6/18/10

Catios

I casually mentioned to Marrvelous last week that I had read an article on one of my favorite home design sites that talked about outdoor spaces suitable for cats. And how all of the people in the comments provided a dozen or so different ideas on how they made a space safe for their kitties to play in the fresh air. Most of them were screened in patios or sun rooms, and well, that's not going to be happening anytime soon at our center city apartment.

We were instantly intrigued though. Our two cuties, Samson and Reina, love lying by our glass doors that lead from the top floor loft out to the start of the roof deck. They are mesmerized by the leaves blowing, birds hopping along, and other general outdoorsy activities. Marrvelous and I have also discussed the fact that with the amount of times we like to have people over to sit up on the deck, it could be slightly dangerous with all those same people opening and closing those doors. We've tried sitting in the loft (where our computer is) and keeping the doors open. There is a hanging mesh screen in place to help keep out flying bugs and it deterred Sammy and Rei at the beginning. But slowly they've been creeping out and trying to inspect the great outdoors. In comes...Kitty Leash!

So Marrvelous and I talked more and more about how we could let them enjoy the fresh air, but keep them safe. I'm not going to allow little Miss Rei Rei to go missing. Nope, not happening. That's when Marrvelous called me from the pet store and said "I found something" and came home with the following:


[The "Come with Me Kitty Harness and Bungee Leash"]
We are now officially crazy cat owners (We're not the only ones!)-- and I love it! We tried it out on Sam first, being a bit more calm of the two (Reina takes kitty prozac for god's sake!). He did a bit of slinking, stuttering, but eventually was snooping around the deck and purring in my lap while we sat in the sun. Of course when I tried bringing him back in and "walking" him on the leash - that was an entirely different story. Sammy is not about being walked.


[seriously, he did the full on body slump]
So I think we need some more practice, but I have wholeheartedly embraced our crazy cat ways. Here is a photo of the cutes .... but I'm hoping to share kitty in harness photos soon!


[Mr. Samson on the left, and his cute little sister Reina on the right]

5 comments:

  1. Ohhhhhhhh! I like your cutes! That are CUTE!

    And I need one of these leash harnesses (well, two) stat!

    Assuming your cats were strictly indoor cats before, do you need to shoot them up with anything? Like a T-virus serum* or perhaps other vaccines?

    * Obligatory Resident Evil reference.

    ReplyDelete
  2. angie always has to bring the drugs.

    salvador BEGS to go outside, tries to sneak out, etc. and then as soon as he finds his way out there, he does the army-belly-crawl back in- scared poopless.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @angie - I haven't shot them up with anything tho I probably should. But we figure they're going to be out there with us at all times.

    @elizabeth - yesterday, Sammy was eyeing the door, trying to sneak out as I was going in and out to take things up to the roof, so I got him harnessed up, took him out with me to the top deck and he proceeded to howl the whole time. like the I'm-at-the-vet howl. scaredy cat

    ReplyDelete
  4. i started bringing my cat outside in our tiny backyard a few months ago. the problem is, there's a short wall he can jump over to get into the neighbor's yard and i'm terrified of him running away. so i'm just standing out there following him around, and after a few minutes, i'm like, f- this, and bring him back in. my point? i need this cat leash you speak of.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @giovanna - yes! It was the same..bringing Sammy out, hovering over him with my hands just inches away of either side of him, ready to scoop him up if he tried to make a break for it. Instead, my back would become super achy from hunching over and I'd get so freaked out, we'd go in after a minute.

    ReplyDelete