No kidding you have to watch cats on tethers at all times! Chester spends much of the day tethered in the backyard since I don't always have time to drag him around on the leash to train him and he *loves* to be outside. I check on him constantly.

He's looked so innocent and sleepy so many times that I've actually been tempted to leave him like that while I went to the store. Knowing cats, however, I have never done it. Thank goodness.

Yesterday, as I watched dumbfounded from the kitchen window, Chester suddenly sprang into action. He got tired of watching the birds in the birdfeeders and decided to go up the tree for a closer look. Oh oh. By the time I got outside, he was high enough that I couldn't grab him ... and he was going higher and higher. I had visions of him snagging the lead high up in the branches before he went to jump down - then hanging there by his collar. Egads. I stood under the tree and swung the lead around to unsnag it as he climbed. After casually inspecting the birdfeeders, he came down slowly and carefully with no further incident.

He's my intrepid little explorer.

Copyright © Susan Mawdsley
October 11, 2001