Toes primarily stays inside, but about once or twice a day we let her out into the back yard where she likes to bask in the sun and walk around a bit. She never goes very far, and her old age keeps her from hopping the fence.
Last week I let her out to roam while I took the trash and recycling cans from the side of the house to the curb. I had the side gate open, and when I returned to the side of the house, I found Toes at the gate looking toward the front yard.
My first instinct was to swing the gate closed so she couldn’t escape, but she walked past it before I got to her. The gate breached, I let her walk forward a little further, staying close by so I could snatch her up just in case. (She’s a very slow moving cat.)
She walked to the end of the house where she had a full view of the front yard. She considered it for a moment. I thought I might have to grab her, but then she turned around and walked back into the back yard of her own volition. My heart flooded with relief–Toes does want to be our pet!
She just needed to see what else was out there.
Sarah Zureick-Brown 