Your Cat is Safer Indoors!! - Pet forum for dogs cats and humans

heidiho · #1 February 6th, 2007, 07:33 PM

Only those who have had a cat can truly appreciate the contentment and the shared affection such a companion can bring. Cats are, to millions of people, the most fascinating of non-human associates, the most fun to be with, to watch and be watched by in a companionship that is warm on both sides, yet not to the point of slopping over. With a cat, it is a friendship between equals, pursued on a basis of mutual self-respect. A cat is as content to live with you in a room as on a ranch. His throaty purr calms you like a lullaby and his silky coat against your cheeks fills you with peace. Yet he remains utterly independent. We who are interested in cats must remember that the cat is one of the most poorly understood of all animals. Why? Simply because the cat is a realist and does things because there is a reason for doing them. Most animals do things because their master commands or forces them to do so. But not so with the cat. How wonderful this world world be if we human beings did things because they were necessary, and not for show or effect upon individuals less discerning than we.

One big advantage of a pet cat over a dog is the fact that cats naturally use their litter tray and therefore there is no need to turn them out. In fact, if you really love your cat and value him, you will never let him out of doors unless he is with you in a carrier. Unattended, the odds are that your cat will be run over, poisoned, shot or stolen. There is also a danger of your pet picking up a disease, such as rabies, thus endangering the lives of your family. Fleas, ear mites, fungus skin disease, and intestinal parasites may be contracted from other cats and animals. By fighting with other cats, he may develop abscesses due to bites. When your cat is kept indoors, no one can complain about him. In order to avoid in any way creating a dislike for our pets, we must not let them disturb other people, nor allow them to roam on their premises. A cat which has never been outdoors will have no desire to go out.

People should realize that needless litters are of more harm than imagined and see to it that their pets are neutered or spayed. To prevent the birth of thousands of homeless cats which will not be cared for, humane societies and shelters should not be allowed to give out for adoption unspayed females and unneutered male cats. This rule should apply to all people who allow their cats to breed and then give the kittens away to homes where they may soon be abandoned.

The fascinating hobby of keeping a cattery for the purpose of improving purebred cats is also being attacked by stringent city laws. Catteries consist of one or more breeds of purebred cats. They are kept in the homes of people who are especially interested and willing to devote much time and considerable effort to the hobby of breeding better cats and who avoid the breeding of a surplus of unwanted and neglected cats. Through the national organizations with which they are affiliated, [cat shows] are held annually in various cities. This is done in order to create a better understanding of the various breeds of cats and to develop a greater appreciation of this lovable creature.

Let us all do our part by keeping our pet cat at home! Keep him in clean quarters, properly fed, and above all , loved. A clean litter pan and fresh water should always be supplied and changed daily. Each cat at birth is one of God's creatures and deserves to be kept clean, in pleasant surroundings, well fed and loved. No animals should be treated as a "thing" by letting children mishandle him as if he were a toy.

Everybody who loves and understands cats should make it his duty to carry on an educational program of his own, in order to educate others who have not been so fortunate to have the association of a cat companion. Only by living with one, can you learn to know and understand its feline nature.

heidiho · #2 February 6th, 2007, 07:36 PM

I love this article,i have a question though,it says if your cat has never been outside it will have no desire to do so,but what about if your cat does sit by the window and sees everything going on outside doesnt that make them want to go out????

dustybird · #3 February 6th, 2007, 09:20 PM

Good article thanks for posting.

I think most cat's that never go outside given the oportunity to do so would just out of curiosity. My cat's for one are obcessed with trying to get into any forbidden room(laundry room/workshop) and I think outside to them is just another forbidden room, not to mention the fact that I am sure they would love to be able to chase the birds they stare at through the window. Of course if they ever did get out

/knock on wood they never do; they would have no idea what to do.

Cat's are wonderful and I love mine to bits(maybe too much according to some). I love the fact that one minute they neeed you "pet me, pet me, pet me; why are you not picking me up already can't you see I desperately need some lovin" and the next they look at you "would you just go away already geez I would like some alone time".

I just love my furry little bundles of joy.

jiorji · #4 February 6th, 2007, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heidiho

I love this article,i have a question though,it says if your cat has never been outside it will have no desire to do so,but what about if your cat does sit by the window and sees everything going on outside doesnt that make them want to go out????

but animals don't have the brain capacity we do to think "wow i live in a bubble". THey don't know that there's more out there. They see it, but they're not quite sure what's going on.

plus you have to decide once and for all, whether your cat will be indoor only or in and out. Because if say when she's around 5 and you finally decide to let her roam, her instincts won't be as sharp. She won't know to defend herself and i think she'll be slower to figure things out.
My cat is 2 and i don't think she'd do too well outside. Especially when she's on the balcony looking down to the ground...I'm not quite sure she realizes that she's at a dangerous height.

