The land around the farm is huge, and so beautiful. There are softly flowing fields that grow strawberries, and asparagus, a meandering stream that runs through the lower end of the land, trees galore, and high hills to climb, all ringed in by far away mountains. Living in the woods are deer, bear, raccoons, and coyotes, among other animals. It’s the coyotes that worry me the most. Have I mentioned how their cries sounded like a woman in distress, and that the other night they sounded like the wail of a siren. We’ve been serenaded to sleep by their howling, many nights, and woken to the sound of the dogs furiously barking. They show little fear of humans, or the dogs, and would have absolutely no hesitation in taking Boo away from us, should we be so careless as to let him out alone, and that’s something that I am very careful of not to let happen.
He isn’t too concerned about being inside all day, mostly hanging out in our bedroom. But for a cat that is used to coming and going as he pleases, being indoors isn’t the most popular version of the life he is leading.
We have tried a leash, and a harness, not too popular, he just squatted on the ground, and refused to explore. Then came the longer lead, and the collar, but that was getting caught up in too many branches, and the sound of me crashing behind him as I wound through trees, and under fences seemed to annoy him greatly. There is a unused Dog pen in the farm yard, and we have turned it into a off leash adventure playground for him, I am going to call it Bootsie Land. With tall trees that he is attempting to climb, and grass to chew, this safe fenced off area is perfect for him. There are many hiding places for a cat, and a building that he can hide behind so “he can’t see us.”
He seems to like this adventure Bootsie Land enough that he almost seems to be waiting to go outside each day. It sure beats wandering through the bushes, under fences, up and down the hills in the garden. Admission to Bootsie Land is free, if you are a cat. Sorry no dogs, or coyotes allowed.