Best-Friend Cats, Kizmet and Jazmine, Share a Similar First Time Outdoor Adventure!
Rolz checks out the surroundings… April showers, let alone May flowers have both been scarce in our backyard but as long as he can spot a lizard or two, all is good in his world!
They say April showers bring May flowers, but with June almost upon us, we have not had too much rain to speak of here in South Florida and our backyard does not have as many profuse blooms as we normally have at this time as a result. For the kitties, none of that matters. Going outside is the biggest treat we can give them and that reminded me of the first time we let Jazmine out a couple of months ago to experience her first backyard outdoor adventure. The experience was so similar to the first time we took her best friend buddy, Kizmet, outside for the first time that I thought it would be fun to share a photo montage of what it was like for the both of them for this Caturday’s edition at Zee and Zoey’s. Kizmet’s pictures are from December, 2013 and Jazmine’s are from March, 2014.
Of course if my humans are outside I need to be with them thinks Jazmine…
Before I begin – a brief background on the situation – Jazmine is a window dweller and normally she pines at the window to go outside when she sees Dan and I out there doing yard work. However, being outside for real and pining at the window to go out are too distinctly different things and just like Kizmet’s first outing, Jazmine found the experience unnerving in the beginning.
The first step began with me putting a harness and leash on her. My cats are not outdoor cats as I worry far too much about their safety to allow that, so I was not about to let her outside for her first time without being firmly under my control. Dan and I are mother-hen, worry-warts as it is with the cats, but since we have a fenced in yard and put a harness and leash on those we deem necessary (Zoey, Kizmet, and Jazmine) we do let them out for a morning outing now and again under our supervision because we know how much they love and appreciate the experience.
Although she didn’t initially understand that the leash and harness represented an outdoor adventure, she was relatively wiggle-free while I put it on her and she didn’t pull or struggle to get out of it. I think she was just confused by all of it and wasn’t sure how she was supposed to respond to suddenly being scooped up to have a harness and leash put on her. I brought her to the doorway and her first steps were hesitant at best and she seemed quite overwhelmed with the whole ordeal. At one point I had to pick her up and carry her to the other cats to show her they were not afraid of being outside and she responded relatively well until a noise startled her and she quickly ran around looking for the door to go back inside!
Jazmine sets herself outside for the very first time…she is wide-eyed and not too sure this is where she really wants to be after all…
Kizmet shared the same unsure look as Jazmine the first time he went outside…
After I brought her to the other cats, things seemed okay… she had a confident tail and all seemed well until a noise startled her and she bee lined it looking for a way back into the house!
Kizmet shared the same high tail as Jazmine did once he had his bearings!
Rather than upset her further, I took her into the house and removed her leash and harness and went back outside with Dan and the other cats. There would be plenty of time to try this again at some other point if she wanted and I did not want to rush things if she was scared. About two minutes later I happened to look up and saw a little orange face at the window, meowing pitifully at me that I had misunderstood her! She was telling me that she actually was a big, brave girl and that she wanted back out!
Okay thinks Jazmine… now that I am inside and I see everyone outside… I want to be back outside…
Kizmet takes charge of his best friend and reassures her all will be well…
Naturally I went back inside and put the leash and harness back on her. I brought her over to where Kizmet was and let him help put her at ease and it was at that point that she decided she had this outside thing conquered and didn’t need us to baby her. I can’t say she is fully aware of just how many exciting sights, sounds, smells, and stimulants await her outside – despite what she might have thought, her exploring was relatively cursory and nowhere near the levels of her expert feline family members but I think in time she will fully understand what it is all about.
Hey… you can let go now, Kizmet! I’m not afraid anymore!
Bring it on world… I’m ready for you!
Kizmet didn’t stick out his tongue like Jazmine did, but clearly he was not afraid of the world once he got used to it either!
In the meantime she is content to stay in the house chasing errant bugs. We will go out again one of these days and it will be fun to see how she reacts now that she is a bit bigger and more confident of herself and her surroundings!
Happy Caturday all and even though it means staying inside, I do hope we get some rain soon – especially for those of you living in areas of severe drought… I am praying for you and hope you get significant showers in the near future!
Oh those first few outings are always so interesting! Sam went out on harness/leash as a little one and would keep looking up at me to make sure I was attached at the other end of the leash….now, 14 years later and many “outside in the dark” harness walks, we’re still good exploring buddies. He goes out without the leash and harness when hubby or I are with him but in the dark – always the leash. I love how cats explore their territory so carefully at first….getting to know each smell and texture and taste on their own terms. Kizmet and Jazmine are gorgeous!
Hugs, Pam (and Sam)
Mum chose to build a catio instead of using a leash, but the goal is the same : safety, safety, and safety during outdoor trips ! Enjoy your explorations buddies ! Purrs
We started Molly Mew on a leash outside. She kept darting out the door when ma would go outside or she would mew her head off to drive dad nuts. Now she goes out with ma. If I bark , she will run straight to the door. Every night after supper she will start mewing to go outside. Ma takes us all out including the guinea pig, Cinnamon. Its something we all look forward too.
what a great adventure….we would love to have a backyard where we could have fun like that!! love that they have the space and the confidence to enjoy it 🙂
lovely post!! My kitties would be the same outside as they are indoor only babies. I don’t have a yard (I live in an apartment with no yard). But I know they’re all safe, and they really don’t mind. . . You have beautiful babies!! Vegeta & the Ricciardi Clan (SMC) say hello!! <3
Aww, too cute! I love that she protested being put back inside! What a sweetie!
My gosh you lot are good with those harnesses. I’m impressed! I had to wear one when I was recoverin’ from havin’ my knee bionicized and let’s just say… IT DIDN’T GO WELL.
No May flowers? MOUSES! Actually, the flower front here isn’t doin’ overly well, either. Spring came late and it looks like summer is plannin’ on arrivin’ soon so everythin’ was sort of condensed. The peep is not pleased. Oh well… things happen I suppose.
Peep wants to know somethin’. Do you have plumies? She asked me to ask.
Purrs,
Nissy
that was a lovely adventure. I used to take my Angel Bobo out with a dog collar and leash (yes a heavy metal leash, I am not one that trusts that a cat can’t slip out of a harness) and he used to love it. Cody, on the other paw, has been taken out twice and has zero interest which is fine with me!
Such lovely pictures of both of them.
We have a safe fenced garden but didn’t want Eric and Flynn going out into it unsupervised when we first had them. We put a 3 feet high sheet of ply board across the door to keep them in, but within 2 days at 5 1/2 weeks old, Eric managed to scrabble over it.
Faraday: *raises paw* I’m ready!!! ME TOO!!
Harnesses rock!
It looks like the first outside adventure was a success. I like to go outside. I don’t get to as often as I like. But it’s always on a harness and leash. When the mom takes it out of the drawer, I come a runnin’! ~Wally
Oh, I just LOVED this!!!
That first time is so special…and to have such fabulous photos too!!!
Wow.
I see future outings and lots of fun!
: ) GG
I remember when I took Austin outside for the first time. It was major, even though he had obviously been living outside when he was rescued. Now he is very blasé about it. Beautiful pictures as always, Deb. x
jazmine….ya hurd burd song ….thatz why ya getted kinda nervous…..it IZ nerve wrackin for sure…next time put yur ear buds on…. that way if it sounds like burd song is gonna start up….crank up de volume on yur eye fone 🙂 ♥