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Interesting stoy in Local Paper
Since you have to 'subscribe' to their web service, I will post it he
Behind closed doors is tougher The Pet Connection by Gina Spadework November 14, 2004 http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/sto...1100286160.sto Can indoor cats really be happy? Cat lovers can - and do - maintain vehemently opposed opinions on this issue. But you can't disagree with the fact that the free-roaming life can be dangerous for a cat. My friends who let their cats roam free have had their pets run over by cars (too many times to count), pulled apart by dogs (once), by coyotes (twice) and poisoned (a half-dozen times, most times accidentally but at least once suspiciously). And those are just the deaths they know about. Mostly, my friends' cats just disappear, with sad and frequent regularity. Such tragedies don't happen to indoor cats, who are statistically likely to outlive free-roaming cats by about a decade. Compared to an existence filled with cars, coyotes, traps, poisons and cat-hating neighbors, the life of an indoor cat is relatively risk-free. Still, keeping a cat inside is more difficult, both in terms of the time spent maintaining the animal, and the effort and imagination required to keep the animal mentally and physically happy. But I've seen enough indoor cats to know that they seem perfectly content, especially if they've never been allowed to roam. Since you've taken away a large part of the cat's natural world when you keep them inside, you need to put in "environmental enrichments" to make up for the loss. If you're going to have an indoor cat, you need to think about ways to make your home more entertaining to your cat, engaging as many senses as possible. Your first investment should be a cat tree, a place for your pet to scratch, climb, perch and generally feel superior to the beings below. Cats love to scratch - it keeps their claws sharp, gives them a good stretch and allows them to mark their territory with scent. With patience, most cats can be trained to use a cat tree or post instead of furniture. Next up: toys. You'll need an interactive toy you can use to play with your cat, such as a "fishing" pole. Add some toys for batting around, such as small stuffed animals or balls with bells in them. You don't even need to spend money: Cats can be kept entertained with empty boxes or shopping bags, corks from wine bottles or the tops of milk containers. Don't forget to jazz up the scent of toys with catnip or valeria, both of which you can grow yourself, so you'll always have a fresh supply. And while you're planting, be sure to keep fresh grasses growing for your cat's nibbling pleasure. You can also work on ways to give your cat safe access to the outdoors, such as with a cat door into a screened-in porch. You can also buy kits for portable outdoor pens, completed with tunnels for connecting to the house. I know of several people who have put together some grand outdoor spaces, including a two-story enclosure clinging to the side of the house with areas for climbing, sunbathing and hiding. These needn't be expensive, especially if you're a capable do-it-yourselfer. Yes, it's hard to convert a free-roaming cat to a life indoors. If your cat is used to coming and going when he pleases, conversion is best done when you move, rather than suddenly restricting your cat's territory - a change no self-respecting cat will quietly accept. But if you're patient and firm, even the most stubborn of cats will eventually adapt. When my friends tell me they simply cannot keep their cats inside, I say this: The next time one of your free-roaming cats disappears, promise me that the next one will be kept safe inside. Just try it, and see how it works. Whatever a cat loses by not roaming free he'll gain from the pleasures you can pack in your home. And he'll really benefit from the long, healthy life enjoyed by so many indoor cats. THE SCOOP Over the long haul, you're going to have very little success doing anything your cat doesn't want you to do, and you should always keep this in mind when trying to brush your cat. Still, you'd be surprised at what some cats are willing to put up with. Show cats, for example, are conditioned to tolerate a great deal of grooming, traveling and handling by strangers - and with very little fuss. That's what they're used to, after all, and the show life is the only one they've known. Although your cat may never display the confidence and outgoing temperament of a seasoned show cat, you can do a lot to help him learn to enjoy regular brushing. Here's how: * Go slowly. Introduce new routines a little bit at a time and build up your cat's tolerance over time. Be positive! Grooming is good time spent together. * Give yourself a fresh start. If you have longhaired cat who's matted, arrange to have him shaved by a groomer so you don't start out your relationship by jerking on your cat's fur as you struggle to remove mats. Sure, the cat will look funny, but the coat grows back quickly. And by the time it does, your cat will be more used to being gently groomed. * Reward your cat. Use treats, praise and gentle petting to encourage your cat's cooperation. You can't make a cat do anything he doesn't want to, so praise is the only way to go. * Know when to call it a day. You'll do better if you stop before your cat becomes impatient, annoyed or afraid, but if you miss the signs - or feel yourself becoming cross - taper off quickly and end the session on a note of praise and petting. If you've really blown it, just let go. Try again a few hours later or another day. Never try to hold onto an angry or frightened cat. Failure to respect a cat's temper or fear can result in your being badly bitten or clawed. --? The ONE and ONLY lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)© email me at nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep |
