Acoming an Outdoor Cat

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...

"Iain" wrote in message
om...
I have a semi-indoor cat. I want to make her an outdoor one so I don't
have to worry about her escaping through any of the many exits(patio
doors, conservatory, etc). I live in a cat-friendly neighbourhood but
my cat six months old has only been out on a liesh thrice a week on
average for about ten minutes each time. She was off the liesh briefly
during that time.

I think she has enough experience of outside to not stray, and is a
really clever, neuteren, girl, but she's my first cat and I want to be
sure. How can I?

~Iain

I would strongly advise that you change your current plans and work on
helping your indoor/outdoor cat to become an indoor cat only (*instead* of
the plan you mentioned of making her an outdoor cat). Outdoor cats are
vulnerable, even in the "safest" of neighborhoods -- all it takes is one
car at the wrong door or an encounter with one unfriendly dog or even
coming upon some people with evil intentions. All of my cats (during my
adult life, that is) have been indoor cats. One had been feral, and he
adjusted to the point where eventually he did not show any interest in the
outdoors. All of my cats have been healthy, happy, truly loving
companions. It *is* essential for you to provide a variety of toys,
scratching surfaces, and climbing areas for your indoor cat. I would
strongly recommend some very sturdy scratching posts and a very good cat
tree. I got mine at www.createacatdondo.com. Please reconsider your
options.

MaryL

Just curious MaryL, what happens when it comes to yourself and your family
members?

Do you keep yourself indoors with toys to protect yourself from predators,
or do you venture out and just hope for the best?

**** happens. When it comes to cats - some people do have evil intentions,
but just remember that evil intentions are not restricted to cats.

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message ...
"Iain" wrote in message
om...
I have a semi-indoor cat. I want to make her an outdoor one so I don't
have to worry about her escaping through any of the many exits(patio
doors, conservatory, etc). I live in a cat-friendly neighbourhood but
my cat six months old has only been out on a liesh thrice a week on
average for about ten minutes each time. She was off the liesh briefly
during that time.

I think she has enough experience of outside to not stray, and is a
really clever, neuteren, girl, but she's my first cat and I want to be
sure. How can I?

~Iain

I would strongly advise that you change your current plans and work on
helping your indoor/outdoor cat to become an indoor cat only (*instead* of
the plan you mentioned of making her an outdoor cat). Outdoor cats are
vulnerable, even in the "safest" of neighborhoods -- all it takes is one car
at the wrong door or an encounter with one unfriendly dog or even coming
upon some people with evil intentions. All of my cats (during my adult
life, that is) have been indoor cats. One had been feral, and he adjusted
to the point where eventually he did not show any interest in the outdoors.
All of my cats have been healthy, happy, truly loving companions. It *is*
essential for you to provide a variety of toys, scratching surfaces, and
climbing areas for your indoor cat. I would strongly recommend some very
sturdy scratching posts and a very good cat tree. I got mine at
www.createacatdondo.com. Please reconsider your options.

Ideally she'd be an indoor cat, but I don't want to have to worry
about her escaping each time I open the door(I'd rather she just
loitered outside for an hour without straying so that I can retrieve
her). I have four entrances downstairs(including patio doors) and many
windows. What I want is something that is technically an outdoor cat
but one that is scarcly outdoors(for the reasons you describe).

Yes; I provide toys, attention, a large house and lots of play for
her.

~Iain

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message ...
"Iain" wrote in message
om...
I have a semi-indoor cat. I want to make her an outdoor one so I don't
have to worry about her escaping through any of the many exits(patio
doors, conservatory, etc). I live in a cat-friendly neighbourhood but
my cat six months old has only been out on a liesh thrice a week on
average for about ten minutes each time. She was off the liesh briefly
during that time.

I think she has enough experience of outside to not stray, and is a
really clever, neuteren, girl, but she's my first cat and I want to be
sure. How can I?

~Iain

I would strongly advise that you change your current plans and work on
helping your indoor/outdoor cat to become an indoor cat only (*instead* of
the plan you mentioned of making her an outdoor cat). Outdoor cats are
vulnerable, even in the "safest" of neighborhoods -- all it takes is one car
at the wrong door or an encounter with one unfriendly dog or even coming
upon some people with evil intentions. All of my cats (during my adult
life, that is) have been indoor cats. One had been feral, and he adjusted
to the point where eventually he did not show any interest in the outdoors.
All of my cats have been healthy, happy, truly loving companions. It *is*
essential for you to provide a variety of toys, scratching surfaces, and
climbing areas for your indoor cat. I would strongly recommend some very
sturdy scratching posts and a very good cat tree. I got mine at
www.createacatdondo.com. Please reconsider your options.

