I’m usually all about the food–check out the hundreds of recipes in my Recipe Index–but I received so many requests for photos of Loki that I couldn’t say no. I think a few of you are almost as obsessed with Loki as I am!
Loki is an indoor cat who is determined to be outside. And he’s fast. Any time one of us has to go in or out, someone has to hold onto Loki to make sure he doesn’t make a break for it. We’ve begun letting him have supervised time out in the fenced back yard because he obviously enjoys it to much, but we have to watch him closely because he can run straight up the fence. And this is who is the other side:
This may be a perfectly nice dog, but he sounds ferocious, growling and barking whenever he hears us outside. And Loki, who in other ways is a very intelligent cat, is curious and shows no fear of him. Twice I’ve had to run and grab him as he reached the top of the fence, fearing that if I didn’t get him, the dog would.
Fortunately, Loki spends most of his outdoor time playing in the azalea bushes:
…racing straight up trees:
…exploring my untended vegetable garden (full of weeds, brussels sprouts, kale, oregano, and more weeds):
…keeping the garden warm:
…and stalking his friend Leo, who most of the time would rather not be bothered:
On this particular day, we had a surprise visit from a curious neighborhood cat, whose tag declared him to be Milo:
Meanwhile, our blind dog Jazzy enjoyed the sun:
And Loki went looking for more adventures:
If you want to see more of Loki, here’s an archive of all the posts he’s appeared in (including two videos).
Thanks for letting me share my Loki obsession!
Lavender
Loki is such a beautiful cat! I love the pictures and the story. Always liked animals, but after adopting a cute little black/grey dog (Bentley) a couple of years ago, I’ve discovered I have a deep appreciation and love of dogs and cats. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Ginny
Love Loki !
The Vegan Cookie Fairy
So many cute animals in one post!!! 🙂
Lori
Hi Susan. We really enjoy your recipes & the Loki photos! Our pets are also all rescues. Our 14 year old dog (who has kidney issues) has become blind, & she isn’t handling it very well. Do you have any advice, since you also have a blind dog? Thanks so much!
Susan Voisin
Hi Lori, I’m so sorry about your dog. Fortunately for Jazzy, she seems to handle the blindness well. Her first symptom was weight gain and lethargy, and we were in the middle of testing for that when we noticed she was bumping into things. The doctor confirmed that her retinas were degenerating. There was nothing to be done and no other problems, other than the weight gain, so we just have to be careful not to move the furniture or let her get too turned around. In her regular places in the yard and house, she can find her way around easily. Just be patient with her and guide her. There are these scent markers you can buy to put on the corners of things that may help her orient herself. Check Amazon. I almost bought some but then didn’t think Jazzy needed them.
Lori
Susan-Thanks for much for the reply & the idea. I will do a search for the scent markers tonight. I’m glad your Jazzy is doing so well.
Kay
I love this!! I have a big kitty that I am sure had a life outside before we rescued him from a shleter. He wants out and sometimes succeeds, but I chase his fat butt down and take him back in. You have a beautiful cat and I love your recipes!!
Jcb
Charming pictures. Charming pets.
Chessie
Gorgeous, gorgeous cat(s) and gorgeous photos. Thanks for sharing these!
I have a young cat who also loves to go outside. He is smart enough and/or motivated enough to realize that the harness and leash mean outdoors time, and he’s happy to have that stuff put on him. He still tries to sneak out when he thinks he can get away with it, especially after dark (he’s all black). I let him sniff and roll all around the yard, but the fence is the limit to his world.
I hope you continue to feel better!
Ray Gillespie
We have 3 cats that we inherited that were de-clawed so I built them a catio. It is a 20 x 10 dog kennel that I enclosed the top with chicken wire. It butts against the house and I added a cat door to the bathroom window so the cats can go in and out all they want but can’t wander off. They love it.
Kathy
Thank you for making my day with your post! I love Loki too! I so enjoyed seeing ALL the beautiful fur babies in this post! Thank you.
Stef
Oh my gosh, you pets are BEAUTIFUL! Thank you for sharing their lovely faces with us. 🙂
Alina
Love your ‘overgrown’ garden! I’ve always wanted to start a garden too, but apparently in my current neck of the woods it would have to be surrounded by sky-high fence as deer and rabbits roam my neighborhood in packs. Loki has such beautiful eyes!
Dar Steinis
Hi Susan. I too believe cats should be kept indoors but if you decide to let him out in a fenced in area, there are cat containment attachments to fences that prevent cats from climbing over the fence. There are a number of them out there and here is an example. http://www.catfencein.com/
Susan Voisin
Thanks, Dar! I’m looking into the cat-proofing right now.
