No leash for Ophelia....

I tried a little experiment this weekend. 

Some developers built a condo in the back of my apartment building. I used to have a view of an elevated Q train running to Stillwell Avenue but since they put the condo up, this view is now obstructed. Pretty soon some idiot is going to pay $500,000 for a condo that will be even closer to the Q train than my $884 rent stabilized studio apartment.  While this is a good thing there is a trade off.  I have almost no light. This apartment is dark most of the time.

This would be a drag if I had to spend all my time here but I’m usually only home at night so it doesn’t matter. But Ophelia is here all the time.  She doesn’t get any light at all.  When I come home from work and turn on the light she blinks her eyes because she’s been in darkness all day long.

I figured being in darkness most of the time cannot be very healthy. So I thought I would try taking her outside once in a while.  Now I know that sounds crazy but lot’s of people do take their cats out on a leash.  I see them on the boardwalk all the time and in fact, I bought Ophelia a leash when she was a kitten and even took her out once or twice.  But I had cancer this summer and wasn’t really focused on leash training my cat.  I’m better now so this weekend I thought that I would give the leash another whirl.

Getting the leash on her was no problem, however when I carried her into the hallway she started to tremble much like she did as a four week old kitten, when she realized I was taking her away from her litter mates.  I thought about turning back but I didn’t want to give up too quickly.  I thought if I could just get across the street to the park and sit on a bench, she would calm down a bit but she wouldn’t stop trembling.  I set her down on the grass but she immediately tried to climb back up my leg.  She was having none of this outdoor crap.   

I figured the lack of light cannot be worse than the possible heart attack she may get if I take her outside.  So much for leash training.

Cats are nocturnal anyway.

 

Comments

[Anon]

She is a sweety and you are a good mom

[dana michelle]

Poor Ophelia and poor you! I would hate it if I didn't have natural light :(

My Cricket goes out in the yard on a leash and harness and would spend hours out there if I let her. I am guessing that "near the Boardwalk, NJ" is a bit busier than a front yard in the suburbs of Milwaukee, though. Maybe it was too much noise for her.

You could try gradually getting her used to the leash and then the outside by associating both with kitty treats. Or maybe you could buy her an Ott lite and place it near a window where she likes to curl up. It's full-spectrum light so it mimics the sun.

Glad to see you posting more and more. You seem to be doing really well. Hope you are feeling well, too.

[Cat Care Information]

Being ME of course, I feel guilty to be 'abandoning' any of them. From the babies who were so happy to get out of the cage, to Louie, who I know will be happier in a one cat household. I feel like I'm letting them down somehow. On the other hand, Alan and I are not happy with living with all this feline fighting and peeing, the endless housework to keep the hairballs down to the size of baseballs, and the five litter boxes we clean twice daily. We need to be happy too. Or yours truly will end up once again...