in which i am a bad cat owner
when I adopted claw, I told the shelter that yes, she would be an inside cat and yes, I understand that outdoor cats live much shorter lives due to predators, illness, vehicles.
fine. fast forward seven-plus years. we move into a new house with 3.7 acres, much of it wooded. suddenly this little kitty who has never been interested in outside wants to go out EVERY time I take the dogs out. when I didn't let her, she would dart out when I was working with the dogs on stay. fuuuuck.
I threw a flea collar on her and I now let her run out when I take them out and come back when she's done.
She comes home, covered in pine needles and dirt and rain/dew. Happy as hell! Lies down, cleans herself, takes a nap, comes by to say hi and get petted. Runs back out the next time she feels like it.
She absolutely loves it.
It was over a year ago that she had her neurological episode where I was pretty sure she was going to die. The vet even told me as much. She's had a couple of weird episodes since but nothing major like last summer. Healthy and normal for the most part since she recovered.
So I'm shortening her life span by letting her run outside. I'm conflicted. But I have to say, when she shows up at the kitchen door to be let back in and her tail is happy and she mews at me and smells like outside, I don't think about it.
I will when she disappears and a really fat raccoon or coyote or SUV appears.