Saturday mornings are a little lazy around here. I usually sleep until 7, instead of my usual five. Shira must know that if I stay in bed until it's light out, it's a special day. This morning, after I took my bath, she was just being a pill. She wandered around the room talking to me. She'd go downstairs and stand by the front door and complain. She'd go in the bedrooms on the front side of the house and look wistfully out the windows while telling me how badly she wanted to be out there. She almost fell down the stairs as she looked back to see if I were going to come down with her.

Ken was getting ready for his Saturday morning prayer walk and asked what the cat's problem was. I replied that I thought maybe she'd decided she needed a boyfriend. But maybe she just wanted an outdoor adventure.

For the next half hour as I drank my tea, Shira continued her antics. Finally I got the harness and leash out, put them on her and took her to the door. There are very few cats in our neighborhood and I didn't think there'd be much chance of an "oops" with her at the end of a leash -- if she indeed was in heat.

As soon as the door opened, Shira dashed down the sidewalk and headed south. Ignoring the first three houses on the block, she made her way to her favorite juniper at the corner. She walked up to it, sniffing, tasting, wrapping her leash around the bottom. I untangled the leash and she rolled around on the ground next to the juniper. After a minute or two of bonding, she was happy. We went on our way, exploring two new yards further around the corner. Then we came back on the opposite side of the street.

By then I was cold (I think it was about 30 out this morning) so I picked Shira up and brought her back in the house. She jumped up on the island to get a drink and then climbed the cat tree for a grooming and nap session. Not another peep out of her today. I guess she didn't want a boyfriend -- just her juniper.  

© 2002 lisa s vasa

 

(Please note that you will see a number of photos of our cats and kittens that I've taken outside in a natural setting. The LostWoods cats do NOT go outside unsupervised! When we do go outside for pictures and occasional adventures, there is always one person and usually two watching them closely. We do have an outside, fully enclosed run to which the older cats are allowed access, but even then we check on them often.)

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