Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Day in the Life of a Tri-Pawed
It’s a cat’s life. A three-legged cat, that is.
I took Benji outside to the backyard for his morning constitution.
Sometimes he’s content to rest in the grass and watch the birds; other times he only has escape on his mind. This was one of those days, so I came up with Plan B.
How about a chaperoned trip to the front? No, it’s not fully fenced, but it’s set back from the road with a long driveway and lots of trees. I would watch him carefully while he enjoyed a change of scenery. What could go wrong?
He settled under the trees and we both enjoyed the birdsong. I didn’t realize the greater variety of birds out front, due to different spaces, trees, and shrubs.
All were out and about, robins, towhees, hummingbirds, juncos, wrens, chickadees, and nuthatches, all quite vocal.
It was a peaceful time and I imagined a new morning routine.
And then.
In the midst of this peaceful setting, the local wanderer suddenly appeared in the driveway, the (dreaded) orange cat, intruding on Benji’s territory. My worst tri-pawed nightmare!
All of our instincts took over. Benji on the chase, fast as a 4-legged cat, me trying my best to hang on to him, managing only to grab his tail, (sorry, Beni) while he slipped my grip.
The orange cat disappeared while Benji pursued him, and I pursued Benji.
I chased him two houses over; he was riled up, and so was I. I picked him up, wrapped in my windbreaker, despite his angry protests, and carried him back home, up the stairs, and into our shared office. I put him on his perch and closed the door so we could both recover; it took me longer than him.
There would he no more forays out front. Escape routes might still be found in the backyard, but at least the orange cat is less likely to find his way in.
All is forgiven and we are out back.
Just a day in the life of a tri-pawed who still can’t understand what all the fuss was about.
#SaturdayCaturday.
~ Susanne & Benji
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
It is so easy to underestimate the capacity of a pet – especially a “handicapped” one – We are so glad you and Benji got safely home (we are not above grabbing a cat’s tail either if it is a serious matter). You may want to look into harnesses for walking with him. The ones that seem to work best (that is, hardest to slip) are the ones like a vest or a Thundershirt that fastens around the cat’s body and a ring for the leash is at the back of the neck. You two will work things out to the satisfaction of you both !
We’ve been carefully monitoring him when we take him out in the backyard. I was hoping to provide a change of venue for him, unfortunately, he’s way too fast. I don’t think he would agree to a harness, as he has always been very active, agile, and free roaming. Still, we are considering how best to manage him, so he can be happy and safe.
Yikes! Glad you caught him before he could get hurt.
It was stressful for both of us. He didn’t hesitate a second before running the orange cat off. Fortunately, the neighbor cat didn’t stick around or fight, or it would have been much, much worse!
Oh mercy!! What an ordeal!! I’d say the back yard is a much safer spot!!! I hope Benji forgives the tail yank!
Yes, a stressful morning for both of us, and we have forgiven each other. The backyard is the safest place for him to be outdoors.
That was a close call, and good that you were on your guard. It all ended happily, which was good to read.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks, Pete, Fortunately, the orange visitor was willing to be chased off. Benji is still just as feisty as before and doesn’t seem to know he’s missing a part. We’re both still learning on how to safely manage his new life.
Would he take to a harness? It might help your nerves! 😬
Unfortunately, no, I don’t think so. He’s been a feisty, free-wheeling cat for too long. I think my best bet is to provide supervised visits in the backyard.
Oh goodness! Does the Ginger Impinger belong to anyone or is he a stray?
I think he must belong to someone in the neighborhood. It’s not the first time he’s visited us.