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My cats have never been out



 
 
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  #121  
Old June 25th 07, 02:21 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
bookie
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Posts: 1,049
Default My cats have never been out

On 25 Jun, 13:48, dgk wrote:
On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:46:11 -0700, bookie
wrote:





On 24 Jun, 08:25, "
wrote:
On Jun 20, 9:47 am, bookie wrote:


i think if i had an apartment I would really think twice about having
a cat, maybe a really REALLY old cat, one that was FIV or something
who could not go out at all, and only then if I had a huge flat for
said puss to run aronud in and I woudl have to invest in lots of cat
gyms and climbign frame for them. i certainly would not get a kitten
or young cat in a flat, not really fair on them, they would go stir
crazy.


This is why a lot of people find your posts to be rather judgemental
on the topic. You are assuming than an indoor cat cannot be happy.
Since many of us do have have indoor cats, we can assure you (not that
you would believe us) that our cats are very happy.


We have 5 cat trees in our house, and our cats have plenty of toys and
things to do.


When I got Jay Jay, he was an outdoor cat. He cried and pawed at every
door and window for a week. It was pitiful. He was very unhappy. But
you know what? After a week, he stopped. I have had 2 1/2 years now,
and he has never attempted to get outside since that first work. He
figured out pretty quickly that life inside is pretty nice. All you
can end food. Endless supply of clean water. Lots of comfy perches.
Lots of toys. Lots of massages. No fighting. No dangerous dogs or
wildlife. He is much happier living the good life.


You make it sound like indoor cats are being abused, and that simply
isn't true. Most of them have no idea what is outside. My Kira would
actually panic if she saw me outside in the yard through the door or
window. She was used to me going out the front door, but did not find
it acceptable that I should be outside. She would cry and pace until I
came back in. The outside was a big bad place, in her opinion. I could
leave the front door open, and she has no interest in it.


At our house (with 2 dogs and 3 cats), only one dog shows any interest
in the door. My dog is a formerly outside dog, and she hates to go
outside.


different strokes for different folks, and we have an animal welfare
bill here now which could be interpreted to mean that keeping a cat
indoors is breaking the law depnding on your interpretation of it


That would mean that folks living in apartments couldn't have cats.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


probably depends how you woudl interpret the new act/bill. I am not
sure I would want to have a cat in a flat anyway, would probably just
have to console myself with a hamster, unless it were a ground floor
in a house conversion, to me it just would not be fair on the cat
although i am not sure one of my cats woudl notice at all as long as
her bed and favourite sofa were in there too

  #122  
Old June 25th 07, 02:23 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
bookie
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Posts: 1,049
Default My cats have never been out

On 25 Jun, 05:20, Charlie Wilkes
wrote:
On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:52:34 -0700, bookie wrote:
On 24 Jun, 01:56, Barry wrote:
On Jun 23, 8:40 pm, bookie wrote:


you are aware what a hedgehog is aren't you?


they act like hogs in the hedges?


er no, small mammals covered in spines, ever read beatrix potter's books
such as The Tale of Mrs Tiggywinkle? she was hedgehog, i can't remember
the story though, I much preferred reading the tale of the Flopsy
Bunnies and also the Tale of Jemima Puddleduck.


Philip Larkin wrote a poem about killing a hedgehog with his lawnmower.

http://www.wussu.com/poems/pltm.htm



they do live in hedges and undergrowth inthe british countryside and
just about everywhere really, totally harmless unless maybe you try to
pick one up, then you might get a spine inyour hand,


Indeed. Hedgehogs are hazardous when misused...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09...n_witchdoctor/

Charlie


i think they are incredibly cute little critters and i love it when
they come and munch away on left over cat food, they have to
practically climb into the bowl themselves to get to it, and they have
teeny moist noses and teeny little paws too and they waddle about in
the most amusing way.

how do hedgehogs mate? yes you're right; very carefully!

