As the weather gets warmer, I want to go outside more. I don’t really like the hot weather and I know that’s odd with me originally being from Cyprus where it’s mostly hot and sunny but it’s just the way I am. When it gets warmer here I just want to be outside and I’m sorry mummy and daddy being out on the balcony just isn’t the same. I love the feel of the real grass between my paws, cool and fresh and springy. The dappled shade of the trees, the breeze on my fur, I just love it.
So as it starts to warm up indoors I wander round meowing to be let outside, come on mummy, let’s go for walkies, purrlease, I shout in my most pathetic meows. “Not now Jenny, it isn’t time to go out, we’ll go out later.” But I want to go out now mummy, come on, come on let’s go. Sadly even my most pathetic meows don’t work on mummy so I turn to try another tactic. “Mummy! I want to go outside NOW” I shout at her in my most demanding and assertive meow but all I get to that is “Jenny! Stop all that noise, I promise we’ll go out later.” Hmph but I wanna go out now, I cry as I walk round the flat moaning and muttering to myself but just loud enough for mummy and daddy to hear. Well, then if you’re not taking me out then I’m going to bed I mutter as I storm off to the peace and quiet of the spare room to dream of being allowed outside whenever I want.
Then after hours and hours I hear the familiar sound of mummy opening the cupboard where my harness and lead is kept. I twitch one ear, I’m not letting on how excited I am, and then I hear daddy opening my accessory box to pick me a cute bandana or bow tie. I twitch my other ear and now I’m so excited I’m up and running around playing chase with mummy to put my harness on before you could blink an eye! This is a daily ritual, daddy gets my harness accessorised and then mummy chases after me to put it on, its a fun game and my way of making sure we’re warmed up ready for walkies.
Then yey! We’re off! As soon as the outside door opens I’m right there squeezing through as quickly as possible and then running across the grass. Then off we go wandering about as usual but boy, it’s warm so I think I’ll just sit for a while here on the cool ground. “Oh, come on Jen, you’ve shouted and shouted all day to go out and now you’re just sitting there doing nothing, come on, let’s go” mummy says as she pulls out her secret weapon from her pocket, one of my footballs. Well, I just can’t resist and before I know it mummy’s tricked me into running around.
Then once we’ve had a good run about I’m allowed a little rest but not for too long before mummy’s asking me where we’re going next. Decisions, decisions, do I go this way or that way? Ok then off this way we go, I’m all geared up for running around now so maybe there’ll be some pigeons to chase if we go this way. Come on then mummy let’s go and off I trot with hope in my heart that there will be something exciting round the corner. I’m always up for some excitement during our walkies – just not too much.
Then after some bird chasing I get to have another little rest with mummy, just me and her chilling on the grass enjoying each other’s company. I love this special time, we don’t need to talk or say anything, we just sit there together. Maybe it’s our special bond that means we can be this way, that we’re best friends that means we can be this close together, by ourselves, content in each other’s company. Then, before I know it mummy’s saying it’s time for us to go back inside and I protest very loudly at this idea, I just want to stay out and enjoy being outside in the open air. “It’s ok Jenny, one day we’ll have our own garden for you to explore, we’ll build you your very own catio to go out in whenever you want, to sit in with Millie and Angelin and listen to the world go by and we’ll be able to spend much more time together outside.” I thought that sounded just fantastic and I meowed to mummy how much I would love that, to be able to have our own outside space to spend time in and explore and have wonderful adventures in together. “We’ll have all of that soon Jen” mummy said.
One day soon? A catio? A garden? Mummy’s always said that one day I’ll have my very own garden but she’s never said soon before. Is there something going on that mummy hasn’t told me? Maybe there are exciting adventures on the horizon. In the meantime though I’ll keep making sure mummy is fully aware of just how much I need to be taken out on walkies.
Jenny’s Story 