So i do my best to entertain them as well as i can inside, and to them teh outside world is like a giant fishbowl for their entertainment

Prin · #5 February 6th, 2007, 09:44 PM

It's the same as a dog who looks outside, sees it's raining and then is surprised it's raining when he gets to the door.

jiorji · #6 February 6th, 2007, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prin

It's the same as a dog who looks outside, sees it's raining and then is surprised it's raining when he gets to the door.

oh Boo you silly dog

heidiho · #7 February 7th, 2007, 02:31 PM

Isnt that funny one minute you are petting them and they are purring and loving it,then in an instant they are done and walk away,i love it..She will never be allowed out,and i just cant tell if she wants to or not,when cars drive by or people walk by if she is by the door she freaks and runs into the bedroom,but when the 2 strays are laying outside door she will lay right there as close to the crack at the bottm of the door,sometimes i put a chair by the door so she can look out,if i dont and she is in that mood she will hang on the screen with her claws.When we open door she doesnt try to haul a** out so that is good..

kashtin's kin · #8 February 9th, 2007, 12:19 AM

I had 2 barn cats for about 8 years-outside. Once they came in for their 'retirement', neither of them ever showed the slightest interest in returning to the outside world

; these sisters lived to be 17, and died with 2 weeks of each other.

A couple of our now ALL indoor cats may look out the windows more than a few of the others, but I think they may understand on some level that 'inside is better'. I KNOW that they wouldn't trade their human

slaves for all the tea in China...all the catnip in gardens??

Dracko · #9 February 9th, 2007, 12:38 AM

Indoor all the way!!!

krdahmer · #10 February 9th, 2007, 02:41 PM

Agreed. Safety first. They may long for outdoor adventures but benefit from the love and security of a safe and healthy loving home. Plus with laser pointers, catnip, catgrass, string, scratching posts, bird videos, big windows, other cats to play with and wrestle, good food, regular vet check ups and more love than i could have imagined for the little critters, I don't think mine are missing out on anything. Heck I even let the odd fly in on purpose for some real hunting.

I

for all the little critters left to fend for themselves every day that they are safe and healthy and happy and that they find someone to love them and show them how special they are.

chico2 · #11 February 9th, 2007, 03:03 PM

Great article Heidi! At first I thought it was your own writing..
My cats DO go outside with me or hubby,they get their collars on and out we go.
They seem to know their boundaries and I always keep them in sight,all they do is sniff around,run around like crazy,have no interest in what goes on on the other side of the fence.
In the winter,maybe we are outside 15min,but in the summer for a few hours,when mostly the lay in the sun snoozing,while we. garden or swim in the pool.
With all my bird-feeders and the occasional mouse,there is enough to keep them busy

However,they are just as happy when it's time to go inside and all three run in like little obedient children.I am very proud of them!!

heidiho · #12 February 12th, 2007, 02:41 PM

I wish i could write that good i got that from Cat Fancy.Our vet told us you let her out just one time and it is all over,i put a chair by the door so she can sit and look out,that is the best she will get,i also have a question,the female stray we feed hangs out by our door and now that i let roxy sit in chair and look out sometimes the stray will reach up and look in window while roxy is lookin out,well she has something wrong with her eye,it is barely open and there is like goop in it,can roxy catch it??I dont know what to do to help her,i feel so bad......But i dont want roxy catching anything i would die...

Hunter's_owner · #13 February 12th, 2007, 02:44 PM

Well she wouldn't be able to catch it through a closed window.

Poor kitty :sad:

heidiho · #14 February 12th, 2007, 03:12 PM

Well the window is open there is a screen though..I know she is so sweet but not sweet enough to where i could take her to vet,and even if vet woudl give me meds without seeing her,i would not be able to give her,you can pet them but that really is about it.

LM1313 · #15 February 12th, 2007, 03:41 PM

Good article! But in my experience, cats are intrigued by any closed door . . .

I take my cats out on harness and leash only. I do think people should do that if they can. There's always a risk of a cat escaping and although you hope that you'll find a lost cat before it runs in to danger, a cat to whom the outdoors are completely alien is more likely to make a bad decision, like not climbing a tree to escape danger because the rustling leaves scare him. When I first started taking my munchkins outside, they were scared of everything but now they're calm and they do enjoy sniffing sticks and rolling on concrete. (Oh, they looove concrete.

) Also, they associate their harnesses with going out and look for them instead of trying to get out the door by themselves.

chico2 · #16 February 12th, 2007, 03:47 PM

LM1313,my cats do the same,they know when I bring out their collars we are going outside and line up all in a row,so cute

heidiho · #17 February 12th, 2007, 03:57 PM

Roxy seems to be a really happy kitty,i just dont want to open that can of worms and start her on dodging for the door to run out ,when as of now she does not do that,seeing the health of on of the strays out there,even though roxy has had all her shots,i am not taking any chances on exposing her to any health risks..Oh yeah one more thing, i got her lukemia / feline aids tests while she got spayed,both negative.....

chico2 · #18 February 12th, 2007, 04:38 PM

Heidi,you have the right idea,keep her inside,away from any poor cats out there.
Maybe sometime down the line,you can get another kitten to keep her company,two cats are soooo much more fun

Jennicat · #19 February 12th, 2007, 05:14 PM

I can't agree with this more. I just finished burying the feral cat that we'd spent 3 years trying to trap and spay. We found her on the side of the road. She'd lived here for so long, but her luck finally ran out.