  #123  
Old June 25th 07, 05:29 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Barry
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Posts: 587
Default My cats have never been out

On Jun 25, 9:23 am, bookie wrote:

how do hedgehogs mate? yes you're right; very carefully!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


porcupines have to be careful too

  #124  
Old June 25th 07, 09:45 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Dave Whiley
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Posts: 24
Default My cats have never been out


"bookie" wrote in message
ups.com...

they do live in hedges and undergrowth inthe british countryside and
just about everywhere really, totally harmless unless maybe you try to
pick one up, then you might get a spine inyour hand,


Or fleas... most hedgehogs carry a thriving colony of little visitors

Don't get me wrong. I like hedgehogs (I believe they keep the slug
population in check, which is good for my plants). But if I see one, I
won't pick one up, I'll watch from an unfrightening distance (although I
felt that the *two* I once saw circling one another outside my house
deserved a little privacy. Apparently, the answer really is "very
carefully.")

... attacked by a giant mutant cat-eating hedgehog ...


DINS-DALE!

(Sorry. I just couldn't resist!)

--
Dave

not-me should be djw401 and there's no need for any wossname




  #125  
Old June 27th 07, 10:11 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Baldoni
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 14
Default My cats have never been out

*carmen* explained :
Hi there
I have two cats, 4 and 5 years old who have always lived inside in a
flat. Now we have moved to a house with garden and a forest behind and
we were so looking forwards to leave the cats to enjoy.. but I am
scared they panic or get lost or a bigger aninmal attacks them (or
them attacking a bigger animal) ... Any suggestions?
thanks
Carmen


Get a harness for each of them and introduce them to the garden so they
get orientated.

After time they will find their way around. Keep them in for about 2
weeks first though. Cats have very good memories so will adapt soon.

--
Count Baldoni


  #126  
Old June 27th 07, 10:13 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Baldoni
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 14
Default My cats have never been out

MaryL presented the following explanation :
"*carmen*" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi there
I have two cats, 4 and 5 years old who have always lived inside in a
flat. Now we have moved to a house with garden and a forest behind and
we were so looking forwards to leave the cats to enjoy.. but I am
scared they panic or get lost or a bigger aninmal attacks them (or
them attacking a bigger animal) ... Any suggestions?
thanks
Carmen


I would keep them indoors. I believe cats are safer indoors, and they will
be just as happy if you provide lots of toys, attention, and a climbing
surface (such as a cat tree). I notice that you live in the UK, so you don't
have as many predators as we have -- but there are some, and cars are a
danger everywhere (just not as many as in a city).

MaryL


In the UK it is generally people that live in above ground apartments
that keep them in.

They have to be able to hunt don't they ?

--
Count Baldoni


  #127  
Old June 27th 07, 10:16 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Baldoni
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Posts: 14
Default My cats have never been out

Patty was thinking very hard :
On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 10:05:01 -0700, PawsForThought wrote:

I find that usually people who say their cat destroyed their house are
people who haven't trained their cats properly, or who haven't
provided appropriate scratching surfaces for the cat.


They've always had "appropriate scratching surfaces" and have never clawed
up furniture. We had our last sofa for 20 years (longer than the cats) and
it was never scratched or clawed. I guess I could have kept Rusty from
climbing by chaining him to the floor.

Patty


Mine have plenty of scratch posts and scratch pads but my one cat has
to go for the same piece of carpet in the hallway. I have had to cover
it in tape.

--
Count Baldoni


  #128  
Old June 27th 07, 11:13 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
cybercat
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Posts: 4,212
Default My cats have never been out


"Baldoni @googlemail.com" baldoniXXVnil wrote in message
...
MaryL presented the following explanation :
"*carmen*" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi there
I have two cats, 4 and 5 years old who have always lived inside in a
flat. Now we have moved to a house with garden and a forest behind and
we were so looking forwards to leave the cats to enjoy.. but I am
scared they panic or get lost or a bigger aninmal attacks them (or
them attacking a bigger animal) ... Any suggestions?
thanks
Carmen


I would keep them indoors. I believe cats are safer indoors, and they
will be just as happy if you provide lots of toys, attention, and a
climbing surface (such as a cat tree). I notice that you live in the UK,
so you don't have as many predators as we have -- but there are some, and
cars are a danger everywhere (just not as many as in a city).

