Cat Containment

This morning I installed what I hope will be a functional cat containment system for Henry.

King Henry. King Henry the Hunter. King Henry the Big Game Hunter.

Yes, I said Big Game. You see, over time his kills have gotten bigger and bigger. There was a series of days not long ago when he brought home bunnies. He started with baby bunnies and the next thing I know he's bringing back bunnies as big as he is!

The final straw was finding the be-headed bunny body in the yard. The time had come to find a way to KEEP him in the yard and save the wildlife in the neighborhood.

So I went out and bought a dog track system. Yeah, I know it's a DOG track, but if I asked for a cat track I'd get laughed at - the just don't exist. It's pretty long and has flexibility so Henry actually gets a decent amount of roaming space. I considered a dog run, but as I have only one tree in the yard and my house is siding, it was impractical. So I found something that will put me, and my pet-sitter, at ease.

I don't know how Henry will take it. This morning, just in the time it has taken to install the thing (which wasn't very long, thank you very much), he killed a mouse and a bird. And those are just the ones he brought home. To be fair, though, I think he brings ALL his kills home. He's quite proud of them.

I don't imagine I'll use the containment system ALL the time. Probably most week mornings when I can't spend extra time waiting on him to return home (even though he's pretty good about coming when I call him). And probably as the daylight hours get shorter, he'll spend more time tethered.

SIGH. I know it goes against his nature . . . he is a hunter in his heart and he's quite good at it. I also understand "survival of the fittest." It just seems the balance is tipped in his favor and we don't get many birds (or squirrels, or any wildlife for that matter) in our yard anymore. I'll let him hunt on occasion . . . but maybe this way the birds and bunnies will have a fighting chance.

Now . . . I just need to get the harness on him.