It’s been just over a year since we lost our cat Beavis. Since then, neither Audrey or HappyCat has been allowed to venture outdoors. Ex-stray HappyCat has no real interest in the outdoors. But Audrey has wanted to wander the world desperately.
It’s her nature as a huntress. She’s always hunting everything that enters the house, why not go to the source and hunt the mice, chipmunks and snakes that have not breached our home.
This is one of the reasons we love Audrey. The reasons she is irreplaceable to us. Other reasons being her loving personality, her ability to do tricks and her amazing sleek low allergen coat. We’ve often joked that when she dies one day, as our favorite, we would have to have her cloned. Just to keep her physical characteristics.
As the favorite we are afraid of losing her.
We’ve started doing some work to the house. Adam wanted to replace all the window sills in the basement. In order to get the proper measurements we took out one of the cellar windows. And I spent the rest of the afternoon nagging Adam to block the window space. I didn’t want a raccoon getting in. Or Audrey getting out.
So he blocked the window with a big piece of plywood. He figured that the opening would require a tight squeeze on her part. It didn’t.
As soon as Audrey had an opportunity to get to the basement she went easily out the window.
Adam came upstairs at 5 in the morning to let me know he was leaving to go hiking. Oh and the cat was out.
Audrey is quick and sleek and hard to catch.
Luckily she comes to her name and likes canned food.
I spent my day searching for improved ways to block the odd shaped hole. I’d block the hole with a piece of sheet metal. And an hour later I hear a loud crash and see a kitty running across the lawn, making her escape.
So I reinforced the sheet metal by holding it in place with a cardboard box on the tiny edge of the cinder blocks.
*crash bang*
So I look the other way for a few minutes, let her have some fun. I don’t mind really mind if she stays in the yard and no wild carnivores come in. But I’m always weary of cars and fisher cats.
The solution that seems to have kept her in for most of the evening is a suitcase at the kitty opening to the basement, a piece of plywood, several pieces of sheet metal, a cardboard box and a roll of saran wrap.
But don’t worry, she’s got brains to go with that beauty. I’m sure she’ll figure out how to break out of this prison.
After all, she loves to be an outdoor wild woman, almost as much as she likes to sleep on Adam’s legs at night.
And it’s hard to deny such a pretty little face.
And doesn’t she seem so thrilled when she’s back in the house.
But sometimes we have to make decisions to keep her safe. No matter how unpopular that decision is with our little wildcat.
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Oh No! This is the worst situation. We too have these issues and yes, a fisher tried to break into our house: http://alongtheausable.blogspot.com/2009/12/mystery-intruder.html
Good luck with Audrey. She is a beauty.
I’m so afraid of my cats meeting a fisher (we also have bobcats in the area, I’ve seen them), especially if it comes into my house to get to them.
Audrey is Adam’s baby. If anything happened to her I think he would be inconsolable. I still can’t believe she’s over three years old now. She still looks like a kitten (our other cat looks like a lump).