Question for those who walk their kitties

I just returned from the 3rd time out with my 2 1/2 year old cat which
I adopted fromt he spca. Gave him time to get used the leash, all
Georgie really does out there is roll around on the cement and then
eat grass. I'm not expecting him to ever go jogging with me but is
this the best it gets? Also, I've had out 3 times in about 1 1/2
weeks. As soon as I bring him in he starts meowing to go back out and
keeps up pretty much the rest of the day. Any way to solve this other
than the obvious? Any info appreciated.

GrapplerGurl wrote:
I just returned from the 3rd time out with my 2 1/2 year old cat which
I adopted fromt he spca. Gave him time to get used the leash, all
Georgie really does out there is roll around on the cement and then
eat grass. I'm not expecting him to ever go jogging with me but is
this the best it gets? Also, I've had out 3 times in about 1 1/2
weeks. As soon as I bring him in he starts meowing to go back out and
keeps up pretty much the rest of the day. Any way to solve this other
than the obvious? Any info appreciated.

I "walk" one of my cats, Marbles. He does a little more than roll and
eat grass, he sniffs around bushes and stuff, too. I mostly just do it
in my yard, I don't really attempt to take him anywhere. After awhile,
he will just lay down and watch birdies and I can read or something.
It's sort of relaxing.

I know of a few people (on this ng) who can actually get their cat to
walk but not many.

As for the "creating a monster," with them wanting to go out all the
time once you do that, I have the same issue. I only do it on weekends
and then it takes him about 3 days to get over whining at the door to
go out. Sometimes I don't know if it's worth it really.

Marbles wears a walking jacket which I learned about on this ng. Pics
of him looking handsome in his red jacket can be seen he

http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

Candace

On 30 Jun 2005 19:10:06 -0700, "Candace" wrote:

GrapplerGurl wrote:
I just returned from the 3rd time out with my 2 1/2 year old cat which
I adopted fromt he spca. Gave him time to get used the leash, all
Georgie really does out there is roll around on the cement and then
eat grass. I'm not expecting him to ever go jogging with me but is
this the best it gets? Also, I've had out 3 times in about 1 1/2
weeks. As soon as I bring him in he starts meowing to go back out and
keeps up pretty much the rest of the day. Any way to solve this other
than the obvious? Any info appreciated.

I "walk" one of my cats, Marbles. He does a little more than roll and
eat grass, he sniffs around bushes and stuff, too. I mostly just do it
in my yard, I don't really attempt to take him anywhere. After awhile,
he will just lay down and watch birdies and I can read or something.
It's sort of relaxing.

I know of a few people (on this ng) who can actually get their cat to
walk but not many.

As for the "creating a monster," with them wanting to go out all the
time once you do that, I have the same issue. I only do it on weekends
and then it takes him about 3 days to get over whining at the door to
go out. Sometimes I don't know if it's worth it really.

Marbles wears a walking jacket which I learned about on this ng. Pics
of him looking handsome in his red jacket can be seen he

http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

Candace




Hey, that's a spiffy looking jacket. Where did you get it? Marbles
looks just like little Georgie. Little Georgie is still meowing as I
type this )

GrapplerGurl wrote:

Hey, that's a spiffy looking jacket. Where did you get it? Marbles
looks just like little Georgie. Little Georgie is still meowing as I
type this )

http://metpet.com/shopsite_sc/store/...ingjacket.html

They're supposed to be harder for them to wriggle out of than a regular
harness and also more comfy. Actually, Marbles can wriggle out of it
if he really tries but he doesn't usually bother.

Candace

GrapplerGurl wrote:
I just returned from the 3rd time out with my 2 1/2 year old cat which
I ... to go back out and
keeps up pretty much the rest of the day. Any way to solve this other
than the obvious? Any info appreciated.


LOL

Maybe you could use his great desire for the outdoors to teach him to
walk. I bet you wouldn't mind walking around the block a few times;
oppossed to the grazing.

when he whines to go back out, take him back out, but tell him, "We are
going for a walk".

When he does not walk, and will not follow; bring him back in after a
few mins.

The goal is to teach him that his ticket to being outside is to
co-operate or...try to learn what you are trying to teach him. Prod him
a little bit.

Pick him up and carry him 50 yards from the house, then put him down;
try to get him to go further with you. If he won't, you could at least
expect him to follow you home!

Who knows, maybe even back home and even past your house?

I'd like to hear how it goes with you.

GrapplerGurl wrote:
I just returned from the 3rd time out with my 2 1/2 year old cat which
I adopted fromt he spca. Gave him time to get used the leash, all
Georgie really does out there is roll around on the cement and then
eat grass. I'm not expecting him to ever go jogging with me but is
this the best it gets?