heidiho · #20 February 12th, 2007, 05:21 PM

Oh yeah we have already discussed another kitty,it will happen just might be a little while,i took pics of our 2 strays but forgot to get those developed,it is the same boy one with the stubby tail,but a new female cat,will have those next week,i do feel really bad for her,but i just know my vet will not give me meds when the best info i have is her eye is closing and there is goop in it.Did you say roxy cant get anything if there is a screen between them??

heidiho · #21 February 12th, 2007, 05:23 PM

There have been a few times when i pull in driveway and the female is just laying in the road ,i almost ran into her once..So far though luck has been on their side,although i seen 2 different strays the other day,i hear fighting at night sometimes probably them going at it

chico2 · #22 February 13th, 2007, 07:59 AM

Jennicat,I am so sorry,at least she had someone who cared

little girl:sad:

Clio · #23 February 25th, 2007, 11:22 AM

I could never keep a cat indoor 24/7. I think it's cruel to be honest.

trippincherri · #24 February 25th, 2007, 07:35 PM

It is not cruel Clio, if you value your pet and their life with you then you would do the same.
Here is an example of why this is important:

I myself do not let our cats outside unless they are harnessed and leashed.
Another couple we know decided that they felt bad keeping their cat Milo inside all the time and turned him into a inside/outside cat. He was fine living like this for about 2 years and then one day he never came home to be let in at night. They were worried but figured he would show up the next day, but he did not.
It wasn't until 2 weeks later that they came home and found him lying on the sidewalk crying in pain.
They rushed him to the vet and found out that he had a broken pelvis and hips. The vet figured that he got partially caught in a cat trap but managed to free himself, and he dragged himself home!!!
They were heart broken but agreed to pay for the very expensive sugery to have him fixed and now Milo is a STRICTLY indoor cat who has pins in his hips and pelvis holding him together.

In our town stray cats are a real problem and our town actually loans out live traps to catch the strays, bad part is most people never turn the strays into the pound they take them out of town and dump them, or they shoot them.

I hear stories too about people leaving poison out or anti-freeze, one guy was even caught for baiting cats into his back yard with meat and then shooting them with a bow and arrow!! He and his friends would drink beer and spend an evening doing this

, our society is messed up.

Quins-mum · #25 February 25th, 2007, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clio

I could never keep a cat indoor 24/7. I think it's cruel to be honest.

I tend to agree. I think cats should be able to develope their natural instinct - climb trees, chase birds and mice etc and the fav past time of all... lazin in the sun. If we dont allow them to do this,then I feel that we, as ppl are changing what we love in these animals to suit ourselves, and our beliefs of what WE think a cat should be like.

I dont really agree with Trippincherri - keep them inside if you "value your cats life"... I infact value my cats life more than my own.

I know I'd hate to be inside 24/7 - I'd get "cabin-fever"!

however, i make sure that my cat is inside at night, and I always make sure I know where she is before I leave the house during the day.

I love Lexie for what she is... my cat, who climbs trees, hides in the bushes having a snooze, trying to chase things that move etc.

I guess everyone has their own ideas, and thats cool, and I guess it all depends on where you live, ie, stray cats around, poisons etc.

trippincherri · #26 February 25th, 2007, 08:24 PM

My cats still climb trees outside and eat grass and laze in the sun, they are supervised though.
If I lived in the country I might have and indoor/outdoor cat, there being far less dangers for them there then in town.
But that being said, I grew up on a farm and lost many barn kitties and 2 indoor/outdoor kitties to predators such as owls and coyotes.
I just don't think its worth the chance.
I prefer them being supervised, then I know I am going to see them again tomorrow.

Quins-mum · #27 February 25th, 2007, 08:33 PM

Sounds like your kitties have the best of both worlds .

I have to admit, I always keep an eye out for Lexie when she is outside, check on her all the time. She can be naughty and hide and when I call her she wont answer, all i see is a wee head sticking out from under a bush...shes too lasy to answer me!
Whre I live is different from you, we dont have problems with poisons, or strays.
Everything is very tranquill.
Im sorry about your kitties who passed away due to preditors. We don't have anything like that...the cat is the main preditor.

heidiho · #28 February 26th, 2007, 03:16 PM

By no means would i call it cruel,that is a joke,what would be cruel is letting her outside w/ as far as i have seen 5 other cats that are feral,umm getting hit by a car,having someone do something cruel to her etc etc,if you live in the middle of no where ,where there are no other animals that could kill them,then good for you,i dont,and let me tell you she is one happy happy cat,by no means is she being treated cruel.....

Quins-mum · #29 February 26th, 2007, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heidiho

By no means would i call it cruel,that is a joke,what would be cruel is letting her outside w/ as far as i have seen 5 other cats that are feral,umm getting hit by a car,having someone do something cruel to her etc etc,if you live in the middle of no where ,where there are no other animals that could kill them,then good for you,i dont,and let me tell you she is one happy happy cat,by no means is she being treated cruel.....

My thoughts arn't personal "digs" at anyone. Its sad how some can express opinions, but as soon as someone disagrees, then ppl get offended.