In Which the Pirate Does Another Feline Friday.

Two things led up to this picture: the first is that last weekend at the wine festival, Pirate-Husband and I bought a hammock. The second is that we’ve been trying to convince Floyd to come outside with us. He doesn’t particularly care about wearing the harness but he seems to be a little bit scared of the outdoors, so we’ve been taking him out, giving him love and treats, and letting him go back inside where it’s safe and air-conditioned.

So here is Pirate-Husband enjoying the hammock, and Floyd demanding (in pathetically small mewing noises) to go back to the air-conditioned living room. He looked pretty upset, so we didn’t make him stay outside for very long. Hopefully he gets used to the Big Room With No Walls and we’ll be able to hang out with him on the porch this summer.

The hammock, by the way, is awesome.

I’m not sure if we’re going to try training Kipling to the harness. He doesn’t seem as if he’d appreciate the Big Room very much either. Unlike Floyd, when Kipling gets spooked he stays that way for hours or days, so I’d rather not push him past his boundaries too quickly.

Here’s another shot of Floyd, wearing the harness this time, again yowling to be let back inside. (Credit where credit is due: this picture was taken by friend Stef, who takes really good pictures of lots of animals.) My neighbor Morrie is always teasing me for not letting the cats roam freely around our properties, but perhaps he doesn’t know that Floyd is at heart a couch-cat who likes the safety and security of being inside and doesn’t really want to enjoy the great outdoors? Floyd did wriggle free of the harness at one point, and instead of fearlessly running into the yard to explore as I might have expected, he ran to the front door and demanded entrance. At least I don’t have to worry about him trying to escape; he really just wants to stay inside!

I wish I’d been able to find a pink harness for him!