Taking an indoor cat outdoors and a thank you.......

My Touhey is six months old and has never touched the ground, he has
two locations where he can sit or lay and look out the window at a
pond with geese and ducks and other birds and a field no other houses.

He is a Siberian and they are known for not being very vocal and they
don't meow its more like a chirp but not shrill sounding and she is
vocal when she looks out the windows for the first few minutes.

I am debating getting a harness and taking him for walks but wonder
what the ramifications might be. Is he better off never feeling the
grass beneath his feet or am I keeping something from him that would
be so easy to give him.

I would never let her go thats for certain I am thinking about one of
those retractable leashes like I had for my Golden Retriever.

Please give me your opinions am I being good to my cat or am I taking
something away from him that he would absolutely love. Also what are
the chances that he will constantly be wanting to go outside once
Pandoras box is opened.

I also wish to thank the good folk here who encouraged me to get a cat
I am 54 years old live alone just recently have horrible chronic pain
in my back and ribs from extreme thinning of the bones which I blame
on Vietnam but cannot prove such a thing, and was uncertain about a
cat because I was a little unsure how much I would like him.

Well let me tell you I don't know the last time I was on the floor
well on purpose anyway and now although I have to figure out a way to
get back up I find myself on the floor playing with Touhey all the
time.......he cracks me up and has me laughing out loud quite often
during the day......my diagnosis is that I will only get worse so I
had a decent amount of depression about that but like I said Touhey
has me laughing out loud with his antics especially when he thinks he
is hiding on me and I pretend that I don't see him......

as I said in an earlier post he comes when I call him he fetches a
ball without fail and often has me on the floor I don't know how to
explain but I got this huge paper bag much larger than a grocery bag
but doesn't have the flat bottom and I throw stuff in there and he
goes crashing into that bag and goes nuts......I'm sure I am not
telling you veterans anything you don't know but this guy is such a
hoot and you guys were instrumental in telling me to take a shot at
getting him.

I was worried and still am if my condition worsens quickly that I may
not be able to take care of him and discussed this at lenght with the
breeder and he has agreed no matter the age he will take Touhey back
and find him a good home. I like that backup but I think before I
would have to do that I will have found a good home around here for
him.

He drives me nuts sometimes having particular trouble with the
cupboards keeping him off of them that is but he knows NO and if I
catch him just as he is coiling to jump up he does that cartoon like
thing where his feet are moving a mile a minute and he isn't moving at
all on the vinyl flooring......lol.........

Thanks again


Brad

Lifes journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved
body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out,
shouting......." HOLY @#$%... WHAT A RIDE!"

"Brad" wrote

"Snip Drivel" lol

Cat's are great company!

I'm so glad that you have a friend that cheers you up! Lots of people
harness train their cats. I wish that I had started doing that when mine
were young. Sometimes Ithink I will try it again, but we don't really have a
yard, just a deck.

Brad wrote:
My Touhey is six months old and has never touched the ground, he has
two locations where he can sit or lay and look out the window at a
pond with geese and ducks and other birds and a field no other houses.

He is a Siberian and they are known for not being very vocal and they
don't meow its more like a chirp but not shrill sounding and she is
vocal when she looks out the windows for the first few minutes.

I am debating getting a harness and taking him for walks but wonder
what the ramifications might be. Is he better off never feeling the
grass beneath his feet or am I keeping something from him that would
be so easy to give him.

I would never let her go thats for certain I am thinking about one of
those retractable leashes like I had for my Golden Retriever.

Please give me your opinions am I being good to my cat or am I taking
something away from him that he would absolutely love. Also what are
the chances that he will constantly be wanting to go outside once
Pandoras box is opened.

I also wish to thank the good folk here who encouraged me to get a cat
I am 54 years old live alone just recently have horrible chronic pain
in my back and ribs from extreme thinning of the bones which I blame
on Vietnam but cannot prove such a thing, and was uncertain about a
cat because I was a little unsure how much I would like him.

