sailing off the deck, 15 feet down, and take off chasing a squirrel into the woods behind the house at 100 miles per hour. Of course I absolutely freaked out. I was barefoot and ran out the front door, down the hill on the side of the house, across the back yard and into the woods. I called and called for Romeo, not realizing he was right in front of me. I couldn't see him through the bushes, but he was sitting calmly on a large boulder at the base of the tree where the squirrel had gone up. And he wouldn't come over to me, no matter how much I pleaded and baby-talked to him. The farther I went into the woods, the more he moved away from me to explore. I finally snatched him up, all 18 pounds of him, and he fought me the whole time I carried him back up to the house.
After examining him and watching him walk around the house for awhile, the only injury I could find was where one toenail had been ripped off down to the quick. Other than that, he seems fine. Me, I have a bruised foot from stepping on rocks, a twisted ankle from running down the hill, and a sore back from traipsing through the woods. So from now on, no kitties will be going out on the deck until I get over this trauma! One part of me is glad Romeo is okay, the other part of me wishes I could spank him and put him in time out!!
Oh PS- James laughed his head off that night when I told him the story, he said he was sorry he didn't get to see it and told me "You have all the fun"- yeah, right!!
After examining him and watching him walk around the house for awhile, the only injury I could find was where one toenail had been ripped off down to the quick. Other than that, he seems fine. Me, I have a bruised foot from stepping on rocks, a twisted ankle from running down the hill, and a sore back from traipsing through the woods. So from now on, no kitties will be going out on the deck until I get over this trauma! One part of me is glad Romeo is okay, the other part of me wishes I could spank him and put him in time out!!
Oh PS- James laughed his head off that night when I told him the story, he said he was sorry he didn't get to see it and told me "You have all the fun"- yeah, right!!
(my handsome Romeo on the deck, behaving)
Hi- I am updating this with a photo of our back deck, for my friends who have not visited our house yet. You can see how high up he was (on top of the railing) when he jumped. Stupid, crazy cat!!
Boys will be boys, Sandy! :) I'm glad you saw it happen and were quick to bring him back. You're grounded, Romeo!
ReplyDeleteGlad I saw it too, I never would have realized he was missing until later that night when it was too late. They come and go inside and out from the deck, I never keep track of who's out there. Fate intervened!! I did grant Spider back her privileges though, she's out there today because she's my special girl. And hopefully she's smarter than the boys and won't try something so crazy.
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