“Indoor vs Outdoor…”
Shared by Breanne Smedley
My childhood cat Ruby turned 22 years old last month.
No, it’s not the oldest a cat has ever lived. I looked it up. The oldest domestic cat to roam this earth was 38 years old.
So, Ruby still has plenty of life to live!
Although her health is rapidly declining (with no help to the 1-year old that loves to give her less than gentle hugs), she still seems to enjoy the same things she did when she was younger.
Which has pretty much stayed unchanged:
Napping on the couch.
Eating.
Napping on the bed.
Ruby has been an indoor cat all her life. She’s had it easy.
On accident, she’s been outside a few times. Whenever it happens, though, she’s right back on the porch, meowing to get back in.
She retreats back to safety, hiding out in one of her napping spots.
My friend, on the other hand, has an outdoor cat.
This cat is nuts. She hunts, and leaves dead mice and birds on the doorstep.
Her coat is matted from running through the grass and bushes.
She’s fast, and strong. She can jump on things. The outdoors are her scratching post, play structure, and litter box.
She is wild, and fierce.
While I love Ruby, I know she wouldn’t survive for very long outside. She’s much different than my friend’s outdoor cat.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Ruby run. And the highest she’s jumped has been the foot and a half from the ground to the couch.
It’s safe to say she would probably be killed by a bird before she ever caught one.
In many ways, I can also look at my life through the lens of outdoor cat vs indoor cat.
I make it easy for myself sometimes.
Read books that mostly align with my own beliefs.
Stay within the comfortable emotions.
Work on the skills that I’m already good at.
While I think it’s okay to live within some level of comfort to feel success and momentum, I also know that staying here will surely limit my growth.
It’s in the wild outdoors that our beliefs are challenged and made stronger.
It’s in the uncomfortable vulnerability that gives birth to joy and love.
It’s when we are thrust into something we’re not good at that gives rise to new skill sets.
As I look at Ruby sleeping on the couch next to me, like she does for at least 23.5 hours a day, I feel love for this old cat that has been with me for almost all my life.
I also can’t help but feel a twinge of sadness for her.
Not because I know she is nearing the end of her life, but because of the life she never knew.
The life of an outdoor cat.
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#DaringlyResilient
#MindfullyEvolving
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