THE SPARKY REPORT #32

It's been a few weeks since the last Sparky Report, and a lot has happened since then. Sparky is now officially an indoor/outdoor cat. Despite my diligence, she frequently escaped out the door, and when her escape attempts were foiled, she made everyone's life so miserable that I threw in the towel. Now that the weather is nice, she uses the cat door at will and we've settled into a routine of sorts, with frequent yard checks by me just to make sure all is well.

I have a little over 3 acres, so there's plenty of room to explore and practice hunting. And speaking of hunting . . .  

Sparky's first kill: an earthworm!

Sparky has graduated from earthworms to shrews. She is slowly ridding my yard of those tiny critters, but I do wish she wouldn't bring their bodies into the house for me to stumble upon in my bare feet!

 

You'd think Sparky would burn off some of her high octane energy outside, but not so. True to form, she is constantly on the lookout for trouble.

Here's Sparky doing her meerkat imitation as she gauges the distance from porch railing to roof

And here is the result of Sparky playing in a bucket of potting soil I'd been using to repot some house plants.

 

After a day spent getting into trouble, here's what Sparky does in order to recharge her batteries:

And once those batteries are recharged, it's time to find more trouble to get into. (Like destroying a roll of aluminum foil!)

Comments

[HJ]

How lovely to see Sparky having fun in the garden! Apart from a few cats who live in upstairs flats, I don't think we have the concept of indoor cars in the UK. I'd never heard of it until recently, but I gather that it's quite prevalent in the USA? Is it because of some disease?

Cats kill an incredible number of birds, and can be a nuisance in gardens (especially those of neighbours!). But we tend to think of this as the price of having them as pets. On the few occasions when I've had to keep an animal inside because of illness, it's been so difficult that I can't imagine trying to do it full-time. But we don't have air conditioning in houses (so tend to have open windows) and we don't have screen doors.

[Laura]

Hi, HJ. Here in the US, the practice of "indoor-only" cats is quite prevalent. It is also strongly advocated by animal welfare/rescue groups. Statistic show that indoor cats live far longer than indoor/outdoor cats. I applaud and approve those who practice it, especially when one considers how many birds are saved by that practice.

That said, it has always been difficult for me to keep an indoor cat. I live in the country, and love to have my doors and windows open during warm weather. Though I have screen doors and screened windows, my cats have always learned how to pop out the screens and escape. The constant vigilance to prevent escapes wears you down. You can't even leave the door conveniently open as you trundle back and forth between car and house while unloading groceries.

So my cats are indoor/outdoor. In the 40 years I've lived here, I've always had at least one cat, and usually more than one. In those 40 years, I've only lost one cat to a predator (we have coyotes, cougars, raccoons, and bears). It's risky allowing Sparky outside, and I would be devastated if anything happened to her. I understand the risks. They must be weighed against the benefits, not the least of which is a happy cat and a mommy who is no longer under the stress of constant vigilance.

[HJ]

Thanks for your detailed reply! Fortunately we don't really have cat predators (there are a few wild animals which might harm them if defending young, I suppose, but I can't recall any examples). The main killer of cats here is probably the motor car, but surprisingly few fall victim.

[Laura]

HJ, fascinating! I didn't realize there were no cat predators over there! I suppose, unless you live in the country where foxes, weasels, and hawks prevail, that your outdoor cats are safer than ours. As I mentioned, we have a considerable population of predators, especially in the rural area where I live. In addition to the ones I mentioned above, we also have eagles, hawks, and owls, plus badgers, weasels, and snakes, among other predators.

It's a dangerous world out there, but Sparky seems to have a good head on her shoulders and with her feral background, she's probably better equipped to handle wildlife than most domestic cats.

[Cathy in Maryland]

Are you sure she's a cat? I LOVE these posts! As annoying as she sounds like she can be you must love her to pieces. She does sound like she can take care of herself. Did she make it onto the roof?

[Laura]

Cathy, I'm so glad you enjoy the Sparky reports. As I've mentioned many times, I never lack for material. Sparky is a world unto herself.

As she matures, she is becoming less and less "annoying." But I wouldn't change her a bit. I love her just the way she is. She's my sassy, mischievous, furry girl-child.