Advice needed

In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav",
itty (Sherry ) artfully composed this message
within on 08
Jun 2004:

What's really interesting is, we took in a starving stray a few
months ago. She won't even stick her nose outside. She knows the
outside life isn't what it's cracked up to be and wants no part
of it.


That has been Bonnie, too. Up until now. Now she sits by the upstairs
door that goes out to the deck and howls the biggest meow I've heard
from her since she came to me. I know she doesn't want to go out,
because she will have no parts of the outdoor enclosure except for a
few minutes of sitting in the open flap when I prop it open, and
maybe taking a step or two out, and only if Shamrock is out there.
I'm not sure what her vocalizing is about lately but I wonder if
sometimes people confuse this type of behavior with thinking the cat
wants *out*?

--
Cheryl

In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav", "Cathy
Friedmann" artfully composed this message
within on 08 Jun 2004:

Any screen doors available in the UK? I don't know if they sell
them over there at all, or not. Could do a Google... [They're
a pretty standard item here - usually come as a storm/screen
combo; positioned in front of the regular door(s).]

Plus they can be easily built from scratch with some 2x4's, a roll of
screen, and some flat moulding wood material to hold the screen
material in place. Add some hinges and even a hook-and-eye hardware
or two (one high up, one down low) and you have a screen door. I
guess I'd have to see how a doorway and the whole door jam is
designed in UK homes to know if it could be placed along with a solid
door.

--
Cheryl

In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav", "Cathy
Friedmann" artfully composed this message
within on 08 Jun 2004:

Any screen doors available in the UK? I don't know if they sell
them over there at all, or not. Could do a Google... [They're
a pretty standard item here - usually come as a storm/screen
combo; positioned in front of the regular door(s).]

Plus they can be easily built from scratch with some 2x4's, a roll of
screen, and some flat moulding wood material to hold the screen
material in place. Add some hinges and even a hook-and-eye hardware
or two (one high up, one down low) and you have a screen door. I
guess I'd have to see how a doorway and the whole door jam is
designed in UK homes to know if it could be placed along with a solid
door.

--
Cheryl

That has been Bonnie, too. Up until now. Now she sits by the upstairs
door that goes out to the deck and howls the biggest meow I've heard
from her since she came to me. I know she doesn't want to go out,
because she will have no parts of the outdoor enclosure except for a
few minutes of sitting in the open flap when I prop it open, and
maybe taking a step or two out, and only if Shamrock is out there.
I'm not sure what her vocalizing is about lately but I wonder if
sometimes people confuse this type of behavior with thinking the cat
wants *out*?

--
Cheryl

I agree, she's probably communicating. But I wonder *what* she's communicating?

Biskit will follow me outside when I go out to water, etc. But she follows me
around yowling her head off and beats it back to the door as soon as she sees
me start toward the house. I finally figured it out. She doesn't want out. She
wants *me* to come back inside.
Sherry

That has been Bonnie, too. Up until now. Now she sits by the upstairs
door that goes out to the deck and howls the biggest meow I've heard
from her since she came to me. I know she doesn't want to go out,
because she will have no parts of the outdoor enclosure except for a
few minutes of sitting in the open flap when I prop it open, and
maybe taking a step or two out, and only if Shamrock is out there.
I'm not sure what her vocalizing is about lately but I wonder if
sometimes people confuse this type of behavior with thinking the cat
wants *out*?

--
Cheryl

I agree, she's probably communicating. But I wonder *what* she's communicating?

Biskit will follow me outside when I go out to water, etc. But she follows me
around yowling her head off and beats it back to the door as soon as she sees
me start toward the house. I finally figured it out. She doesn't want out. She
wants *me* to come back inside.
Sherry

"Sherry " wrote in message
...

What's really interesting is, we took in a starving stray a few months
ago. She
won't even stick her nose outside. She knows the outside life isn't what
it's
cracked up to be and wants no part of it.

Sherry

That was my Debbie Cat. She was found as an approx. 10 month old stray, in
a NE February, starving & pregnant, in '86. She loved going out on the
screened porch in the summers, but otherwise had no apparent desire to
sample the great outdoors ever again.

Cathy

"Sherry " wrote in message
...

What's really interesting is, we took in a starving stray a few months
ago. She
won't even stick her nose outside. She knows the outside life isn't what
it's
cracked up to be and wants no part of it.

Sherry

That was my Debbie Cat. She was found as an approx. 10 month old stray, in
a NE February, starving & pregnant, in '86. She loved going out on the
screened porch in the summers, but otherwise had no apparent desire to
sample the great outdoors ever again.

Cathy

"H. Barker" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004, Mary wrote:

It just seems to me that the UK's knee-jerk "cats MUST be outside" is
just
as bad as the US's knee-jerk "cat's CANNOT be outside (even when in a
relatively safe, low-traffic area. And I don't understand why your wife
would wish to endanger an animal she loves. Or doesn't she?

I agree totally, but my wife really does only have the cats best interests
at heart, and I guess us Brits are just "cats must be outside" as you say.
Personally I honestly believe that they should be indoors or outdoors with
supervision, but it's a tough call.

I would like to hear from more Brits on their opinions, simply to know
what they think, but everyone's info has been really great.

I dare say I'll be flustered again tomorrow after another night of her
going out. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

And I'll definitely look into screens, cheers.

H


I understand. But if you post later that your dear cat was hit and killed or
mangled, I am going to want to kill myself. (Hyperbole, yes, but really. She
could be killed.)

"H. Barker" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004, Mary wrote:

It just seems to me that the UK's knee-jerk "cats MUST be outside" is
just
as bad as the US's knee-jerk "cat's CANNOT be outside (even when in a
relatively safe, low-traffic area. And I don't understand why your wife
would wish to endanger an animal she loves. Or doesn't she?

I agree totally, but my wife really does only have the cats best interests
at heart, and I guess us Brits are just "cats must be outside" as you say.
Personally I honestly believe that they should be indoors or outdoors with
supervision, but it's a tough call.

I would like to hear from more Brits on their opinions, simply to know
what they think, but everyone's info has been really great.

I dare say I'll be flustered again tomorrow after another night of her
going out. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

And I'll definitely look into screens, cheers.

H


I understand. But if you post later that your dear cat was hit and killed or
mangled, I am going to want to kill myself. (Hyperbole, yes, but really. She
could be killed.)

On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 17:22:26 GMT, "KellyH" wrote:



"H. Barker" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004, kaeli wrote:

The other problem is how do we have the door open in the summer
without
her getting out? It may seem obvious to some people, but not I.

We use screen doors in the States. A little door with a screen that goes
on the outside of the main door to keep bugs out but let air in.
Do you have a screen door?

Nope, we don't, but I'd consider that if I knew where to get one in the
UK. Worth a thought, though, thanks.


I don't mean to sound like an idiot, but if you don't have screens on the
doors and windows, how do you keep flying insects out of your house? If I
didn't have screens on my windows and doors, I would have bees, mosquitos,
flies, wasps, and who knows what else in here.

I have a couple former strays, and they all seem content to stay inside.
They never even make a motion for the door. It's the cat that I've had
since he was a kitten that always wants to go out.

I think a screened-in area for your cat would be the best solution.
Something like this:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2002+113262

There are lots of different options. Not sure if they deliver to the UK,
though.



I live in a city in the north east of Scotland and apart from the very
occasional wasp or bee, don't really get many flyling insects in the
house and I am most definitely a window opener!

Besides, it's the cat's job to keep the bugs under control in the
house. How else would she earn her keep? )