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"Magic Mood Jeep©" wrote in message news:k7Jld.95864$R05.47956@attbi_s53... Since you have to 'subscribe' to their web service, I will post it he Behind closed doors is tougher The Pet Connection by Gina Spadework November 14, 2004 http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/sto...1100286160.sto You don't even need to spend money: Cats can be kept entertained with empty boxes or shopping bags, corks from wine bottles or the tops of milk containers. Every night we have Kitty Olympics. I have a long hallway to the front door. Cheeky and Buddha gather at the kitchen end and wait. Then comes the laser pointer. Buddha enjoys just batting at it, but Cheeks whirls and leaps like a monkey. The game that has developed is that I race it down the hall at just the right pace, and then UP the door, and she chases it and LEAPS halfway or better up the door. BONK. Last night her best was an 8.5-- nearly 3/4s to the top. |
#3
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"Magic Mood Jeep©" wrote in message news:k7Jld.95864$R05.47956@attbi_s53... Since you have to 'subscribe' to their web service, I will post it he Behind closed doors is tougher The Pet Connection by Gina Spadework November 14, 2004 http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/sto...1100286160.sto You don't even need to spend money: Cats can be kept entertained with empty boxes or shopping bags, corks from wine bottles or the tops of milk containers. Every night we have Kitty Olympics. I have a long hallway to the front door. Cheeky and Buddha gather at the kitchen end and wait. Then comes the laser pointer. Buddha enjoys just batting at it, but Cheeks whirls and leaps like a monkey. The game that has developed is that I race it down the hall at just the right pace, and then UP the door, and she chases it and LEAPS halfway or better up the door. BONK. Last night her best was an 8.5-- nearly 3/4s to the top. |
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"Magic Mood Jeep©" wrote in message news:k7Jld.95864$R05.47956@attbi_s53... Since you have to 'subscribe' to their web service, I will post it he Behind closed doors is tougher The best thing about indoor cats aside from their saftely from danger is the safety the local birds and chipmunks enjoy! |
#5
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"Magic Mood Jeep©" wrote in message news:k7Jld.95864$R05.47956@attbi_s53... Since you have to 'subscribe' to their web service, I will post it he Behind closed doors is tougher The best thing about indoor cats aside from their saftely from danger is the safety the local birds and chipmunks enjoy! |
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This is great advice! Soncek seems to be happy to be an inside-only kitty,
but since his kitten-hood was spent among elementary school children who were mean to his littermates and his mommie, this is hardly surprising. I think that in a perfect world kitties would be able to go wherever they wished and be safe, but in this world unfortunately they aren't. Best wishes, -- Polonca & Soncek "Magic Mood Jeep©" wrote in message news:k7Jld.95864$R05.47956@attbi_s53... Since you have to 'subscribe' to their web service, I will post it he Behind closed doors is tougher The Pet Connection by Gina Spadework November 14, 2004 http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/sto...1100286160.sto Can indoor cats really be happy? Cat lovers can - and do - maintain vehemently opposed opinions on this issue. But you can't disagree with the fact that the free-roaming life can be dangerous for a cat. snip |
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This is great advice! Soncek seems to be happy to be an inside-only kitty,
but since his kitten-hood was spent among elementary school children who were mean to his littermates and his mommie, this is hardly surprising. I think that in a perfect world kitties would be able to go wherever they wished and be safe, but in this world unfortunately they aren't. Best wishes, -- Polonca & Soncek "Magic Mood Jeep©" wrote in message news:k7Jld.95864$R05.47956@attbi_s53... Since you have to 'subscribe' to their web service, I will post it he Behind closed doors is tougher The Pet Connection by Gina Spadework November 14, 2004 http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/sto...1100286160.sto Can indoor cats really be happy? Cat lovers can - and do - maintain vehemently opposed opinions on this issue. But you can't disagree with the fact that the free-roaming life can be dangerous for a cat. snip |
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This is great advice! Soncek seems to be happy to be an inside-only kitty,
but since his kitten-hood was spent among elementary school children who were mean to his littermates and his mommie, this is hardly surprising. I think that in a perfect world kitties would be able to go wherever they wished and be safe, but in this world unfortunately they aren't. Best wishes, -- Polonca & Soncek Soncek is a smart kitty. He knows the great OUT sometimes isn't what it's cracked up to be. Biskit also wants nothing to do with it. Sherry |
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This is great advice! Soncek seems to be happy to be an inside-only kitty,
but since his kitten-hood was spent among elementary school children who were mean to his littermates and his mommie, this is hardly surprising. I think that in a perfect world kitties would be able to go wherever they wished and be safe, but in this world unfortunately they aren't. Best wishes, -- Polonca & Soncek Soncek is a smart kitty. He knows the great OUT sometimes isn't what it's cracked up to be. Biskit also wants nothing to do with it. Sherry |
#10
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Yes, it's hard to convert a free-roaming cat to a life indoors. If your cat
is used to coming and going when he pleases, conversion is best done when you move, rather than suddenly restricting your cat's territory - a change no self-respecting cat will quietly accept. But if you're patient and firm, even the most stubborn of cats will eventually adapt. Smokey sez "Self respect is totally overrated, dude. Outside SUCKS." The Bits have never been outside except on leash since they were 3 weeks old. Nocturne prefers the bed far more to the filthy, smelly outside, and as for Smokey, he's afraid of an open window, lest outside come in and get him, and take him back to the place with no food. --Fil |
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