...containing the "vac-u-dog-erator"

my house is less than 1200 sq ft...
but in the style of the 1920/30's...
there are a bunch of small rooms...

someone before me, removed the wall between the LR & DR...
creating a nice airy open space over 30 ft long...
with lots of eastern light coming through lots of windows...

when I moved in, 20 years ago...
in an attempt to create space where there was not a lot...
I removed most of the interior doors...
leaving doors in place only for the bathroom...
2 closets, and my bedroom...

that means that the office lost both doors...
& the kitchen/util. porch lost 1...

until recently... I didn't miss those doors...

but now that Molly is here...
scarfing any cat food left for 2 seconds...
and thus depriving my kitties...
of the food they need to have available, 24/7...
I am wishing I had some way to allow the kitties food access...
while containing the "vac-u-dog-erator"...

the kitties have a long established eating pattern...
of coming in to eat at different times, according to their "status"...
they need this access to extra food to help them...
to regain their strength & health after their ordeal...

but Molly will swoop in and slurp up any food I don't guard...
and that means that some of the less dominant kitties...
won't get enough to eat...

if I feed the cats all at once, with a lot of dishes...
the less dominant ones just sit & watch the others eat...
there is no place "high" enough, that Molly can't reach it...
a room with a small pet door[only cat sized] would still cause a problem...
because I've seen her go through the small opening on the garage door...
as well as my bedroom window...

so the answer became, to contain Molly...
in a nice way...
so the cats can eat in peace...
& I can stop scolding her for stealing their food...

in other words...



this...

a 36"l x 24"w x27"h folding wire dog crate...
it has very good reviews from purchasers...
will give her plenty of room...
as she is 25" high standing...
[sorry MM, I mis-measured before...she was moving around...]

and after she curled up in the cat bed yesterday...
I knew this size would fit...

it will be good for her because:

I can stop scolding her for eating cat food...
[makes her happier & less sneaky...]

I can "fatten-up" my skinny kitties with less stress to them & me...
[makes me happier, as well as them...]

she will have her own lair...
[the BatCave "went" when the bathroom stuff was unpacked...]

it should make her easier for me to train...
[ie, establish me as the "boss of her"...]

hopefully, this will also help with the excessive guarding & barking...
[having workmen here has also helped...]

and finally...

it should really reinforce her sense of security...
[having a nest that only she uses...]

so having found a good price online [less than 50% of msrp]
I ordered it...no tax, minimal shipping...
such a deal...

it should arrive about the time my bathroom is finishing up...
and the kitties are telling me that they can't wait...
either that, or they're hungry...STILL...

now for those of you who may think that this is mean...
caging her... in her own house...
may I remind you that the kitties were here first...
and I could just put her outside, as the back yard is secure now...

that...

would be mean...

she will go in the crate, with a treat...
[I'm buying a big thing of cheap peanut butter later...]
when the cats need to be fed or I need to contain her...
or while I'm dealing with foot traffic, in & out...
[she can really get underfoot...]

I will also put her in the crate at night...
so I can leave food out for my "night nibblers"...

other times, she'll be out, doing what she's been doing...
sleeping, keeping watch on the house...
attempting to initiate "kitty playtime"...
chewing things, rolling on her bed or just hangin'out...

but NOT...sneaking cat food...
the instant my back is turned...

I'll leave the crate door open, so she can go in whenever...
and will, hopefully, soon consider it her nest...
[if cats invade it, I'll just have to give them the boot...
after all, it is HER nest...]

as I understand it...many dogs today, especially in cities...
are raised to know a crate as home...
makes sense to me, particularly...
in a small home, like mine...

so I'm looking forward to its arrival...
Molly is too...she just doesn't know it yet...