Rebecca York and Ozzie and Beevel...
Last year I read an article in the New York Times that changed my life. It was about city dwellers who constructed “catios,” safe places for their cats to enjoy the outdoors. Basically they were decks or patios enclosed with mesh or screen where cats could safely take the air.
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| Ozzie looking out the "catio" door |
But I didn’t give up on her, and soon all three cats were coming out on the catio with me. Since the idea was a success, I went on to the next step–hiring a contractor to build a screened porch in place of the tent.
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| Harriet & Ozzie with Mom |
All three cats are relaxing at the moment. Other favorite activities out here include sunning and watching birds and squirrels.
Rebecca York
On Writing Romance blog
I'm so sorry to learn of Miss Mousie's health problems. I was for years a devoted dog owner. At various times, I've had a German Shepherd (3 times, actually), a fabulous brown and white part Brittany part Pointer named Max, and Chloe, a Dalmatian. In 2005, Chloe left me and crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. Heartbroken, I never thought to have another animal. And then I inherited my best friend, Nancy's, cat. Although I'd known Mitzi aka Mitzer since 2004, she only came to live with me in 2010. Being a dog person, I had no idea what to expect, what to do. Cat food. Litter boxes. Yikes! I was terified. So what did I do? I resorted to the kindness of cat experts, other authors who were and still are kind enough to consult with a novice cat owner. These wonderful cat people include authors Rebecca York, Mary Jo Putney, Chassie West, Diane Gaston and Willa Blair, all of whom who have held my paw (so to speak) in tmes of cat crisis at one time or another.
ReplyDeleteI wish Miss Mousie a "ri-foo-aw shi-lay-maw," which is Yiddish for "a complete recovery.
Hugs!
Binnie Syril Braunstein
Thank you so much for commenting, Binnie! Miss Mousie appreciates the good wishes and hugs. And so do I! Very glad you had people, including authors, to help you with your cat! Take care!
ReplyDeleteThe "catio" sounds like a marvelous idea, Rebecca. I wish I'd thought of it when "Carrie" was still with us. She was part of our family for more than 23 years! Never more than 4 1/2 pounds, she'd been a "mouser" on a farm in Carroll County when we adopted her. My daughter named her after her pre-school friend and was in grad school when Carrie died peacefully in her arms. I miss that feisty cat still and keep her paw-print impression next to my laptop to remind me of good times with her.
ReplyDeleteI wish Miss Mousie a long and healthy life.
Toby
I also had a very special cat named Carrie. She was born under my bed and was with us for eighteen years. She kept me company through a lot of books.
DeleteI love the idea of a catio. I wonder if I could figure out how to build a smalldogio for my tiny chihuahuas. I hope Miss Mousie gets all the help she needs.
DeleteElizabeth
There are LOTS of pictures on the web that might help you. Some are big enough for people to join the animals. Other are kind of like cages. For some, the cat can climb out a window. I don't think dogs could do the same thing,though. There are also models you can buy. I guess one url is to a company that sell them. Before I had the porch, I thought about making something w/ pvc pipe and some kind of screening. You know, put together like tinker toys. Or you could buy some sections of wire mesh fence. There is temporary fencing that is held up by sticking the posts into concrete blocks.
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