Indoor-outdoor cat

Last summer I purchased a slightly expensive, gadgety cat door for Schrodie. It’s great because it is sensor-activated, meaning that only Schrodie can come and go – eliminating the fears and nightmares of Satan’s evil footmen (that means skunks) entering my home through the door.

The cat wears a little sensor on her collar which activates the flappy-thingy, allowing her access. There are four settings: In and Out; In Only; Out Only; or Nothing. I have it set for In and Out.

She was most certainly an indoor cat when we adopted her at eight months old and Paul and I spent a long day introducing her to the great outdoors the week before he died. It was important to me that the cat continue experiencing the outdoors but as I was at work all day I would need a cat door to achieve that. After the door was installed I showed the cat how to use it but she wasn’t too keen on it – or the outdoors. In fact, the only time the cat would use the door was if you tossed her outside. Then she’d run straight back in faster than you’d imagine!

For the past week, I’ve been finding little bits of nature in the house – twigs and leaves, mostly – and have suspected that maybe, just maybe, Schrodie has finally started to go out whilst I was at work. This suspicion has been even stronger the past few days when she’s not been on the bed when I go to sleep or wake up.

And today the proof came in! For the first time, the cat wasn’t waiting for me just inside the kitchen door. So I walked out to the shop and opened that door (the one where the cat door is) and there she was. Outside. Soaking up the evening air. Outside!

I am such a proud cat owner today. I almost shed a tear of joy. Almost… but I’m not quite that pathetic of a cat lady. Yet…