MaryL


In the UK it is generally people that live in above ground apartments that
keep them in.

They have to be able to hunt don't they ?


My indoor cat hunts and kills a rubber snake and presents it to me several
times a day. She does this with gusto, and presents it to me with a great
deal of satisfaction. She tires herself out with this activity and then
flakes out.

The only downside: I have to make sure the snake is put up at night or she
wakes me up howling from conquering to presenting.


  #129  
Old June 28th 07, 12:25 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
MaryL
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,779
Default My cats have never been out


"cybercat" wrote in message
...

"Baldoni @googlemail.com" baldoniXXVnil wrote in message
...
MaryL presented the following explanation :
"*carmen*" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi there
I have two cats, 4 and 5 years old who have always lived inside in a
flat. Now we have moved to a house with garden and a forest behind and
we were so looking forwards to leave the cats to enjoy.. but I am
scared they panic or get lost or a bigger aninmal attacks them (or
them attacking a bigger animal) ... Any suggestions?
thanks
Carmen


I would keep them indoors. I believe cats are safer indoors, and they
will be just as happy if you provide lots of toys, attention, and a
climbing surface (such as a cat tree). I notice that you live in the
UK, so you don't have as many predators as we have -- but there are
some, and cars are a danger everywhere (just not as many as in a city).

MaryL


In the UK it is generally people that live in above ground apartments
that keep them in.

They have to be able to hunt don't they ?


My indoor cat hunts and kills a rubber snake and presents it to me several
times a day. She does this with gusto, and presents it to me with a great
deal of satisfaction. She tires herself out with this activity and then
flakes out.

The only downside: I have to make sure the snake is put up at night or she
wakes me up howling from conquering to presenting.


Ha! Holly does the same thing, except that she "presents" me with a little
red mouse every evening. I will hear sort of a moaning sound, look up, and
there she comes with her mouse and drops it at my feet. It's obviously a
gift (or, as someone on this group once said, maybe she thinks I don't know
how to hunt for my own food), so she gets lots of praise and "thank yous"
each time.

MaryL


  #130  
Old June 28th 07, 02:11 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
sheelagh
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,427
Default My cats have never been out

On 27 Jun, 22:11, Baldoni wrote:
*carmen* explained :

Hi there
I have two cats, 4 and 5 years old who have always lived inside in a
flat. Now we have moved to a house with garden and a forest behind and
we were so looking forwards to leave the cats to enjoy.. but I am
scared they panic or get lost or a bigger aninmal attacks them (or
them attacking a bigger animal) ... Any suggestions?
thanks
Carmen


Get a harness for each of them and introduce them to the garden so they
get orientated.

After time they will find their way around. Keep them in for about 2
weeks first though. Cats have very good memories so will adapt soon.

--
Count Baldoni




DITTO!
It is the safest option if you are concerned for your cats

On 23 Jun, 02:03, sheelagh wrote:
In view of this, I choose to keep my cats indoors most of the time. I
still feel guilty however, for taking their liberty away from them
through no fault of their own. So, I choose to allow them out into a
cat run during the day if they are asking to go out, & when I have the
time, I also take most of them out to meadow that is behind our home,
but now, I put them on a pair of reins and take them out in pairs,
into the very same field where Ringo was shot a few months ago @ near
point blank range.

I still feel so angry about this incident, but I refuse to be bullied
into keeping them as **indoor only** cats, because, I am taking away
the liberty that they already had. nonetheless, I do feel that I can
no longer allow them out without me being with them to protect them
against the worst predator of all, which of course are Human Beings.
Human beings can be far more ruthless than any other mammals that "I"
have encountered in this country, to date.

It is the best compromise that I can come to with my cats and my
conscience too.

S;o)

 




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