THE HOUSE SAFE FOR A CAT

Are you sure you know that your cat does not have wings?
... not only the cat's dramas

author: Bogusława Czarnecka, Warsaw, July 14, 2003

Creating a safe house, not only for the cat of the British but for everyone, it is a top priority for his guardian.
Accidents which are cats facing balconies are very common and very dramatic consequences. Consider first a few times over if we want to definitely experience what experienced caregiver already very adult cats, because a few years. This story is really true ...

...AGAIN, A CAT WAS DYING

There is a quiet, warm, summer evening. There're windows and balconies open in almost all flats. Also in the flat on the fourth floor, in one of the Warsaw's apartment's houses, the balcony is open. Two cats, females, are observing "the world by night" with a great interest. As usual, from three years, when their owner opens the balcony.
BALCONY - the wonderful place for observations for curious cats. The darkness, strange voices of the night and the most attractive thing for a cat staying on a balcony: strange night creatures flying as moths, flies and cockchafers, feel attracted to the light. Sometimes, a bird flutters its wings, awaked.

It was happen during the "unlucky" day, July 13, 2003, about 22.00 p.m.
At this moment, a young man became alarmed by the absence of his three-years-old Somalian female. The beloved Redhead.

The rush of ideas caused a panic in the young man's heart.
The one female is present, but where's is Izzy? Why isn't she on the balcony?!
She was there a moment ago, he saw her!

His heart was broken by the fear and despair. He run down the stairs, doesn't wait for the lift, he wanted to be under the balcony as fast as possible.
On the sidewalk, near the car, whole in blood, his beloved Izzy was lying, silent and painful moans were coming out of her. There're also traces of blood on the car's roof.

The vet's diagnosis was terrifying: three paws' complicated fracture, internal injuries, backbone's fracture, back paws' palsy which was probably the result of the spinal cord, a probability of blindness… and the strange attack pointed the brain injury.
That was the first examination of the massacred body.

In a fact, it came true, the cats always fall down on the four paws...

...AGAIN, A CAT WAS DYING

I've heard many times about the cats falling down through the balcony or window. But I was never so close to such a tragedy. The poor Izzy was born in my Cattery. She was Funny's daughter, the stud always admired on cat shows for his wonderful character and a rare, intensive red coat colour. Izzy was the copy of her father, that's why she was her owner's beloved cat. That was the requited love. I know something about a cat's love...

When a kitten leaves my Cattery, I always warn the buyers about the dangerous places in our flats, lurking for cats.

I emphasize many times the necessity of windows' and balconies' protection with dense wire mesh, which won't let the cat to go through. Many people seriously treat my warnings and immediately modernize their homes to make safe life's conditions for a cat. But the majority?...

Light-hearted people don't realize that the cat may really fall down from the balcony. Many people have a cat for the first time and they don't know the cat's psyche. They slowly get to know their cats after spending a lot of time with the cat.

A cat, going out to the balcony or jumping on the opened window's sill, loses the fear against the precipice. The cat thinks just about hunting for a bird or moth flying by. The cat takes into account only the success in hunt. That kind of cat's behavior is known as a "bird syndrome". Many times, we can observe our cat, mewing to the bird, all it's body tense and ready to sudden jump. And the cat would jump, if there weren't a windowpane. The cat must hunt, that's the cat's nature...

Remember, that the balcony's balustrades, slippery windowsills, made in plastic and installed with the slope to the edge - all these things aren't safe for cats. A cat is helpless, hasn't a possibility to sink it's claws - the cat's security valve, to catch on and to pull it's body instead of falling down. The death is waiting for a cat. The death, finally found by a cat on the pavement. If one doesn't want to do anything for a cat's security, let's entangle the balcony's balustrade with a string to let the cat catch by it's claws.

First of all, we should realize that if we want to have a cat, our DUTY is to create safe conditions for a cat's life in our home. And it doesn't matter if it's a very expensive breed cat or a mongrel, loving us with all its little- enormous heart.
THIS IS THE LIFE, WHICH WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR! We'd have pangs of conscience for the rest of our life, because we'll always feel guilty for the death of our beloved cat. And our pain will be unbearable.

And when our heart stays calm - we aren't worth having a cat...

I dedicate this poem to Miśka, Bury, Murzynek.and others passed away.

Majorka

Lord, I'm not an angel
today, there're few the same in the World,
maybe those on the Earth
came to love in creatures and children.

Lord, you said "ask",
you said "ask, and you'll obtain"
do You know that yesterday
my beloved cat went to you
through a Rainbow Bridge?

Lord, you'll recognize him very easy,
his coat was silky, four paths, the tail,
please, Lord, call him loudly,
he was in the habit of don't obey nobody.

Lord, I don't ask for myself,
please find someone friendly for him,
that he won't be hungry and sad there, and
will be able to calmly fall asleep near somebody.

Lord, and then it'll happen,
that you'll call me to Heaven,
let him meet me,
if I'll become an Angel, of course.

more >>>Majorka's poems about cats

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