Yesterday afternoon when I went to the sewing room, the air conditioner wasn’t working. I went back to the house to get Vince and he messed with it and got it running but we need to get someone out to look at it.
Boots!
Vince came in and out several times and there was a lot of activity – more than Boots is used to seeing. He does sometimes have a tendency to want to sneak out the door so I keep a squirt bottle right by the door and every now and then I’ll barely open the door, stick the squirt bottle through the crack and once he gets squirted, he stays back from the door for a few weeks.
Yesterday, I was bringing a load of yarn into the sewing room to store in buckets and when I opened the door, Boots went out. I was holding him with my foot against the wall but I had my camera and my phone in my hand, along with 6 skeins of yarn so I couldn’t drop everything and pick him up. I couldn’t move to where I could put things down or Boots would get free of my foot. The roll up doors on the shop were open, as was the walk through door. I had no idea what Boots would do if he saw Cat. I had no idea if Boots would run off but I couldn’t grab him and he was slithering loose from my foot hold! Vince was outside so I screamed for him to come quick. He was saying “What’s wrong?” I said . . Boots is loose! He thought I said a snake. He was yelling and asking if it was inside or outside and I was trying to say “Just come quickly.” About that time Boots got loose and took off running. He never made it out of the shop and he made a U-turn and came running back into the sewing room.
He had gotten out one time before but all the shop doors were closed so I didn’t worry about losing him and it was easy to grab him.
I’m sure once he got out there and realized that was not his comfort zone, he was happy to run back into the sewing room. Vince said he realized how hot it was and said “No way!”
We’re both going to have to be more careful about making sure he stays back when the door is open!
Stephani in N. TX says
Smart cat! Bolting out the door is not all it’s cracked up to be!
Melody Wathor says
Hi Judy! Boots is adorable and I love your stories about him. I have an off topic question. What digital scale do you use to measure yarn? or do you have a recommendation? Thanks so much.
Jean says
We ended up using a scat mat for one of our cats and never had any problems with the cat trying to escape after getting it. It is a battery operated electrical mat that can be placed in front of the door. When wearing shoes people feel nothing but cats can immediately sense the electrical charge and stay away.
lacefaerie says
At Jean: What about bare human feet? I hate wearing shoes! I may be a Washington girl now but I was born in Southern California and went barefoot most of my first 7 years of life!
Jean says
You would feel a slight electrical charge if you were bare footed but then you know what it is so in our case we just walked around instead of on it.
wanda j says
Yes once cats have been in a house for a long time they don’t like it outside. The smells and noises are just to much.I had 4 get out at one time due to the door wasn’t shut. All hid and waited till I picked them up. One that had been outside cat ran off next door it was dark by now . But he was waiting the next morning wanting back in so don’t worry Boots won’t go far. Mine never went near the door again ever.Good luck with air too. Now is not the time of year you want to be without here in Texas.
Sheri at The Loopy Ewe says
So glad he ran right back in!
Rebecca in SoCal says
I’m glad he turned right around. I had no doubt that he would come back; the worry (if he truly left) would be if he could.
The cats are probably familiar with each others’ smell; still, I wonder what would happen if they came face to face. I think we would all rather that didn’t happen!
Cathi in Texas says
We keep our daughter’s two horses on our property. If they are near the gate (solar so we have openers in our cars) one of them tries to escape whenever he can before the gate closes automatically. If he does get out he doesn’t go very far & waits by the gate until we or someone comes by & let him back in. If they both get out, well that’s another story!
Linda in NE says
LOL I kind of do the same as Boots….go outside, feel the heat & humidity and head back in as soon as possible. He probably just wanted to see the outside world and have a little adventure. Being in the sewing room all the time might be safe, but it must get old. Even for a cat.
dezertsuz says
I think it’s a game with cats. My son has one which will sneak out of his basement, given a chance. If you chase, he runs all over the upstairs. If you don’t, he sits on the stairs as if he’s saying, “Aren’t you going to chase me?” LOL I’m glad Boots was smart enough to come right back!
cassews says
The old catch me if you can ploy .. The cats have our numbers … hahahahahahaha