Ideally she'd be an indoor cat, but I don't want to have to worry
about her escaping each time I open the door(I'd rather she just
loitered outside for an hour without straying so that I can retrieve
her). I have four entrances downstairs(including patio doors) and many
windows. What I want is something that is technically an outdoor cat
but one that is scarcly outdoors(for the reasons you describe).

Yes; I provide toys, attention, a large house and lots of play for
her.

~Iain

wrote in message ...
It is way too dangerous to let your cat to roam Last year there was a
racoon that had rabies in the yard and it approached the cathouse and
continued around the yard. I followed it around or a while and called
animal control. They said it definitely had drabies and had to destroy
it. I am thankful my kitties where not roaming at the time.

I want my cat to be indoors nearly all of the time. My concern is that
I have a very "open" house, with lots of doors opening and closing,
and I don't want her to stray just because she's been out the house
for half an hour before I notice. In other words, if she escapes I
want it to be no big deal, even though she'll almost always be inside.
I thought I could do this by taking her on a tour of the neighbourhood
on a leash, but can I?

I'm guessing from what you said about the raccoons that you're North
American. Here in Britain it's thought much more normal for cats to
roam(and some feel guilty about keeping them indoors), and you can't
walk down a village street without being greeted by one.

However, I take the threats of outdoors seriously and want to keep her
indoors.

Things didn't work out so I moved out 3 years later and took the cat
condo with me. I am now working at a garden center


It's funny you should mention that; my local garden centre has a cat
in it and is always sitting on atop the till, with it's tail hanging
down, everytime I go there! It doesn't seem to mind the near queue of
customers carrying potted plants.


Please check out my cat webpage:

http://www.geocities.com/mitchumgirl4/OURCATS.html

There are pics of them when they lived in normal houses with myself and
my twin sister and current ones.

They're nice pics, although the big ones seem to be missing

~Iain

wrote in message ...
It is way too dangerous to let your cat to roam Last year there was a
racoon that had rabies in the yard and it approached the cathouse and
continued around the yard. I followed it around or a while and called
animal control. They said it definitely had drabies and had to destroy
it. I am thankful my kitties where not roaming at the time.

I want my cat to be indoors nearly all of the time. My concern is that
I have a very "open" house, with lots of doors opening and closing,
and I don't want her to stray just because she's been out the house
for half an hour before I notice. In other words, if she escapes I
want it to be no big deal, even though she'll almost always be inside.
I thought I could do this by taking her on a tour of the neighbourhood
on a leash, but can I?

I'm guessing from what you said about the raccoons that you're North
American. Here in Britain it's thought much more normal for cats to
roam(and some feel guilty about keeping them indoors), and you can't
walk down a village street without being greeted by one.

However, I take the threats of outdoors seriously and want to keep her
indoors.

Things didn't work out so I moved out 3 years later and took the cat
condo with me. I am now working at a garden center


It's funny you should mention that; my local garden centre has a cat
in it and is always sitting on atop the till, with it's tail hanging
down, everytime I go there! It doesn't seem to mind the near queue of
customers carrying potted plants.


Please check out my cat webpage:

http://www.geocities.com/mitchumgirl4/OURCATS.html

There are pics of them when they lived in normal houses with myself and
my twin sister and current ones.

They're nice pics, although the big ones seem to be missing

~Iain

(Iain) wrote in message . com...
I have a semi-indoor cat. I want to make her an outdoor one so I don't
have to worry about her escaping through any of the many exits(patio
doors, conservatory, etc). I live in a cat-friendly neighbourhood but
my cat six months old has only been out on a liesh thrice a week on
average for about ten minutes each time. She was off the liesh briefly
during that time.

I think she has enough experience of outside to not stray, and is a
really clever, neuteren, girl, but she's my first cat and I want to be
sure. How can I?

~Iain

As others have noted, I would not advise you to make your cat an
outdoor cat. Indoor cats can live to be over 20 years old. I believe
the average age outdoor cats live to be is under 10.

