Thursday, September 1, 2022

He Just Wanted Fresh Air. Really.

My new foster-cat Horace has been, so far, as friendly as a cat can get. Within minutes of meeting me, he was inviting chest-rubs. Every time I sit down, he steps on to my lap. He will stay there for as long as I let him, though he does have other spots in which he enjoys sitting and lying.


A friend asked me if Horace had anything bad about him. The ivory boy can’t wait to leave the library and explore the apartment, I know, and I can’t yet answer for his reaction to other cats, and that may be his biggest stumbling block. That, however, is yet to come. For now, the only problem I can see is that he knows how to open windows.


The library window is of the standard sliding kind, a sideways sash, if you will. The pane moves stiffly in its frame, and takes some force to move. Beyond that is the screen. The screen is not the stiff metal sort that was prevalent when I was young, but the softer plastic, easily sliced through. I wanted to give Horace some fresh air while I was at work, but didn’t want to tempt him to leave the building, so I kept the opening to about one and a half inches. With his big head, he wouldn’t get through that, as ingenious as are feline escape techniques.



I came home yesterday, and the window’s pane had been slid back about six inches. I am certain I had not positioned it there when I left; it had been all but closed. Horace had opened it. He’s strong enough, I’m sure, and, getting the right footing, he would have had little trouble sliding the pane open further.


Well… A safe-guard had to be put in place, something similar to the stiff piece of wood I put in the track of my sliding door to the ditch, to make sure human intruders don’t wander uninvited into my ground floor quarters. Fortunately, I am someone who likes to save a good [fill in the blank here] because you never know when it’ll come in handy. I had a stout stick of wood, half an inch round in diameter and, strangely, exactly the length needed to allow the library window to open an inch and a half, but no further. Now, that is in place and, hopefully, Horace is secure from escaping, if that was ever in his mind.


But if a desire for more fresh air is the only fault I can find in this ivory-hued newcomer, that’s pretty good.


16 comments:

  1. Ahhh, he needed a whole lot of that fresh air, LOL! He's a smart and crafty one for sure.

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  2. Ah, clever boy! I was going to suggest a bit of wood, a dowel or small piece of laminate, but you're ahead of the game. :-)

    Horace certainly looks remarkably comfortable up there, all settled in already! I have my fingers crossed for his intergration.

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  3. And...He's giving you a little wave john...
    From the top of the bookcase...Bless!x

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  4. Prediction: Having Horace and Hector in the same apartment will ensure that your life will rarely have a dull moment.

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  5. It appears as though he realizes you are telling on him for opening the window and is trying to act coy by hiding in plain sight and out of reach. Oh no, he could not possibly be so comfy in his new home to try such a trick!

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  6. It looks like Horace is not only a handsome cat but a smart one too. He's going to keep you on your toes, John!

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  7. Holy Moley Horace THAT is impressive! You are the strongest mancat I know! PLEASE don't do that again if the opportunity arises.

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  8. I purr fresh air is all he wanted. After all, he has a pawsome place to stay ;)
    Purrs, Julie

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  9. He is a sweetie. We've put wood in sliding windows and doors before, it works great.

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  10. Horace is SUCH a handsome mancat -- and smart, too!

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  11. Horace is very clever, hopefully not too clever!

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  12. He's also a climber I see. He sounds like my Silas who could open cupboard doors - I'm not sure he ever tried opening a window then. Smart boy Horace!

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  13. dood…with white fizh wavez two ewe frum de towne oh trout…wear
    mail iz still dee livered ponee egz prezz. werd at de cor ral iz ewe haz
    been at de cosy apart mint now for bout a few dayz and we wanted
    two say welcome, ewe iz one handsum cat and nice two meet ewe

    we canna bee on line much, yet still wanted two say HI and hope ewe
    iz settlin in just grate….

    😺😺❤️

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  14. I'd say he enjoys a nice sniff out the window!

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