The escape artist

With the long summer days, Miss Nimbus the expert bird hunter is trapped indoors until 9:30 now.  Since the Anna’s hummingbird has become a regular visitor at the pond, protecting these avian jewels is even more important.

The handy cat door has a large concrete block in front of it, how frustrating!  It is on a small magazine to protect the floor, and Nims has been scratching at the paper in a vain attempt to escape.  I clean up the scrap paper and there is always more.  She can see outside through the hole in the concrete block and get little whiffs of outdoor air, but it is too heavy to move.

darn obstacle

can she tunnel out?

She has gotten to where I think she can tell time, as soon as the hour approaches she is begging to go out.  She knows the words “want to go out?”  She knows a finger held up means no, and a finger pointed at the door means yes!

is it dark outside yet?

Both of them have alerted me to strangers in the yard by growling.  They play fetch and go for walks with me.  All these tricks that only dogs are supposed to know, what smart cats.

The magic portal

The upstairs of my 1933 vintage house is a half story, so the side walls are half height knee walls.  I have sliding panels there to allow access to the great storage area back in the eaves.  This dusty and mysterious part of the house must be a library of old scents, memories of a half century of resident cats.  They really enjoy being let back in there to explore.  Mo always dips his normally curled-over-the-back tail so it won’t hit the fabric.  Miss Nims looks so astonished, click for a larger view.

Instead of being let outdoors, they get to go exploring in the attic.  Miss Nims is only allowed out after dark.   With the longer daylight hours, now it will be 9:00.  Sorry little girl, but I saw you chasing that hummingbird at 8:30 so you have to wait even longer tonight.  She did capture and kill her first rat, I was sure to praise her for that.

The elephant batik on the wall has been donated for a quilting project, more on that to follow.

the portal opens

Mo vanishes but for tail