I don't know what I'm going to do with these cats! I give them as much
freedom as possible, but I usually block the cat door an hour or two before
we have to leave for Nanki-Poo's radiation treatments, once I'm sure both
cats are in the house. That way I know I can catch Nanki to put him in the
carrier. The door is supposed to lock by sliding tabs into slots at the
sides, but Lindy can open it easily, so instead I put a heavy wooden
magazine rack, filled with magazines, in front of the door to block it. I
also block it for about an hour after we get home, so I can be sure he
doesn't
go out until the anesthetic has worn off completely.

That worked until today. About 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave,
I heard a noise. I went out to the kitchen, and saw that one end of the
magazine rack was moved a few inches away from the cat door. I moved it
completely away and opened the door. Both cats were just outside it, wanting
in.

Since it was close to the time I'd planned to leave, I left early. I never
know what traffic will be like, and sometimes if I'm there early they take
him early. Today's appointment was for 6:00, and we got at about 5:20. They
didn't take him in until 6:40, and it was almost 8:00 when they brought him
out. They said the gas they usually use to put him out hadn't worked, so
they'd had to give him some additional anesthetic, which would take longer
to wear off.

When we got home, I blocked the door thoroughly before I let him out of the
carrier. I put the magazine rack in front of the cat door. Then I put heavy
boxes on each side, so they couldn't get at an end of the magazine rack. I
put a chair against the magazine rack. Then I fed both cats, who ate as if
they were starving. Nanki-Poo probably was, since he hadn't had anything to
eat since 10 AM, but I had put the dry food down after he was in the carrier
but before we left, so Lindy shouldn't have been that hungry.

At almost 11:00, Nanki-Poo led me to the back door, obviously wanting out.
Then he sat on one of the boxes I had used in the blockade. I figured the
anesthetic had worn off, so I moved the blockade and opened the door - and
there was Lindy on the other side of the door. She was inside after I
blocked the door. I saw her eating. The blockade wasn't moved. She couldn't
possibly have gotten out, but she did.