Janet
Thanks for the photos, Susan. Loki and Leo are beautiful and look just like my two rescue kitties, Pete and Bob. I’m happy you are recovering and able to get outside. Looking forward to more recipes – and more pictures – when you are able!
edrie
You can help keep Loki from scaling the fence by putting chicken wire at the top on your side, bent toward your yard. If you use the type that is coated with green, it’s quite unobtrusive visually and cats really can’t figure out how to get over it. Same with trees if you don’t want to spend evenings at the base, coaxing Loki down when he gets too high. Loki is beautiful, by the way. Thanks for sharing the pics!
Susan Voisin
Thanks! Chicken wire sounds very doable.
Nancy A.
Loki is a beautiful and sweet cat! Love the stories about cats and he is a winner! Just keep him safe outside!!
Sandy
Gorgeous! Susan, you might want to check out cat fencing, at least for the side of your yard where the dog is on the other side. My mom has an inside cat dying to be out too. We take him out on a leash and harness. But have discovered the more he goes out, the more he wants to go out! Here is some fencing that works well. http://blog.mastergardening.com/2010/02/introducing-kitty-corral-cat-fencing-system/
Karen
Susan, I don’t think you will be able to contain Loki in your yard. That is one determined pussycat! And I’m sure he is faster than you are, if he really wants to run up a tree and over into another yard. I strongly suggest you find out from your next door neighbor whether their dog is cat friendly– all bark and no bite– or not. Plus, at his tiny size, foxes and owls are also predators to worry about– and fences are meaningless where they are concerned.Whether he likes it or not, Loki might well have to be all indoors.
Hope you are feeling better!
I am mama to two in-and-out cats now, and have had many others over the years.
Susan Voisin
Thanks, Karen! Since I’ve heard from so many people, I’ve decided to put something on top of our fence next to the dog. I’ll be keeping him strictly inside until I’m sure it’s safe. Fortunately, we don’t have foxes or owls here, so they won’t be a problem.
OR Suz
Despite having too many cats of my own to admit to and who are themselves well documented, I still enjoy a darling kitty photo shoot.
moonwatcher
Hi Susan,
These are adorable! And so nice Loki gets some time in your lovely yard to explore. Determined cats are hard to contain, so I think you’ve got a good balance going for him. We had a small cat years ago who thought he was a lion–would go LOOKING for the big dogs to chase him back into the barn. Hopefully Loki will not insist on that kind of trickery!! He is a beautiful cat.
xoxo
Catherine Robinson
Loki is far too adorable for words !! I’m glad he is getting some fun outside time as he obviously loves it. Thank you for sharing your cute kitty !
Cheryl
Thank you so so much! Loki is the most beautiful cat I’ve ever seen, especially his eyes. And, I had a cat that looked exactly like Leo, named Twinkles. The males were high strung and wanted to be outside, but I never let them. We only have a chain link fence separating us from a pitbull.
This share was amazing, such great pics and we love reading the info too!!!
*shouts.. Encore!* lol
Eddy V
Susan, Thank you for the blog about Loki and his neighbors! Beautiful photos of beautiful creatures.
Enjoy your furry friend!
Kimberton
I love the Loki updates. Great food and adorable kitties and dog — your site is pure bliss!
Linda
Enjoy the kitty drama!! And to think there was a kitty visitor. Just the best. Loki is such a beautiful cat, just beautiful. Will never tire of an email visit with the furry kids!! Thank you for sharing!! : )
Linda
It is good to know of so many kitty lovers!! As I sat in the vet’s waiting room with my pet, a lady was telling that she only adopts black cats from the SPCA. One day her husband said she shouldn’t adopt more, they had enough. She went on to say that if she gets another one, he isn’t the wiser. They are all black and he doesn’t know if there is an extra or not…..true story!
Susan Voisin
That is so funny! Thanks for sharing!
Pixie @ Cheerfully Vegan
He is beautiful! No wonder everybody’s obsessed with seeing him. Wow.
kerry
Loki is so sweet!! I came by your blog for the amazing vegan recipes but in seeing this want to share a lesson learned the hard way in hopes it can prevent you from having to experience it: If that neighbor dog sounds aggressive towards you or any of your animals through the fence please keep them inside or ask your neighbors to kindly do so with their dog while you are out there. My 80lb dog was attacked and nearly killed by a pit who did the exact same thing on the other side of a fence but broke through. If myself and a friend hadn’t been there to physically pull them apart (which was dangerous in and of itself) I don’t think we would still have our dog with us today. When confronted, the owners couldn’t believe their sweet dog would do such a thing. No matter the breed, an aggressive bark towards cats is not a good sign and sweet, curious, Loki is testing that dogs natural instinct to hunt and kill 🙁
Carrie m. Bishop
Love Loki and all your receipes. Welcome home from the operation. Hope you are back to normal soon.
