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One of the foxes was nibbling peanuts as I watched from a window. Suddenly it froze, staring intently toward the garage, so I went to see what was so interesting.
“Bear? Turkey?” I wondered
It was a large red cat.
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For a moment I thought it was our long lost buddy Nibbs, but this cat was a much darker red.
Still, I didn’t want the fox to get it, so I opened the door and called out, which sent the cat off like a rocket down the driveway, clearly not interested in making our acquaintance.
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Nibbs doesn’t visit anymore not, we believe, that anything bad happened to him, but likely he is kept confined because of his inclination to wander. His owner used to live at the horse farm and when she moved to the other side of the hill, Nibbs kept finding his way back. His collar was fitted with a tracking device, but maybe the owner got tired of fetching him. Sad, because once a cat has a taste for the outdoors, being deprived makes them fretful.
I should know.
My first cat companion had been an indoor-outdoor lad, which on Long Island, I wasn’t keen on. After Mohammed’s first disappearance one very frigid Winter, I kept him in hoping he was cured of his wanderlust, but come the next Spring he began scratching and crying at the door.
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Reluctantly, I gave in and when Mohammed disappeared a second time, he did not come back.
Forty years later it still makes me sad, not knowing what happened to the companion I loved so much.
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It’s why I much prefer to keep cats in. Grant, who grew up on a farm, feels it is unnatural although in Washington, with busy roads nearby, he restricted outings to walks on a lead.
Here in the country, it is safe enough and our little gang stay close to the house when they go out.
Willow had never been out and I wasn’t sure how she would behave, so I hesitated to let her go, but she obviously felt deprived and in the end I capitulated.
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I am never very happy when any of the cats are out, but they do so love their freedom and they don’t stay out for more than ten or fifteen minutes.
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But then Little Man turned up.
Before we got around to deciding on his rights, he escaped and when he didn’t return, we didn’t know if he’d decided to go back wherever he’d run away from, or something dire.
What we discovered was that he actually did come back, but seemed not to know how to re-enter the house, having to be inveigled.
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It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be in. Something about getting through the doorway inhibited him.
Once in, he was quite plainly overjoyed to be back.
Since his second escape, we have been fairly neurotic about open doors!
Luckily, Little Man does not fret about being confined. He would love to chase the chipmunks that he sees through the glass door, but he has discovered mice in the basement and expends his energy there.
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Being an animal guardian is a big responsibility.
The right thing is not always easy to determine.
Nibbs’ owner clearly loved him and wanted to protect him but keeping him in had broken his spirit.
When he first came to visit, he was a gregarious, friendly cat that loved to be petted.
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He befriended our cats and played with their toys.
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He curled up on the furniture.
Then for a long time we didn’t see him. When eventually he reappeared, we figured he’d been confined, because he was no longer the carefree animal we’d known.
He didn’t want to be petted. He stayed only briefly, then growled at the door, hissing as we opened it.
So Nibbs may be safe indoors but what good is being safe if you are miserable?
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We often think of our little friend and call out hello when we drive down the road where he lives, hoping that he has come to terms with indoor life.
You are right, Carolyn; however luxurious, a prison is a prison, and no animal should be kept forcibly locked up. I love all the portraits of the cats in your life, and your devotion to them.
Joanna
It seems so cruel to keep a cat indoors when they desperately want to wander!
You have got me worrying about His Nibbs now. I hope he is happy somewhere.
Best wishes, Pete.
After all, a cat remains a wild and independent animal.
Going against his nature can make him unhappy.
I always enjoyed your stories, and pictures, about Nibbs.
He seemed to really enjoy your home, when he would stop by.
I hope he is happy somewhere.
Catherine
It is difficult to give an animal its freedom, but at the same time to ensure that they are safe. Maybe His Nibbs’ owner has gotten him a companion, and he is quite happy to stay home … well, one can only hope, right?