I think Ella is going to be an indoor kitty for a while, if not forever. She didn't come home until after 11m tonight, and I have been trying to find her since 6:00 pm, which is when I bring her in during this time of year, given that it's dark by 7:00. It has been cold tonight too, so I can't imagine where she was; she doesn't like the cold. I've been walking the streets, the railroad tracks, and checking in and around things in the vacant house next door and a vacant taxi place on the other side of us, where she sometimes goes. She doesn't usually go far. I think I'll be keeping her in and, since Bubba hasn't really had the privilege of being out by himself, I don't think I'll extend it. After a period of grounding, I might let her out for a little while during the day when I am out there with her, as I have Bubba, but maybe not. So, she will be in a bad mood for a while. Poor Bubba, because she takes all that stuff out on him.
We had the sliding door put in. Ella had the upstairs to herself for one night. The second night, one or the other of them figure out how to slide the door open. I'll have to put up a camera to figure out which one, but I may well learn that it was Ella herself. She was not happy when I closed the door behind her, immediately turning around as if she wanted me to open it up again. I may change my mind because Ella loves being outside, but I am thinking of making them both indoor cats. Bubba likes being out but he's happy, inside, or outside. I'm going to keep them both in and see if Ella can get used to being an indoor kitty. It's starting to cool off here, anyhow, although Ella would go out even on cold winter days, just not for long.
@Ken Anderson , I think it would be cruel not to let Ella go outside. She is use to having the freedom to explore her world. She is not a naughty child. She is an animal. You can't expect her to behave like a child. I know you love her and want to protect her from harm. But there is such a thing as too much protection. I suspect that if someone tried to keep you inside or make you wear a mask, you would raise holy hell.
That is Felix who passed on about 10 years ago. He was a stray I took in much to the annoyance of my two girl cats. They hissed and clawed at him. He was a charmer ( like me ) who soon was licking their heads and cuddling with them.
But from dusk to dawn is when foxes, coyotes, and who knows what else are out, traveling the railroad tracks. I have lost cats at night before, including Bird who, being raised feral, was about as streetwise as you can get. When she's out during the day, I can usually find her, but I can't find her at night. It's totally up to her when she comes home, and I am left wondering if she's been killed. There are no easy answers. Probably, I'll let her out again eventually, but only when I can be outside with her.
Barney is a totally inside cat. I wouldn't trust him to the dogs, cars, and kids. He seems happy with his situation and never tries to get out.
Yeah, it was Ella. But she didn't open the door for Bubba until after 5:30 am. At that time, the camera shows her slapping at Bubba from under the door, which suggests playing. Then she opened the door, turned around, and went back upstairs. So she wasn't opening the door for herself.
Dwight, I also had a tuxedo cat named Barney, for about 2 years, back in the 80's! The kitten of an abandoned cat I adopted, she had before I could get her spayed. I almost forgot about him. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and why he didn't live very long. I'd never let a cat outdoors unless I was with it all the times either, after that.
Ken, do you notice your cats' appetites changing as they grow older? Barney used to scarf up half a can of food twice a day, plus his dry. Then he stopped eating so much at a sitting. I took him to the vets because of this. It's good that I did, if even for the wrong reason, because they discovered his hypothyroidism. Now he wants to be fed small amounts four times a day. This aligns somewhat with my own changes in appetite. We are getting old together. I'm thinking it must be normal for him and for other cats as they get older, to eat less at a sitting. What do you think?