To be frank, I don't understand why you're worried about her escaping
if you're going to make her an outdoor cat! That just doesn't make
any sense. If you're going to make her an outdoor cat, why are you
worried if she gets out? The potential for her getting into trouble
is much higher if she's out all the time than if she's just out for
the afternoon...

If you're worried about her getting lost, I would advise you to get
her a collar with a name tag. That way, folks who encounter her will
know she's not a stray. Some well-meaning people will take a cat
without a collar to the local shelter. If you make it a collar in a
contrasting color to her fur, it will make her easier to describe if
you ever have to go looking for her. When our indoor cat got out for
three days last fall, it was *very* helpful to ask, "Have you seen a
black cat with a red collar?" since there were other black cats in the
area.

dragon

(Iain) wrote in message . com...
I have a semi-indoor cat. I want to make her an outdoor one so I don't
have to worry about her escaping through any of the many exits(patio
doors, conservatory, etc). I live in a cat-friendly neighbourhood but
my cat six months old has only been out on a liesh thrice a week on
average for about ten minutes each time. She was off the liesh briefly
during that time.

I think she has enough experience of outside to not stray, and is a
really clever, neuteren, girl, but she's my first cat and I want to be
sure. How can I?

~Iain

As others have noted, I would not advise you to make your cat an
outdoor cat. Indoor cats can live to be over 20 years old. I believe
the average age outdoor cats live to be is under 10.

To be frank, I don't understand why you're worried about her escaping
if you're going to make her an outdoor cat! That just doesn't make
any sense. If you're going to make her an outdoor cat, why are you
worried if she gets out? The potential for her getting into trouble
is much higher if she's out all the time than if she's just out for
the afternoon...

If you're worried about her getting lost, I would advise you to get
her a collar with a name tag. That way, folks who encounter her will
know she's not a stray. Some well-meaning people will take a cat
without a collar to the local shelter. If you make it a collar in a
contrasting color to her fur, it will make her easier to describe if
you ever have to go looking for her. When our indoor cat got out for
three days last fall, it was *very* helpful to ask, "Have you seen a
black cat with a red collar?" since there were other black cats in the
area.

dragon

To be frank, I don't understand why you're worried about her escaping
if you're going to make her an outdoor cat! That just doesn't make
any sense. If you're going to make her an outdoor cat, why are you
worried if she gets out? The potential for her getting into trouble
is much higher if she's out all the time than if she's just out for
the afternoon...

I think that "outdoor cat" must be a misnomer here. It sounds like he
concerned that his indoor cat will escape and that it will not have
the skills it needs in order to survive until he collects it from the
out-of-doors. Hence, Judy's suggestions about taking the cat for a
couple of strolls and getting it used to the neighborhood.

I think the point about the risks of outdoor cats is good, but I don't
think it's as much of a problem in Britain. They don't have rabies,
and they don't have nearly as many urban wild critters as we do in the
states or in Australia. Dogs, yes, and those are a risk, but not
coons, coyotes, venemous snakes, etc. I don't know what the density
of cat-poisoning lunatics is where this guy lives.

The thing I'd have to worry about with my cat is ingestibles. He's an
indoor cat, but he really like to go outside once in a while. I let
him out on the patio when I'm working outside in the garden & can keep
an eye on him (he doesn't understand "car" very well). He considers
the Great Beyond as his personal salad bar and has a taste for
blade-shaped foliage...like daylilies.

On the other hand, at the ripe and ancient age of 17 he has just, and
I mean _just_ discovered that mice are edible. He's always enjoyed
playing with them whenever he could find them inside, but he would
just play with them until they died, and then he'd sit on them. The
Tibby Trademark was a squashed kind of effect.

Now he lives with my fiance in an old house. All of a sudden last
weekend, he goes off his food. I am devastated all day Sunday,
thinking that This Is The Beginning of the End, when we come
downstairs on Monday morning to find a shiny pink mouse skeleton with
fur on only on its head, and an additional unidentifiable Mouse Part
lying next to it on the floor. The cat, arthriticky and nothing but
skin and bones himself, is passed out on the sofa. I was absolutely
floored. No wonder he wouldn't eat. He was spoiling his appetite with
MICE.

Sure enough...I take a closer look and realize that the standing about
staring at furniture that I'd taken for advancing senility is actually
hunting. He spends a lot of time staring at the undersides of sofas
and chests of drawers, and has mastered the trick of sleeping with one
eye while watching the spot where the drapes hit the floor with the
other. Jeff said when he came home the other night the cat was pasted
to the kitchen baseboards.

