Rear Window

If you've ever been to my house you might have noticed one of the panes of the French door in my livingroom has been removed to allow the cats to go from the front of the house to the back without me needing to open and close the door. Since cats are perpetually on the wrong side of the door this works rather well in the grand scheme. Esme also uses the door because she is small enough and since she can largely be trusted in any area of the house I don't mind her using it. Clearly, Raimi can't get through the door although his head fits nicely.

When I had the puppies I was a little concerned they'd want to climb through but since they were pretty uncoordinated, and there was never anything on the other side of the door they needed to get to, they never tested it. That is, until Cora started using her brain. The first time I found her like this I had visions of having to break the glass and saw through the mullions to get her out but it was simply a case of a gentle, squeezy reverse. Her hips are too wide to get all the way through so she usually just stands there until I come rescue her. This is good because at least she doesn't panic and hurt herself trying to escape and for her parent's stable temperaments I am eternally grateful. What a face on her ...

Since her first foray into the cat hole I've found her like this several times when she has been relegated to the opposite side of the door she believes she should be on. Cora certainly thinks there is a design flaw with the door and that it needs to be rectified immediately. The cats are pretty sure there was nothing wrong with it to begin with except it is now jammed up with Ridgeback puppy.

I'll admit to being a little concerned about her efforts to get through since she is only 7 months old and still has a lot of growing to do. She has now figured out how to reverse on her own for the most part but one day, no doubt, she will attempt to get through but find that the hole has shrunk. I can only hope that when that day comes it is not at the expense of a French door.