Peter Young B-D, king of the cat house

After placing the padlock on the door (for my own neurotic peace of mind) and dispensing Frontline, I unlocked the cat door on the window. We showed Petey, Jasper, and Lila how it worked.

Petey is the number one reason we got it. He loves to be outside, but other than a few brief minutes after his two great escapes, he hasn't been able to. He was a stray when he came to live with us. He begged to get into the house, but it's very clear that he longs to wander outside sometimes. He loves the cushy life, but he's always trying to sneak out the door. He was the first one out the cat door tonight. He was surprisingly tentative at first, given his normal adventurous personality. He seemed pretty confused by the sudden opening in the window.After a couple of minutes standing there, he started hopping around the shelves and exploring. He found the shelf that was bathed in the biggest sunbeam and sprawled out and took a nap. After the sunbeam moved on, he decided to explore and play with the maple sapling with put in there for him. We are looking for a thicker-trunked tree that needs removal, so it's sturdy enough for him to climb. He really fancies himself a jungle cat.

He came back in willingly when I called him in for dinner. I locked the cat door when it got dark. I think I will stick with that. There's no good reason for them to be outside at night!

Jasper and Lila each went out for a few minutes. They kept coming back to the cat door, as if they were checking to make sure it was still there. They jumped around to check out the shelves, sniffed around for a bit, and came back through the door with HUGE eyes. I've had both of them since they were tiny kittens, so being outside was pretty new and exciting to them.


I don't see Ivan going out there. He's afraid of everything. I'm hoping Basil and Charlie don't figure it out--I definitely won't be pointing it out to them. I would love if it could be Petey's little Basil & Charlie-free haven!

I also don't plan to point it out to Tica, because I'm always terrified of her falling. The cat house is very high, and the upper shelves would be too far for her tiny little body to handle. She has no desire to be anywhere near an open door or anything that might go outside. She lived a rough stray's life for long enough that she has no interest in returning.

The rest of them will hang out there (after I show them), I think. For now, I'm going to leave it with just Petey, Jasper, and Lila. They always get along well, and once they establish ownership, I think the others will stay in line.

It's been so fun to watch the cats experience this new world! I am at my happiest when my animals and children are happy.