Over the past few days we finally experienced what felt like our first absolutely perfect weekend in our new Chicago home. We celebrated by taking Soupy and Nipsey outside for the very first time.
Being sheltered indoor cats, Soupy and Nipsey’s only prior experience with the great outdoors has always been through an open window, or occasionally through the door of a cat carrier as they were taken to the vet. But now we have a backyard for them to play in, so we got a cat tent!
The outdoor adventure got off to a slow start as both cats preferred to say in their carriers for a while.
Then they got brave!
Nipsey turned out to be the bravest, spending 15 minutes out of his carrier cautiously stepping around the tent and sniffing the air constantly before ducking back in, then coming out for another 15 minutes or so. He did this a few times.
John and I made lots of encouraging noises and gave pep talks, while trying not to be pushy cat parents.
Soupy also made it out once or twice, but he generally preferred the familiar comfort of the carrier.
They spent an hour or so in the tent before we decided it was time to go back inside. I can’t wait to try this again and see how it goes. I wonder if any of you out there have taken your indoor cats out in a similar way?
These exciting cat adventure photos also remind me that today is the last day for entries in our 2014 Photo Series Contest! So don’t forget to add your series to our Flickr group by midnight tonight for them to be eligible. We’ll be announcing the winners soon!
A cat tent!! I wonder if Toast would like that. Is there a bottom on it?
The bottom is mesh, so grass (and bugs) can poke through. I think you should give it a try with Toast!
Ooh, nice! Once we get our backyard looking nicer, I’ll see if Ninja and Patches would like something like this. I sometimes leave the inner door open so they can look out the glass back door.
Where did you get it?
We got it from Amazon, but it’s also available from other online pet stores. Just search for cat tent!
We’ve had outdoor cats before but after losing one to a car, we won’t let our new cats out. My only issue with letting them try out a cat tent is that they might enjoy it and want to try and escape out of the house (which right now they have zero desire to do). Mine will have to continue enjoying the scent of outdoors from the window sills! lol
I take one of my cats, Jackson, out on a leash. He loves it and is great on the leash!
My kitties are not declawed, so they are only given monitored access to slightly open windows and screen doors. If you have trouble getting them to stay out of the carrier, I’d recommend a small blanket on the apex of the tent so they don’t feel agoraphobic. And maybe something they lay on in the house. Or catnip, if they’re into it.
It is scary the first time you let your cat outside on their own, but now I can see how happy my cat is, I’m pleased to let him have his freedom, he’d go crazy if he just had a tent-sized space. And I’m in the uk where declawing is illegal as it’s considered so cruel.