One of my cats was kind of like that on leash. Would walk a few steps,
then just sort of ...plop. Otoh, another one, Demelza, really got the
hang of it & would take a walk. I only walked her around the perimeter
of the house or in the backyard - usually sniffing at the plants that
border the neighbor's yard, or sniffing at my flower garden. After
she'd walked around & explored enough, she'd then find a comfy place to
lie down - sometimes in the middle of the yard, sometimes over in the
shade of some hostas. I'd usually take a book out with me, so that
when she got to this stage, I'd sit on the lawn & read.

Also, I've had out 3 times in about 1 1/2
weeks. As soon as I bring him in he starts meowing to go back out and
keeps up pretty much the rest of the day. Any way to solve this other
than the obvious? Any info appreciated.

Heh.;-) This is why I mentioned all of the above about Demelza in the
past tnese. g Demelza's now several years older but still around, but
I no longer take her for walks. She'd repeatedly (like every 5 - 10
minutes!) go to the door & meow like crazy all day, begging & begging
to go back out. Since I took her for walks in the summer, & she was
therefore meowing/begging at an open door (at a closed a screen door),
I figured it was probably driving the neighbors almost as nuts as it
was driving me. As a result, I stopped taking her out for walks. She
continued to beg for a while, but then appeared to forget about the
whole idea. Sorry that I don't have some other great solution for that
problem.

I'm lucky in that I have a screened porch where the cats can spend a
lot of time; the screens run from floor to ceiling, so the cats can see
easily out. So they still get fresh air & can see a bunch of the sights
of the immediate neighborhood.

Cathy

wrote:

I'm lucky in that I have a screened porch where the cats can spend a
lot of time; the screens run from floor to ceiling, so the cats can see
easily out. So they still get fresh air & can see a bunch of the sights
of the immediate neighborhood.

The perfect solution, imho. Someday...I'm going to have one.

Candace

GrapplerGurl wrote:

Marbles looks just like little Georgie. Little Georgie is still meowing as I
type this )

Got any pics?

Candace

Candace wrote:
wrote:

I'm lucky in that I have a screened porch where the cats can spend a
lot of time; the screens run from floor to ceiling, so the cats can see
easily out. So they still get fresh air & can see a bunch of the sights
of the immediate neighborhood.

The perfect solution, imho. Someday...I'm going to have one.

Candace

This house was built in 1920, when porches - especially side or back
screened porches, or sunrooms - were "in". So it was just a matter of
good luck that I liked (& could afford) & bought this house. ;-) Some
houses of that era had upstairs screened "sleeping" porches - usually
built directly above the side or back screened porch or sunroom;
wouldn't mind one of those for these hot nights! :-) But my luck went
only so far, & it ran out at that point...

I've seen ads for screens for porches to be built as add-ons to
existing houses; modular sort of screened panels, that snap into place
on a frame. Although I suppose it'd be easier of one already had a
patio, porch, or deck in place that could be screened - or partially
screened.

Cathy

wrote:

This house was built in 1920, when porches - especially side or back
screened porches, or sunrooms - were "in". So it was just a matter of
good luck that I liked (& could afford) & bought this house. ;-)

I love old houses, the older the better. My house is from 1947, which
for Phoenix is fairly old...although there are much older ones but it's
a "new" town so the majority of houses are much newer.

Some
houses of that era had upstairs screened "sleeping" porches - usually
built directly above the side or back screened porch or sunroom;
wouldn't mind one of those for these hot nights! :-) But my luck went
only so far, & it ran out at that point...

My grandparents had a house like that in Chicago. My cousin still
lives in it, 80 some years later. 2 story house with a sleeping porch
on top of the other sleeping porch.

I've seen ads for screens for porches to be built as add-ons to
existing houses; modular sort of screened panels, that snap into place
on a frame. Although I suppose it'd be easier of one already had a
patio, porch, or deck in place that could be screened - or partially
screened.

We do have a patio and actually it's enclosed on 3 sides by the house
so it only leaves one side to be screened. It's just that there are
some "issues" with it like our a/c, heating, and evaporative cooler are
on the roof and that is Tony's preferred way of getting on the roof to
service it, etc. It's actually uncovered (not too bright in Phx) so a
roof would prevent his access at that particular place and the other
problem is that there is a flower bed along one side of this enclosed
patio and if it were roofed and the other side screened in, all the
stuff in that bed would die from lack of light. I need a way to have a
roof that can be partially slid back so Tony could get up there and
would also be partially clear or something so the plants wouldn't die.
Of course, I could transplant them all somewhere, I guess, but that
makes it a bigger project than I want. It seems like it would have to
be custom built and that could get pricey. I sure would like it,
though, it would be like having a whole other room.

Candace