Cat Wisdom

The Cat Challenge

I’ve been in an quandary about what to do with my two older cats. All four of them are rescues, but Jackie and Angel have always wanted to spend a good part of their day out on the property, patrolling the neighborhood. When we first moved here, it was a good thing. We all knew our neighbors and who had which pets. We kept an eye out for those pets that spent some of the day outside. The cats literally could be outside for as long as they wanted, weather permitting, and be safe.

Then, things changed. Several of our older neighbors died; two new houses were built on vacant land and rented out; the lady who was in the military was assigned duty outside the country. Even though we welcomed new people, they didn’t seem to want the same sense of neighborhood that we had. With the newcomers also came stray animals – both cats and dogs. The puppies and kitties were easy to deal with. We worked together to find furever homes for these strays.

The real problem is two feral cats who were dumped here and decided this was their new territory. Unfortunately, the ferals were male, and our cats are males. So, after several cat fights and hundreds of dollars of vet bills, we tried monitoring the feral situation.  It didn’t appear that they were around all the time. So, we’d try to time Jackie’s and Angel’s outings. We’d just get into a comfortable rhythm, and then the current feral male would start another fight, creating more vet trips. We tried capture and release, which netted us a racoon but no feral male cat. We let Jackie out without Angel, because Jackie tended to hide under a tree and not fight. Then, Angel would cry and scratch the glass doors to get out. We left windows open for them, even when it made the house so hot we couldn’t stand it (and, yes, pet lovers will understand why we did this). The situation was compounded recently by the Local Sewer Authority putting a 10 feet wide easement in our backyard, chopping trees down, and so on. There just didn’t seem to be a great solution to be able to let the cats enjoy outdoor life and be safe.

So, one day we were watching the Cat Whisperer, and he talked about creating a “catio.” I didn’t really have the budget to do this, but I so wanted one for all four cats. That way the cats could be outside when they wanted to be but in a more protected environment. Since I couldn’t figure out a way to do this, I put “catio” on God’s To Do List.

God’s To Do List

I’ve got a white board on my bedroom door. Everything I’m inspired to create that delights me, but my logical mind says there is no budget for, goes on the list. Once I put an item on the list, I forget about it because it’s on God’s To Do List, not mine. So, the more I thought about catio, the more I knew it would be a good thing and put “catio” on God’s To Do List. Now, keep in mind my vision of catio was some sort of three story structure that took advantage of the 60 foot drop from our house to the creek, our deck, and had cat doors, of course, with a protective structure and lots of interesting platforms and climbs. I felt like something that big and interesting would let the cats know that we cared that they were happy and heard without sacrificing their safety. I might not be able to immediately budget several thousand dollars to put this structure on our property, but I knew God could.

The Catio

One day I walked out of the office, and my spiritual partner was out on the deck. He had saved up a bit of cash and was using bamboo stakes we already had, some strong plastic fencing, and some anti-bird gizmos to turn the deck into the kitty princes’ first catio. He also had taken some old chicken wire, and closed off the stairs so that the cats couldn’t jump down. He then tested the catio by letting the cats out on the deck with supervision. Of course, Jackie and Angel found ways to get out. Then, my partner would go find them, shore up the hole in the secure space, and try again. This went on for a couple of weeks.

What was kind of weird is that the two littles (the youngest kitty princes) who had never been out much loved the deck and their catio. They get lots of enjoyment exploring the two level deck, our container garden, and jumping on the deck rail. Yet, the two older cats, for whom the catio was built, look for escapes, complain a lot about not being able to get down the stairs to the ground floor, and usually walk back into the house in disgust. It goes to show you that conditioning has a lot to do with what experiences become habits.

The Truth Is Revealed

So, this morning Angel was up on the deck rail looking for a way to escape. I was sitting there having a cup of coffee and decided it was time to chat. For once, I actually listened to the words that came out of my mouth. It went something like this:

Me: Angel, I know you don’t like it that your freedom to explore the neighborhood has been curtailed. But, Momma and Daddy love you. We just don’t feel right about you getting injured all the time. I know you are a good healer and all, but I don’t think all those injuries are that good for your body.

Angel: [Looks longingly trying to figure out if he can jump over obstacles.]

Me: Ya know, Angel, this is a very nice deck. It has two stories. Part of it’s in the sun and part in the shade. With the veggies up here and the bird feeders, there’s a lot to explore. We’re up in the trees, with leaves hanging over the upper deck. The birds are singing. You can hear the creek roar by. Isn’t this just beautiful?

Angel: [Looks at me.]

Me: No, it’s not the whole property or the whole neighborhood. It isn’t even the catio Momma had imagined. But, it’s what we have right now, and it’s beautiful just as it is. Why don’t you take a good look, because it’s just the first step to getting the outdoor freedom you want. It’s the first version of your catio, and your Dad loved you enough to put it together for you, and since catio is still on God’s To Do List, I know that some day you’ll have the catio that gives you that sense of freedom you want.

Angel: [Runs under the eve, throws up, and runs into the house.]

And, isn’t it just that way with us all? We are the beloved children of Divine, and everything we truly desire does come to us. But, how often, at various steps along our journey, do we look at the first version of our Actualized Dream and “throw up” all over God because what we have now isn’t what we had pictured? How often do we run back to what was familiar because the change we seek comes to us one step at a time?

I don’t always have the answers to these questions, but something I do know as I’m clearing out dualistic programming is that looking at the beauty in what is paves the way for expansion. So, I’m very grateful to Angel for this experience. It reminded me that I am a beloved child of the Universe, and the Infinite always is moving my dreams one step closer to me in every moment. I just have to be awake enough to notice.