Indoor kittens and indoors/outdoors cat -- how to manage?

We've just adopted two beautiful kittens and want to keep them indoor
only.

However, we already have a cat that comes in and out as she pleases.
We have a Staywell door but while that keeps neighborhood critters out
of the house, it does not restrict indoor critters from going out.

Does anyone know of a door that (perhaps with different key/collars)
can be set up so that the cat with the collar can go in/out but the
kittens are barred from exiting.

Or any other kind of strategy? Please don't suggest making the outdoor
cat and indoor one -- that's just not an option.

And for fun, check out www.the-sign.us/cats/ -- the new boys are on
display.

Thanks

wrote in message
oups.com
We've just adopted two beautiful kittens and want to keep
them indoor only.

However, we already have a cat that comes in and out as
she pleases. We have a Staywell door but while that keeps
neighborhood critters out of the house, it does not
restrict indoor critters from going out.

Does anyone know of a door that (perhaps with different
key/collars) can be set up so that the cat with the
collar can go in/out but the kittens are barred from
exiting.

Or any other kind of strategy? Please don't suggest
making the outdoor cat and indoor one -- that's just not
an option.

And for fun, check out www.the-sign.us/cats/ -- the new
boys are on display.

Why not just let the new cats out..? It's cruel to restrict cats to an
indoor life IMHO, except for exceptional situations such as if the cat is
FIV+.

Ivor

"Ivor Jones" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com
We've just adopted two beautiful kittens and want to keep
them indoor only.

However, we already have a cat that comes in and out as
she pleases. We have a Staywell door but while that keeps
neighborhood critters out of the house, it does not
restrict indoor critters from going out.

Does anyone know of a door that (perhaps with different
key/collars) can be set up so that the cat with the
collar can go in/out but the kittens are barred from
exiting.

Or any other kind of strategy? Please don't suggest
making the outdoor cat and indoor one -- that's just not
an option.

And for fun, check out www.the-sign.us/cats/ -- the new
boys are on display.

Why not just let the new cats out..? It's cruel to restrict cats to an
indoor life IMHO, except for exceptional situations such as if the cat is
FIV+.

Ivor

I couldn't disagree more. A lot of things can happen to your cat outdoors,
mostly bad. If you've ever had to endure the sudden loss of a loved cat you
might think differently. If a cat has never been let outdoors, they don't
know what it is like and so don't miss it.

We eventually converted an indoor/outdoor cat to indoor only when we pledged
to keep new adoptee in.

It worked very well and we now have an all indoor household, except for when
we go out with them and keep them tightly sealed in the back yard (tall
vinyl privacy fence that they can not scale or leap over. (the bottom is
completely sealed)

They are MUCH safer in (or out with supervision or short bursts on their
own) as we live in an area that is adjacent to greenbelts etc. which are
probably home to predators.

It can be done. They still whine once or twice a day to go out but are very
safe now when they do!

"Professor" wrote in message
newsBokg.3226$2R.2412@trndny02...
"Ivor Jones" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com
We've just adopted two beautiful kittens and want to keep
them indoor only.

However, we already have a cat that comes in and out as
she pleases. We have a Staywell door but while that keeps
neighborhood critters out of the house, it does not
restrict indoor critters from going out.

Does anyone know of a door that (perhaps with different
key/collars) can be set up so that the cat with the
collar can go in/out but the kittens are barred from
exiting.

Or any other kind of strategy? Please don't suggest
making the outdoor cat and indoor one -- that's just not
an option.

And for fun, check out www.the-sign.us/cats/ -- the new
boys are on display.

Why not just let the new cats out..? It's cruel to restrict cats to an
indoor life IMHO, except for exceptional situations such as if the cat is
FIV+.

Ivor

I couldn't disagree more. A lot of things can happen to your cat
outdoors, mostly bad. If you've ever had to endure the sudden loss of a
loved cat you might think differently. If a cat has never been let
outdoors, they don't know what it is like and so don't miss it.

there exists special doors with a magnetic belt so for the belted cat, the
door will open, but the unbelted will be staying before without making the
door to open... better ask this question again in the pet-shop, they know
more (and in better english...)

Erik

schreef in bericht
oups.com...
We've just adopted two beautiful kittens and want to keep them indoor
only.

However, we already have a cat that comes in and out as she pleases.
We have a Staywell door but while that keeps neighborhood critters out
of the house, it does not restrict indoor critters from going out.

Does anyone know of a door that (perhaps with different key/collars)
can be set up so that the cat with the collar can go in/out but the
kittens are barred from exiting.

Or any other kind of strategy? Please don't suggest making the outdoor
cat and indoor one -- that's just not an option.

And for fun, check out www.the-sign.us/cats/ -- the new boys are on
display.

Thanks

"Professor" wrote in message
newsBokg.3226$2R.2412@trndny02
"Ivor Jones" wrote in message
...

[snip]

Why not just let the new cats out..? It's cruel to
restrict cats to an indoor life IMHO, except for
exceptional situations such as if the cat is FIV+.

I couldn't disagree more. A lot of things can happen to
your cat outdoors, mostly bad. If you've ever had to
endure the sudden loss of a loved cat you might think
differently. If a cat has never been let outdoors, they
don't know what it is like and so don't miss it.

Doesn't make it any the less cruel. We've had cats for 30+ years, all have
been outdoor cats and nothing has ever happened to any of them. And yes, I
have had one die suddenly on me, so I know exactly what it was like. Yes,
he did die while outdoors, he was found lying on a neighbour's driveway,
but it was a natural death (according to the vet, anyway).

