If you look up in the middle of the block you may see a black cat regarding you from a limestone windowsill. He often sits in the window at night, behind the lowered mosquito screens, sniffing the Harlem air, watching the branches of the linden tree planted in front of the building, looking at the passersby.
But today I raised the screens in the sash windows and the kitty shot out to sit above the street in sun reflected off the windows across the road. Soon, however - predictably - he realised that the windowsill is long and takes him to a spot where a cat could easily jump down and onto the stoop steps - and then the street.
Not good.
So I stayed within arm's reach. I'll see if there is way to block off that end of the sill, with some old, attractive wrought iron thing, perhaps the starburst one sees sometimes, on the rooves of the tall narrow houses where the rays of an iron sun extend between buildings to deter clambering thieves.
I am tempted to eat those little pumpkins.
I have been so worried about this very thing - I have become a believer in "inside cats" or as close to that as possible. Our oldest cat Bleet (he's nearly 15) does still go outside but thankfully he really stays within 10 ft of the house, my kittens Oliver & Virgil (who are 7 now and adopted together as a baby kitten duet from our local shelter) have never (intentionally) been outside - I love it ! our new adoptee Miss Betty we are gradually converting to an inside cat. There isso much potential danger, disease etc lurking beyond the windowsill. much love as always Susan & les Gang
ReplyDeleteI grew up with outside cats and with one terrible exception (dog attack, horrible, but it was human error that left garden gate open) they all had good and long lives. But there was no traffic to speak of - they roamed in gardens, and had the appropriate vaccinations.
DeleteDon't worry, Storbie is not going to be allowed free on the windowsill.
aww! he is such a pretty kitty.
ReplyDeleteMarie, my friend, who has four very active cats bought this product for her deck so the cats could go outside and not jump down to the roof below and run away: http://www.purrfectfence.com
ReplyDeleteVery practical. I just could not bear to look at it! I'm a very shallow, visual person. Don't worry, we won't expose him to Danger.
DeleteHey, Estorbo -- you are as handsome as ever. I never realized you had a striped tail.
ReplyDeleteMe, I'm wearing tortoise shell.
Coco
Marie, my cat once jumped off of my back deck on West 74th street onto a window ledge below. As it turns out, the owner of that apartment was a nut and wouldn't let us come in and get him off of her windowsill. We ended up calling the fire department who thankfully got him out.
ReplyDeleteYikes. And stupid neighbor. I wish there were pictures of the fire NYFD rescuing your cat!
DeleteMine, as you know, are allowed outside when there are adults at home. Or even when I'm here. But we live in a funny little neighborhood where everybody knows their names.
ReplyDeleteHarlem, or any part of the big bad city, no way. But you know this, hence the search for the appropriate adornment/safekeeper,
Can't you bake the little pumpkin? Like an apple?
xo J
& Himself is not tempted to knock the little pumpkin off the sill?
ReplyDeleteLove your kitty - so much like ours! Ours would leap from any height if I let him - currently he is still confined to quarters, so we have had a hot summer with all the windows only open a crack! But he is getting the snip this weekend and then it's FREEDOM for him (and dead mice for me, I suspect...)
ReplyDelete