It's rather like seeing a 90-year-old man suddenly develop a taste for
strippers.

without a collar to the local shelter. If you make it a collar in a
contrasting color to her fur, it will make her easier to describe if
you ever have to go looking for her. When our indoor cat got out for
three days last fall, it was *very* helpful to ask, "Have you seen a
black cat with a red collar?" since there were other black cats in the
area.

Good advice! And you can make it a fashion statement as well!

To be frank, I don't understand why you're worried about her escaping
if you're going to make her an outdoor cat! That just doesn't make
any sense. If you're going to make her an outdoor cat, why are you
worried if she gets out? The potential for her getting into trouble
is much higher if she's out all the time than if she's just out for
the afternoon...

I think that "outdoor cat" must be a misnomer here. It sounds like he
concerned that his indoor cat will escape and that it will not have
the skills it needs in order to survive until he collects it from the
out-of-doors. Hence, Judy's suggestions about taking the cat for a
couple of strolls and getting it used to the neighborhood.

I think the point about the risks of outdoor cats is good, but I don't
think it's as much of a problem in Britain. They don't have rabies,
and they don't have nearly as many urban wild critters as we do in the
states or in Australia. Dogs, yes, and those are a risk, but not
coons, coyotes, venemous snakes, etc. I don't know what the density
of cat-poisoning lunatics is where this guy lives.

The thing I'd have to worry about with my cat is ingestibles. He's an
indoor cat, but he really like to go outside once in a while. I let
him out on the patio when I'm working outside in the garden & can keep
an eye on him (he doesn't understand "car" very well). He considers
the Great Beyond as his personal salad bar and has a taste for
blade-shaped foliage...like daylilies.

On the other hand, at the ripe and ancient age of 17 he has just, and
I mean _just_ discovered that mice are edible. He's always enjoyed
playing with them whenever he could find them inside, but he would
just play with them until they died, and then he'd sit on them. The
Tibby Trademark was a squashed kind of effect.

Now he lives with my fiance in an old house. All of a sudden last
weekend, he goes off his food. I am devastated all day Sunday,
thinking that This Is The Beginning of the End, when we come
downstairs on Monday morning to find a shiny pink mouse skeleton with
fur on only on its head, and an additional unidentifiable Mouse Part
lying next to it on the floor. The cat, arthriticky and nothing but
skin and bones himself, is passed out on the sofa. I was absolutely
floored. No wonder he wouldn't eat. He was spoiling his appetite with
MICE.

Sure enough...I take a closer look and realize that the standing about
staring at furniture that I'd taken for advancing senility is actually
hunting. He spends a lot of time staring at the undersides of sofas
and chests of drawers, and has mastered the trick of sleeping with one
eye while watching the spot where the drapes hit the floor with the
other. Jeff said when he came home the other night the cat was pasted
to the kitchen baseboards.

It's rather like seeing a 90-year-old man suddenly develop a taste for
strippers.

without a collar to the local shelter. If you make it a collar in a
contrasting color to her fur, it will make her easier to describe if
you ever have to go looking for her. When our indoor cat got out for
three days last fall, it was *very* helpful to ask, "Have you seen a
black cat with a red collar?" since there were other black cats in the
area.

Good advice! And you can make it a fashion statement as well!

"Iain" wrote in message
om...
wrote in message
...
It is way too dangerous to let your cat to roam Last year there was a
racoon that had rabies in the yard and it approached the cathouse and
continued around the yard. I followed it around or a while and called
animal control. They said it definitely had drabies and had to destroy
it. I am thankful my kitties where not roaming at the time.

I want my cat to be indoors nearly all of the time. My concern is that
I have a very "open" house, with lots of doors opening and closing,
and I don't want her to stray just because she's been out the house
for half an hour before I notice. In other words, if she escapes I
want it to be no big deal, even though she'll almost always be inside.
I thought I could do this by taking her on a tour of the neighbourhood
on a leash, but can I?

Taking my cat out on many tours of the neighbourhood on a leash worked very
well.

We went around the block on the leash many times and when she turned up our
walk "on her own" a few times, then I knew where she lived, so I released
her. Her turning up the walkway ahead of me, on her own told me that she
knew where she lived.

That was three years ago and there have been no problems.