And I'll bet Spike, the betta, loves to play with Sadie as well.

Of course Sadie creates mischief and - quite purposefully, I'm certain - does many things to annoy you. That is her revenge for being made to wear that silly hat!

And yet, she does look quite cute in that hat.

Two of the best friends that I have ever had in this world was/is black cats. In the case of the "was," that lasted for 8.5 years and he was a free cat, coming and going as he pleased and then one day he went out and was never seen again and I know something terrible happened.

As for the "is," I never allow him to go outside and I feel real bad about that, because however much safer a cat may be inside, a cat ought to be able to go outside. It's just a matter of experiening life. I myself am a pilot and you could say I would be safer if I never climbed into the cockpit and indeed, I have crashed and destroyed my airplane - but what kind of life would it be for me, being safe all the time?

That is kind of how I look at the question of cats going outside.

So I keep this black cat in and I feel bad and guilty about that, for I know I am denying him much of the richness of life simply for my own piece of mind, and yet the indoor life is not perfectly safe, either. And no cat ever experienced a grander and more wonderful life than did the original black cat in his 8.5 years.

So I understand your worry, but I do not think it is a bad thing that you are doing.

Ho! Even as I type, the black cat has leaped onto my lap, crawled onto my shoulder, nuzzled my nose and then leaped across my monitor where he now sits as his tail now hangs down in front of the screen. His life is not a bad one - in fact, it is pretty darn good - but it would be better if he were going in and out the door.