Creature Corner: March 4, 2021

Last week in “Days of Our Nine Lives,” the cats learned that most of them have been adopted.
Whiskers: Well, here we are.
Pepper: Yep, here we are. It is so quiet!
Whiskers: The quiet makes for good eavesdropping. I’ve been listening to the ARF humans.
Pepper: So have I. They’ve talked quite a bit about safety for dogs and cats.
Whiskers: Safety in the mountains. It’s an important topic.
Pepper: One of them was saying that a friend of theirs was shocked when just last week her little dog was grabbed by a hawk right in front of her eyes. She was maybe 3 feet away.
Whiskers: No! What happened?
Pepper: She ran at the hawk, screaming and waving her arms. The hawk dropped her poor little dog, but it was injured.
Whiskers: Wow. This could happen to any dog or cat. Humans have to be very careful and keep an eye on their beloved four-leggeds.
Lulu: It scares them when they see dogs and cats running loose on this mountain. So many bad things await.
Whiskers: True. It is so beautiful up here but this natural beauty comes at a price.
Lulu: They are able to keep dogs safe on leashes, next to their side, when they’re outside. What about us cats?
Whiskers: Cats really need to stay indoors if they’re going to be truly safe. I’m glad ARF has such a great catio for us.
Pepper: We feel as if we are enjoying the outdoors but we are safe.
Lulu: What about humans who cannot build a catio like ours?
Pepper: I imagine they can create a small catio at a window.
Lulu: Or they could make certain we have access to at least one window. And in the warmer weather, they could leave it open for us with a very secure screen, of course.
Be sure to keep up with the animal antics of “Days of our Nine Lives” each week. And please stop in to say hello to the entire adoptable cast at the ARF House, 26890 Highway 243 on Saturdays 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m., or by appointment M–F by calling 951-659-1122.
Creature Corner is sponsored by Sandi Mathers.