Well let me tell you I don't know the last time I was on the floor
well on purpose anyway and now although I have to figure out a way to
get back up I find myself on the floor playing with Touhey all the
time.......he cracks me up and has me laughing out loud quite often
during the day......my diagnosis is that I will only get worse so I
had a decent amount of depression about that but like I said Touhey
has me laughing out loud with his antics especially when he thinks he
is hiding on me and I pretend that I don't see him......

as I said in an earlier post he comes when I call him he fetches a
ball without fail and often has me on the floor I don't know how to
explain but I got this huge paper bag much larger than a grocery bag
but doesn't have the flat bottom and I throw stuff in there and he
goes crashing into that bag and goes nuts......I'm sure I am not
telling you veterans anything you don't know but this guy is such a
hoot and you guys were instrumental in telling me to take a shot at
getting him.

I was worried and still am if my condition worsens quickly that I may
not be able to take care of him and discussed this at lenght with the
breeder and he has agreed no matter the age he will take Touhey back
and find him a good home. I like that backup but I think before I
would have to do that I will have found a good home around here for
him.

He drives me nuts sometimes having particular trouble with the
cupboards keeping him off of them that is but he knows NO and if I
catch him just as he is coiling to jump up he does that cartoon like
thing where his feet are moving a mile a minute and he isn't moving at
all on the vinyl flooring......lol.........

Thanks again


Brad

Lifes journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved
body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out,
shouting......." HOLY @#$%... WHAT A RIDE!"

Brad wrote:

I am debating getting a harness and taking him for walks but wonder
what the ramifications might be. Is he better off never feeling the
grass beneath his feet or am I keeping something from him that would
be so easy to give him.

Please give me your opinions am I being good to my cat or am I taking
something away from him that he would absolutely love. Also what are
the chances that he will constantly be wanting to go outside once
Pandoras box is opened.

If you do decide to take him out, get him a walking jacket, they're
harder for a cat to wriggle out of than a harness. I take my cat
Marbles out on weekends only and he usually howls at the door for the
next few days so it is a risk you take. My other 2 cats don't go out
at all and I think cats can be perfectly happy indoors with enough
stimulation. That said, I wish I had a screened porch or safe
enclosure for them because I think it's nice if they can get some fresh
air and see birdies up close and personal.

Pics of Marbles in his walking jacket at the end of this album:

http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

I also wish to thank the good folk here who encouraged me to get a cat
I am 54 years old live alone just recently have horrible chronic pain
in my back and ribs from extreme thinning of the bones which I blame
on Vietnam but cannot prove such a thing, and was uncertain about a
cat because I was a little unsure how much I would like him.

I'm sorry about your chronic pain and glad Touhey is so much fun for
you.

I'm sure I am not
telling you veterans anything you don't know but this guy is such a
hoot and you guys were instrumental in telling me to take a shot at
getting him.

They have a high entertainment value and certainly can make a house a
home.

Candace

Hi Brad,

I am a breeder of Siberians myself so my post is based feedback from
other Siberian Pet Owners. Some folks have had great success leash
training their Siberians. Others have bought those mid-west cat cages
and just put the kitty outside in the cage and allowing them the
sights, sounds and smells of the outside world.

There is a down side to those walked on a leash. If that kitty gets
intoxicated by the outside world, that kitty may dart out an open door
to get more of the same.

One of my pet owners had exactly that happen to her. She was so scared
for her kitty because every time she would get close to him he would
run farther from her. Finally she was able to step on the leash and get
thim home. Suffice it to say that he no longer goes out on a leash.

She does however continue to put him into the midwest cage and allow
him the outside world in that capacity.

In closing I would like to remind all cat owners that you see the world
differently than your kitty does.

They have NO concept as to how large the world is and they never feel
like they are *missing out* if they don't have all the things at their
disposal that you have.

In Other words they know nothing about the island of Bora Bora and
therefore don't miss the fact that they aren't going to take a trip to
that island paradise.

Touhey sounds happy so *if it ain't broke don't fix it* applies here
IMHO

Lynda Nelson
Kravchenko Siberians None Better
http://www.siberiancats.com
ACFA Siberian Breed Chair 1998-2005
CFA Siberian Breed Chair 2000-2003
Prestige Siberian Association-Founder


Brad wrote:
My Touhey is six months old and has never touched the ground, he has
two locations where he can sit or lay and look out the window at a
pond with geese and ducks and other birds and a field no other houses.

He is a Siberian and they are known for not being very vocal and they
don't meow its more like a chirp but not shrill sounding and she is
vocal when she looks out the windows for the first few minutes.

