Smart cat is trouble

The cats were out and playing in the sun since morning. Around lunch time I thought I should go collect the eggs and also check up on the cats that they haven't fallen into the pond or something. A quick look at the front of the house and the backyard where Tora usually spends his time showed that he must be hiding somewhere else. (And in the back of my head also the possibility that he has escaped). Anyway, I thought I should pick the eggs first and then focus on the cats whereabouts so I headed for the run.

Everything seems normal

The chickens were not as excited as usual to see me for some reason. I guessed it was because of the heat and didn't really think more of it. Except I noticed that one of them, the alpha so to say, had a few of its feathers bent backwards as if the others had been bullying her, and she was not as vocal and forthcoming as usual.

You can't always be top chicken I guess

Anyway, again...didn't think it was a big deal and moved on to the nest to collect the eggs. Opened up the nest and jumped back in surprise to find the nest was filled to its capacity with Tora that was just lying there and chilling. He too was a bit surprised to see that the roof of his new room had been removed and I had appeared from above. I dashed back to the house laughing for myself to grab my camera because it was just such a perfect picture. My second reaction of course was how the fuck did he get there? And jeez think if I had opened the nest and there was a huge snake there instead. I should pay more attention to the subtle changes and the signals the hens give.
Anyway, back to the coop with camera ready just to find that the nest was empty, only 1 lonely egg that apparently Tora had been trying to hatch by lying on top of it.
Opened the coop door and saw that Tora had sensed what he had done was probably not kosher and was moving elsewhere.

Sneaky bastard

Of course with him moving residency into the coop the hens had nowhere to lay eggs and had probably held it in. I was wondering if they would go back in once I had removed Tora. Or would they abandon the nests due to fear and start laying eggs in random places?

Tora continued his chillaxing session on the sunny side

Tora was now blocking the entrance and I went in and picked him up and put him outside of the run. I couldn't see any holes or tears in the net or anywhere else he could have entered the run so the whole thing was still a mystery to me to be investigated.

Tora went on to chill in the front of the house, acting all innocent

I took the opportunity to clean the poop board and refill the water. And after about 10 minutes, Tora thought he may give his new discovery another go. I was of course observing him from a safe distance. He walked casually to the net that I had put up recently to stop him from accessing behind the run, ducked under the net (!!!) and made his way easily further and further into the area where I have put all the branches and shit. If he had chosen at that time to make a tiny jump to the right, he would have landed about 2 meters below into the forest plot and be free to escape wherever he wanted. Instead his attention was kept to the left where things and chickens were happening. He sniffed around and located a hole underneath the net of the run that the chickens so diligently had dug with time... and he crawled under and into the run.
Great! I guess there is no stopping these guys. I took him out, fixed the hole to the run and put a couple of bricks on top just for good measure. Then I fixed the lower part of the new net (where he entered to start with) with extra metal netting, and even there I put bricks to be extra sure.
The rest of the day Tora went there several times but seemed to not be able to make his way in. Good. For now. I will keep his GPS necklace on him whenever he is out. He was actually chasing birds around in the garden who had come to feast on the fruits and veggies the rest of the day so it is good to have him there I guess.
The chickens continued to lay eggs in the nest by the way. Thank god.