Penny wants out, and when Penny wants something she wants it will all her being, and she wants it persistently and loudly. She is also slipping out the door with no hesitation when the door is open so I know there is no way i am going to be able to keep her in. I would go to the laundry room, shut the house side, and then go out, but Luke won’t. He might try to, but then he will want to put the mail out and not think about cats. And, besides, it is impossible to ask everybody who rings my doorbell to come around to the back.
And then there is the jealousy factor. There is no way i can keep Bruce inside. He gets mean; that is proven. He got mean cooped up inside when he was not allowed out. Think of what he would be like now that he has had freedom. And if i let Bruce out and keep Penelope in now that she knows that outside is a wonderful exciting interesting place, she is not going to understand. Penelope is the most curious of all the cats, and the most excited by anything new.
I feel like the only workable option i have is to choose the time I let the cats out, limiting the dangers by making it late morning when it is light out, after everyone has gone to work and before they start coming home. My hope is that by letting them out early, they will come to expect to be let out in the morning and not be obsessed with getting out at other times. Maybe we can aviod the night wandering. Luke might be able to remember to use the back door at night… and we seldom have anyone ringing the bell after dark.
I am letting Zoeie out too. Though she is not as interested in it, she does want to do what the others are doing and it does not seem fair to keep only one cat inside. When there were 2 inside i felt like they had each other. I wish they were all as indifferent to the outside as she is. She ventures out for a little while and then comes back in and, if the door is open, sits in the doorway looking out.
This is the first time i have tried to keep my cats safely inside. Maybe if i lived on a busy street I would have more motivation to keep up the effort…. but on a quiet street…. sigh……. I am not happy about it….. but i think i am fighting a loosing battle and it is time to give up and hope for a satisfactory compromise.