With the snow as deep as it has been and temperatures dipping far below freezing, I’ve had to keep our semi-feral cats, Dodge and Dart, in the house for over a week now. I’ve blocked both cat doors through which they usually come and go as they please. Dart tried one escape through the front door, but came back in immediately when he realized the snow was deeper than he is tall.
My admiration for the owners of indoor cats has grown immensely this week. I have one friend who has five indoor cats (down from seven). I don’t know how she manages. We’ve long had litter boxes available for the cats’ overnight use, but with both cats using litter boxes full time, it takes significant vigilance to stay ahead of their efforts.
For a couple of days, both cats were fairly dormant, denning under the bed in disgust and not even wanting to look out the window at the bright white, alien environment. But excess energy finally overcame their fear and since then I’ve had to allow at least an hour a day for cat playtime. An old sock on a cord with a catnip center has made a great toy for our rough-housing.
Dodge (above); Dart (below)
The cats will be inside for at least two more days. Temperatures are rising and the thaw has begun, but the snow is still too deep for easy cat navigation; and black cats against white snowfields make easy targets for the extra-hungry predators that will be emerging with the thaw.
Meanwhile, we’ll maintain our wild cat happy hour. For the cats, it’s a frustrating, feeble alternative to being outside, but it’s better than getting frostbite or being eaten by a hungry neighbor.
