This creates two problems for me as their human. The first is that with Jingle in the garage, I feel a need to keep the door to the garage propped open slightly so that he can get back in when necessary since I can't see out there to know when he wants in. Also, he goes nuts if he can't get back in when he wants and then I worry about what he might do to me for revenge while I sleep at night. So with the door propped open 3 inches, I am basically attempting to air condition the garage. That isn't very cost effective.
I also like to grill for dinner at this time of year in order to keep from heating the house up just in case I don't have a door propped open for a cat. My grill is kept in the garage. When I am ready to grill, I have to open the garage door and roll it out into the alley in order to do so. I can't do that if there is a cat in the garage. For a long time I kept my grill on the patio so that this wasn't a problem. But when I got my most recent grill, I spent a little more on it than I was comfortable with so I decided it needed to be kept out of the weather when not in use so that it would last longer. Then once I started keeping my grill in the garage it freed up so much patio space that I don't think I could ever go back to keeping it out there.
I already know what you are thinking because I consider it 20 or 30 times a year. Why don't I just get a cat door into the garage???? My reason is that I park in the garage and I don't want to have to worry about where the cats are every time I leave or come home. I understand that there are pet doors that you can close that don't allow the pet to use them except when you wish for them to use them. But I just think this would be opening an whole new can of worms that I don't want to deal with. For one thing, there is no pet door for cars. So I would still have to manage that one. So, here is what would end up happening.... Jingle would go out through the cat door and realize that he couldn't get into the car. Then he would come back in the house, jump up on my desk, get on the printer turning it on because for some reason he can't stand on the printer without standing on the power button and then he would start messing with the Bob Hope autograph in order to get my attention just in case the cat meowing incessantly, while standing on my printer with it powering up while I am writing a foot and a half away didn't get my attention. So, while a cat door would definately help with my electric bill, I really don't think it would do anything toward saving my sanity.
Shiner prefers the patio to the garage. Shiner on the patio is not a bad thing. In fact if anything it is kind of great. I know I have mentioned it countless times, but he is the most laid back and contented cat ever. He goes out on the patio when it is 97 degrees and plops down almost immediately sprawling across the patio and taking up as much room as any 11 pound cat can possibly take up. It is so funny to see him all spread out across the rug out there. It is as though he is trying to claim the patio "MINE!!!! ALL MINE!!!!!" Incidentally, he does the same thing to any other surface that he lays on including my bed. It is not quite as cute when I get in bed at night and he has already claimed 2/3 of the queen size bed as "MINE!!!!! ALL MINE!!!!" When he goes out, he is perfectly happy whether the door is opened or closed. That door is glass and I keep a pretty close eye on it, so I can always see if he is sitting at the door wanting in and I open it for him. He has learned over time that I get a lot less hysterical if he rushes through the door not letting inclement weather inside the house, be it winter or summer.
Jingle will only go out on the patio if I go too unless I leave the patio door opened. He has figured out that if the weather is either too hot or too cold I won't leave the door opened. So, as the temperature increases, you couldn't get Jingle out on the patio without me going first without drugging him. When I walk out first and he goes out along with me and Shiner he keeps a paranoid eye on the door at all times to make sure that I don't make my way in the house without him.
I tell you all of this because knowing that we were about to start the 100 degree days for 2012 I went to the pet store the other day to get cat food. While there I saw these white cat beds that were all rolled up for about $12. On the package, it said that cats were drawn to them like magnets and that they were made of a material that would help cats to feel safe and warm. So, I decided to try one. I thought if it worked for Jingle, I might go back and get one for Shiner too. Here is Jingle yesterday afternoon in his......
It's kind of hard to tell, do you think he feels safe and warm???? :-) Since I got it for him, he has generally slept in it about 12 hours a day all curled up in a little ball. But yesterday afternoon, he just sort of spilled out of it like this and slept that way for a few hours. I think he must have moved around while he was sleeping and didn't even notice that he was half way out of it because he was sleeping so hard. The poor baby has a very hard life that no animal should have to endure! Here is what Jingle is doing right now as I write....
So, anyway, I guess Shiner will be getting one too. If you have a highly neurotic and cold natured cat, I cannot recommend this highly enough. I wish I could remember what they are called. But I am sure that you can find them at your local pet store. Just look for the one that is rolled up and says that they attract cats like magnets. Have a good weekend!
No comments:
Post a Comment