Today shows exactly why I keep my cats inside. A neighbor's cat entered our fenced yard. I let the dogs out without realizing there was a cat. They ran after the cat. I had a situation like that once before, but the cat was able to crawl under the gate to safety. This cat was too big and wasn't able to do that. Instead it tried to climb the bars of the gate.

They were more curiously toying with the cat than trying to hurt it. They turned it on its back and were pawing at it and sniffing. I yelled for my husband to come help because I couldn't manage to separate two dogs from the cat alone. Our next door neighbor also heard me and came to see if he could help. In the end, we were able to separate the dogs from the cat and get them inside. The cat climbed to the top of the gate and our neighbor helped it down. Our neighbor checked the cat and said it seemed to be okay. I'm not sure who it belongs to. That neighbor and his wife have cats, but they keep them indoors.

Our dogs were fine too, fortunately. I think my husband and I got the worst of it. I have a few bruises and a broken fingernail. He has a sore finger from grabbing Bruni's collar.

But, if the cat had entered the yard of a more aggressive dog or dogs, the outcome would have been much worse.

We're thinking of ways to make it harder to keep the cats from getting into the yard. In the meantime, we have to check the yard before letting the dogs out.