Lucie
Loki is brilliant name for a cat 🙂 And his blue eyes… Wow. All the three of your pets are so amazing I could cuddle them whole day. (Yes, I have a serious thing for dogs and cats… 🙂
Cathrine
Awesome! Came for a recipe, but had to read all about Loki first! They’re all cute and he’s gorgeous! Thanks. 🙂
Leigha @ Minougirl
Awwwww, they’re so cute!! Beautiful pictures! LOVE animals – in fact, the first part of my blog name means cat in French! New visitor to your blog… love it! Definitely coming back! 🙂
Ana
Oh my ! Loki is absolutely precious!! I had a similar looking cat and they’re the most curious of all. Please, share more, there’s never enough cats on the internet 🙂 And I’m serious!!!
Allison
I have never commented on here, but I have been a LONG time reader. I am really disappointed that you feel the need to show a pit bull type dog as “ferocious, growling” dog. I always expect vegans to be informed about animal welfare issues, but sadly this is not the case. Sorry to let you know I won’t be reading your blog any more, as I am not a fan of discrimination against dogs you think are “ferocious”.
Susan Voisin
Allison, I’m sorry you feel offended. I wasn’t worried because of the dog’s appearance but because of how he behaves when we come near the fence. I have friends with pit bulls and they are sweet dogs.
Karen
Yikes, Susan, HELP! I have somehow been caught in a program glitch on your website. I am getting a bunch of duplicate emails every day that say, “You have requested to manage your subscriptions to the articles on FatFree Vegan Kitchen. Follow this link to access your personal page”. When I follow the link it tells me
“no subscriptions match your search criteria.” So I can’t find a way to get out of this vortex. Are you managing your own site–or do you have a website manager who can intervene? I am SO sorry to bother you with this–but it’s making me nuts!
Thanks!
Sandy
Soooooooooooo cute! What a gorgeous black tail she has 😀
Linda K
I’ve always had a rule with my cats…they want to go outside…they can, only on a leash. They get so excited about being outside they forget they have a collar and leash on. That’s the only way they go out. I fashioned a long lead using a thin cord so I could sit and read while they wandered at will. Now they love it when they hear the little bell on the collar!
Callie
Hi Susan-I have been reading your blog for several years and love it! I have been vegan for almost 15 years both for animal rights reasons and for health. I’m also a complete animal lover. What do you feed your cats and dog and how you feel about the ethics of feeding meat-based foods? I’ve gotten around this issue lately by only having my horses (natural vegans!) but I’m considering getting a cat or dog. I know different vegans will handle these issues differently but I’m curious for your thoughts.
Thanks for all the wonderful pictures and recipes!
Sunny
There are vegetarian dog foods out there (I don’t know how good they are, as mine eats Blue Buffalo Wilderness, which isn’t), but there are no vegetarian cat foods. Cats are true carnivores, and non-animal-based foods do not give healthy, long lives to our cats! (Mine get BB Wilderness cat food, as well. Grain-free, although I sometimes add a bit of baby rice cereal. In the wild they DO get a bit of grains or grasses, whatever their lunch ate…)
You could also, with a bit of research (and a good supplement from your vet), make your own. That way you can control the contents (free-range, hormone-free, organic, non-GMO, etc.) in the ways that are important to you.
Good luck! Having a cat or dog (or better, TWO) makes life better, and a lot more interesting, as Loki is proving! 🙂
Linda
Evolution Pet Food in St. Paul, MN @ petfoodshop.com
Owned and operated by Eric Weisman, who also has a no-kill cat/ferret rescue.
High quality, non-gmo, vegan food for cats and dogs.
For cats, if they are started on veggie food when they are very young, they do just fine. My 7 year old sibling cats have been life-long vegans! However, the older the cat is, the more difficult it is to convert them, and it must be done very slowly. Dr. Weisman has good tips on his site.
Jeff @ Cheese-burger.net
Loki looks so cute under the plant and flowers.
Sunny
I love your Loki photos! You certainly picked the right name! (And it’s the smartest ones that get into the most trouble–my own Mischief Maker, also correctly named, has proved that!)
Loki’s a doll!
Dawn
What fun!