Ivor

"Ivor Jones" wrote in message
...

"Professor" wrote in message
newsBokg.3226$2R.2412@trndny02
"Ivor Jones" wrote in message
...

[snip]

Why not just let the new cats out..? It's cruel to
restrict cats to an indoor life IMHO, except for
exceptional situations such as if the cat is FIV+.

I couldn't disagree more. A lot of things can happen to
your cat outdoors, mostly bad. If you've ever had to
endure the sudden loss of a loved cat you might think
differently. If a cat has never been let outdoors, they
don't know what it is like and so don't miss it.

Doesn't make it any the less cruel. We've had cats for 30+ years, all have
been outdoor cats and nothing has ever happened to any of them. And yes, I
have had one die suddenly on me, so I know exactly what it was like. Yes,
he did die while outdoors, he was found lying on a neighbour's driveway,
but it was a natural death (according to the vet, anyway).

Ivor

Young cats extremely rarely die suddenly of natural causes. An autopsy
would have determined just why, but you were probably too cheap to pay for
one. Letting your cats out to be run over in city traffic isn't cruel, but
keeping cats inside their whole lives where they are safe is cruel?
Fortunately uninformed older people that think like you are dying off.

"Professor" wrote in message
news:J3ykg.11$d9.8@trndny04

[snip]

Young cats extremely rarely die suddenly of natural
causes. An autopsy would have determined just why, but
you were probably too cheap to pay for one. Letting your
cats out to be run over in city traffic isn't cruel, but
keeping cats inside their whole lives where they are safe
is cruel? Fortunately uninformed older people that think
like you are dying off.

You didn't read what I wrote. Did I say my cat who died outside was
young..? In actual fact he was 18+ at the time and used to roam for quite
a distance. Incidentally, I probably spend more money at the vet in a
month than you do in a year, so don't presume.

Cats are naturally outdoor creatures, so yes keeping them indoors
permanently is cruel. The area around here is relatively safe, we live in
a road with little traffic (no through traffic as it's a dead end) and all
our cats for the last 30 years have been perfectly fine.

Incidentally, are you in the USA..? It seems to be the US that is becoming
so fanatical about keeping cats indoors, all I can say is if you live
where you don't think it is ok to let cats out then don't have them. If
you genuinely love cats and want to do something positive for them, go and
volunteer at a rescue shelter as I do.

Ivor

"Ivor Jones" wrote in message
...
"Professor" wrote in message
news:J3ykg.11$d9.8@trndny04
Young cats extremely rarely die suddenly of natural
causes. An autopsy would have determined just why, but
you were probably too cheap to pay for one. Letting your
cats out to be run over in city traffic isn't cruel, but
keeping cats inside their whole lives where they are safe
is cruel? Fortunately uninformed older people that think
like you are dying off.

You didn't read what I wrote. Did I say my cat who died outside was
young..? In actual fact he was 18+ at the time and used to roam for quite
a distance. Incidentally, I probably spend more money at the vet in a
month than you do in a year, so don't presume.

Cats are naturally outdoor creatures, so yes keeping them indoors
permanently is cruel. The area around here is relatively safe, we live in
a road with little traffic (no through traffic as it's a dead end) and all
our cats for the last 30 years have been perfectly fine.

Incidentally, are you in the USA..? It seems to be the US that is becoming
so fanatical about keeping cats indoors, all I can say is if you live
where you don't think it is ok to let cats out then don't have them. If
you genuinely love cats and want to do something positive for them, go and
volunteer at a rescue shelter as I do.

Ivor

I encourage you to go to a cat show and tell the breeders they are cruel to
keep indoors their cats worth thousands of dollars. You're likely to get
your ass kicked. BTW I adopted a cat from a shelter in my youth and I kept
him indoors his whole life. When you do find one of your cats run over
don't come crying to us.

Cats are naturally outdoor creatures, so yes keeping them indoors
permanently is cruel. The area around here is relatively safe, we live in
a road with little traffic (no through traffic as it's a dead end) and all
our cats for the last 30 years have been perfectly fine.


Cats are "naturally" outdoor creatures, sure, I'll give you that. But so
were humans. Why aren't you living outside and why are you wearing
clothes???
Cats are naturally desert creatures.. so why are you keeping them in your
residential area?
Cats are naturally strict carnivores.. so why are you feeding them food
loaded down with carbohydrates?


Look.. Cats adapt perfectly fine to living strictly indoors. I have six
cats, and they are VERY happy. Occasionally a door is left open, and most
of the time they don't even go outside, and if they do it is simply to
satisfy their curiosity, not to 'escape' into their "natural" world.. If I
were being "permanently cruel" to them, I wouldn't have the close loving
relationship that I have with them - which I am sure is a heck of a lot
closer than you have with yours who are often gone.

And just because YOU have had extremely good luck keeping cats that go
outside, does NOT mean that every cat should go outside. A cat that lives
an indoor/outdoor existence has a life expectancy of 3 to 5 years.. as
opposed to the 16-20 for the indoor cat. (and don't tout that your cats
lived long lives.. this is the life expectancy, not a absolute. Some cats
go out and die the next day)

as to the OP, I'd recommend switching to a strictly indoor situation as
well, but once cats have expanded their territory to include the outside,
SOME cats have a very hard time adapting to the smaller territory. In that
case, you have to weigh a possibly shorter life span vs quality of life.

There is no devise that Im aware of (and I did research for my own cats - I
need to give one of mine access to a room that no one else can get into) and
the keyed door is the only option, and they only go one way. What you could
do is build a tunnel. Put one keyed door on one side, and another on the
other - facing the other way.