I am debating getting a harness and taking him for walks but wonder
what the ramifications might be. Is he better off never feeling the
grass beneath his feet or am I keeping something from him that would
be so easy to give him.

I would never let her go thats for certain I am thinking about one of
those retractable leashes like I had for my Golden Retriever.

Please give me your opinions am I being good to my cat or am I taking
something away from him that he would absolutely love. Also what are
the chances that he will constantly be wanting to go outside once
Pandoras box is opened.

On 23 Jul 2005 12:56:09 -0700, wrote:

Hi Brad,

I am a breeder of Siberians myself so my post is based feedback from
other Siberian Pet Owners. Some folks have had great success leash
training their Siberians. Others have bought those mid-west cat cages
and just put the kitty outside in the cage and allowing them the
sights, sounds and smells of the outside world.

There is a down side to those walked on a leash. If that kitty gets
intoxicated by the outside world, that kitty may dart out an open door
to get more of the same.

One of my pet owners had exactly that happen to her. She was so scared
for her kitty because every time she would get close to him he would
run farther from her. Finally she was able to step on the leash and get
thim home. Suffice it to say that he no longer goes out on a leash.

She does however continue to put him into the midwest cage and allow
him the outside world in that capacity.

In closing I would like to remind all cat owners that you see the world
differently than your kitty does.

They have NO concept as to how large the world is and they never feel
like they are *missing out* if they don't have all the things at their
disposal that you have.

In Other words they know nothing about the island of Bora Bora and
therefore don't miss the fact that they aren't going to take a trip to
that island paradise.

Touhey sounds happy so *if it ain't broke don't fix it* applies here
IMHO

Lynda Nelson
Kravchenko Siberians None Better
http://www.siberiancats.com
ACFA Siberian Breed Chair 1998-2005
CFA Siberian Breed Chair 2000-2003
Prestige Siberian Association-Founder



Thank you Lynda I took a quick tour of your website and will look at
some things that picked my interest a little later on you did a nice
job on your site, its nice and clean one thing I hate on a website is
clutter.

I pretty much stopped surfing websites after I made my buying decision
but looking at yours pointed out something pretty interesting to me.
When I got Touhey I mentioned to my son that he had four eyes because
of two little vertical markings one above each eye (hope you know what
I am talking about) anyway I noticed on your Siberians that have
markings they also have the same markings. Am I crazy or do you see
the same thing I see?

I don't see how these cats won't gain quickly in popularity, all cats
are fun but it seems like the characteristics I read about Siberians
were right on the mark.



Brad

Lifes journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved
body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out,
shouting......." HOLY @#$%... WHAT A RIDE!"

Brad wrote:
My Touhey is six months old and has never touched the ground, he has
two locations where he can sit or lay and look out the window at a
pond with geese and ducks and other birds and a field no other houses.

snip

From my own experience...

My cat Peewee *loves* to go out on his harness. I have a small
retractable dog lead that I hook to his harness. He learned to walk on
it right away.

But because he has been outdside, he now wants to go out ALL THE TIME.
He cries at the door to go out. He's unhappy when he is inside. So in
a way, I am sorry I ever let him out in this manner. I think he might
have been happier if he didn't know what he was missing!

My other cat, Mimi, has no interest in the harness or going outside.
She likes being indoors and freaks when outdoors, no matter how many
times I have tried.

So, I guess all I am saying is if you start, you may not be able to
stop, because he may really love it!

-L.

Hi Brad,

I have been around Siberians for so long I need to be reminded that
they are indeed different than most cats.

Thanks for the compliment on the web page(s) I try to update several
pages throughout the year to keep it fresh all the while keeping the
most interesting and informative for those just getting introduced to
the Siberian Cat.

As far as popularity, they continue to grow and climb into the ranks of
the top 10 as far as a favorite pedigree cat especially those looking
for a hypo-allergenic cat.

Lynda Nelson
Kravchenko Siberians None Better
http://www.siberiancats.com
ACFA Siberian Breed Chair 1998-2005
CFA Siberian Breed Chair 2000-2003
Prestige Siberian Association-Founder


Brad wrote:
On 23 Jul 2005 12:56:09 -0700,

I don't see how these cats won't gain quickly in popularity, all cats
are fun but it seems like the characteristics I read about Siberians
were right on the mark.



Brad