Yesterday I let the cats outside for the first time

[anef]

With some trepidation, as I was convinced that Raffles at least would leap the fence and head for the hills.  And, in Cambridge, the hills are a very long way away.

Of course, as Everybody Told Me, it didn't happen like that.  First I pegged open the cat flap into the conservatory (a posh title for the glassed-in lean to where we keep the boiler, the washing machine, the gardening stuff and the bicycles).  They frolicked around in there for the morning, investigating the gardening stuff and the bicycles, and trying to get as far Up as possible.  (Up is best.)

Then they discovered the weeping fig, which I had put out there to stop them jumping on it and shredding it, as it is Poisonous (something I did not discover until substantial chewing and shredding had already taken place).  They welcomed it like an old friend, and started jumping on it and chewing it.  At that point I removed it to our bedroom, which is a Cat Free Zone. 

Then Freddy started trying to climb the windows by jumping on the storage boxes (about 2 feet off the ground) and leaping up to catch the cross-bars (another 4 feet higher) so I pegged open the cat flap into the Great Outdoors.  Izzy had retired upstairs by then, so it was just the two boys. 

There was a lot of poking of heads out of the cat flap, and going outside for one second before rushing back inside.  Eventually Freddy started exploring the garden, in short bursts, running back inside in between for safety.  Raffles mostly stayed inside, watching Freddy's explorations. 

Freddy finally made it to the bottom of the garden, and disappeared.  It is possible from there to get over the fence into next door's garden by climbing on the compost bin, but the whole thing is hidden by a large and spiky mahonia, so I couldn't tell.  After about ten minutes I started to worry, and went upstairs to look out of the back bedroom window.  To my relief (and unsurprise) I notice a small tabby shape trotting about at the back of next door's garden.   I am still a little worried, as next door has two large and dominant black cats, but eventually, much to my relief, I see Freddy emerge from under the mahonia and come trotting back inside.  I lock the cat flap again, this having been about as much excitement as I can cope with.  Izzy finally comes down, convinced that she has missed something, but not sure what it is.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

That sounds highly positive.

[andrewducker]

I remember the first time we let our cat out when I was a kid, and sat there staring at it as it wandered around the garden, and worried when it went next door that it wouldn't be able to climb back again.

They always seem to manage to find their way back for dinner though.