The Contraption

All of my cats are indoor cats, and they are generally OK with that.  I made the decision to have indoor cats after losing one too many cats on the road when I was growing up.  That and I don't particularly like getting "presents" in the form of dead field mice.  So indoor cats I have.

However, I know the yearnings that cats have to be outside, to smell the wind, to hear the birds.  In the name of cat happiness, I devised the perfect solution.

I found this ad for a homemade "cat condo", and after looking at it, I knew I had to have it.  It was 4x4x4, on wheels, and erected sturdily. 

My brilliant idea in this whole thing was how to make it so that the cats could go in and out on their own free will (hence the silver tubing you see in this photo).  With the help of my friends and my brother, I installed a cat door in the main door of my house.  It locks so I have the control to keep them in if need be.  After hearing stray cats yowling in the wee hours of the night, I now lock it before I go to bed.

The silver tubing (dryer vent) connects the cat condo to the cat door and acts as a passage way.  The cats love it.

I close it up during the winter months so the cats get particularly eager to go outside come Spring.  They sense that it is nice outside, but it is still a little cold yet to unwrap the cat door (it blows a lot of cool air into the house).  Before too long, though, the fuzzies will once again be in their glory outside in their contraption.

Milo is coming through the tube!  And Punky is there too.  RIP PUNKY.