Cat on a Rope

I have a cat companion of the INSIDE variety. I used to have a cat who wanted to be an OUTSIDE
companion.  I adopted her through a veterinarian. I was warned she was feral but thought I could convert her.  That would be a no, as she jumped through a second story window twice. Tabby was captured both times through baited kennels and lived out her natural unhappy indoor life at my house.

This tale is about "Tigger" who is the sole pet of former clients. His care is now in the capable hands of my daughter, who volunteered as my helper in her middle school days. My visits with Tigger were uneventful and leisurely. Sometimes he was cuddly, but as he got older, I'd often find him
attached to the duvet on the master bed. He might lift his head, just out of curiosity, and finding it was me, return to napping.

In warmer weather, which is most of the year here, he was allowed out to explore as much of his yard as the rope would allow. It wasn't really a rope, it was a harness attached to a reinforced nylon
tether which screwed into the lawn. Being that his yard was unfenced, the effort to keep him secure while attaching the harness could be a problem. The effort was exponentially challenging when
the wildlife encroached the property line.

I don't know what his family thought. Perhaps they considered him a dog in cat's clothing. Any cat I've ever known wouldn't put up with being leashed. However, Tigger didn't seem too concerned,
his radar was set to explore the low lying terrain.  I don't know if he had ever successfully climbed a tree or chased anything larger than the occasional possum or soft shell tortoise. When I visited him,
we remained together in the yard. The exercise period made me nervous. It wasn't too many miles away that I had encountered the bear (Stargazing).

Nothing ever happened. Tigger was a mellow fellow.  Living with two little boys and their
never-ending toy box probably made him thankful for the opportunity and the smells and sounds that only a cat appreciates. Sometimes, he would announce we were going out in the rain. So, out we went. Most of his time was under the patio table, but his head was fully back and he was smiling. Me? I just stayed under the awning and appreciated the freshly laundered air.

I know the modern cat owner is encouraged to walk them.  I've been witness to this contrary interpretation of the natural world. It's a popular activity for the younger generation. Truthfully,
I have mixed opinions.  I laud the effort to allow the cat to reconnect with mother nature. I applaud
the cat for having one over on his/her owner. I wonder what the dogs (on their leashes) think.

Pet people are a breed apart. I find them in grocery and department stores. I find them
at the Starbucks and increasingly at the drive thru's ordering meals for their animal companions.
And most recently, on Youtube, a woman with her pet Giant Anteater on a walk. Oh, how I wonder
who her pet sitter is?