Amanda the Great by Amanda El-Dweek for December 04, 2024

Now I picture Ric and Toonces coming home with house keys clipped to their collars.

It’s a little early in the winter to be feeling housebound, even in Dakota.

I’m pretty sure they managed without you Amanda, but like mine, they most likely greeted you at the door with mournful looks on their little faces to make you feeling guilty and give them lots of treats to make up for it, right? It’s really cat code for "Mom’s home, let’s get some treats!

Cats are just fine when you leave the house. They will wander around for a while, them settle down somewhere and go to sleep. It’s what cats do. Kittens on the other hand will climb on and shred everything in sight until they tire and will fall asleep just about anywhere.

At one time most cats were latchkey. They live longer now.

“It’s 9 o’clock. Do you know where your kitties are?”

Get a catio. We had one in San Francisco and put one up when we moved up here. Cats are outside but protected from stuff. And they have shade, shelves, cat tower a litter box and can go beck and forth to the house with no difficulty.