Cat Walk

My cat is in the midst of his evening ritual. From the time I walk in the front door he is intent on going out the back one. As soon as I walk in he moves to the back door, turns his head in my direction and lets out a soft squeaky meow.

If it’s still light out he stands at the open door tentatively, looking outside to get the lay of the land and what’s out there. He’s large in size and somewhat intimidating with his “I’m the bad-ass cat growl,” but underneath all that fat and chatter he’s really a big old scaredy-cat. He’s afraid of children, he’s afraid of adults, he’s pretty much afraid of everything…but me. His fears make him much more of a night prowler. Either that or he’s self-conscience about his weight and would rather prowl around under the cover of darkness.

A short time later he returns to the back door and stares inside through the lowest glass pane. It’s been five minutes since he went out and he’s ready to come back in. Sometimes he strolls to his food bowl for a snack, sometimes he tries to confiscate parts of my dinner, other times he just takes a quick stroll through the living room and wanders back to the door, ready to go out again.

When I don’t respond quickly he uses his left paw to start scratching at the door as if to say, “hey, I’m over here, by the door, can you really NOT see me?” I arise slowly to grant his wish. Within five or ten minutes the ritual begins again.