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#71
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"Dorothy J Heydt" wrote wrote: Ahem. There is "allowing them outside" and "allowing them outside". Cats can be allowed to experience the great outdoors in various ways short of opening the door and allowing them to roam freely. For example, my two have a patio with cat-proof fencing that they go out in for lazy weekend afternoons, and they are both trained to harness for walks outside when we are all feeling more adventuresome. Yes, there is still some risk to the cat, especially from such things as hawks, coyotes, and dogs, but I figure with a human near by it makes the risk tolerable. There are shades of gray to this... it's not strictly cats do anything they please or cat never sticks his nose past the door. If that works for you, fine. I couldn't rig our back yard in that fashion (particularly since it's a rented house). Our cats are trained to wear harnesses, but they won't go for walks on them; they'll either sit-down-strike and have to be dragged or carried, or they'll do their best to drag the human into an interesting bush or such (so long as we outweigh them, this doesn't work). Other than when we take one to an SCA event, our cats never stick their noses past the door without great hubbub ensuing. The last time this happened was a couple months ago: Louhi for some reason saw a briefly open front door and made a mad dash through it, ending up under the parked car. We grabbed flashlights and surrounded the car, coaxing and chivvying and swearing. After about five minutes she made a break for it, straight *up* the stairs to the front door, where she sat meowing pitifully to be let back in. We've carefully explained about BEARS and how they love cats. And reinforced with with trips to The Eviiiil Doctor. To the point where our two won't poke their noses out. It helps that we have Cat TV in the form of a male cardinal who spends all day, every day fighting with his reflections in our windows. |
#72
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"Dorothy J Heydt" wrote wrote: Ahem. There is "allowing them outside" and "allowing them outside". Cats can be allowed to experience the great outdoors in various ways short of opening the door and allowing them to roam freely. For example, my two have a patio with cat-proof fencing that they go out in for lazy weekend afternoons, and they are both trained to harness for walks outside when we are all feeling more adventuresome. Yes, there is still some risk to the cat, especially from such things as hawks, coyotes, and dogs, but I figure with a human near by it makes the risk tolerable. There are shades of gray to this... it's not strictly cats do anything they please or cat never sticks his nose past the door. If that works for you, fine. I couldn't rig our back yard in that fashion (particularly since it's a rented house). Our cats are trained to wear harnesses, but they won't go for walks on them; they'll either sit-down-strike and have to be dragged or carried, or they'll do their best to drag the human into an interesting bush or such (so long as we outweigh them, this doesn't work). Other than when we take one to an SCA event, our cats never stick their noses past the door without great hubbub ensuing. The last time this happened was a couple months ago: Louhi for some reason saw a briefly open front door and made a mad dash through it, ending up under the parked car. We grabbed flashlights and surrounded the car, coaxing and chivvying and swearing. After about five minutes she made a break for it, straight *up* the stairs to the front door, where she sat meowing pitifully to be let back in. We've carefully explained about BEARS and how they love cats. And reinforced with with trips to The Eviiiil Doctor. To the point where our two won't poke their noses out. It helps that we have Cat TV in the form of a male cardinal who spends all day, every day fighting with his reflections in our windows. |
#73
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And masticated, ruminated, and expectorated.
That sounds like lyrics from a really weird musical production. Sherry |
#74
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And masticated, ruminated, and expectorated.
That sounds like lyrics from a really weird musical production. Sherry |
#75
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"Lorenzo L. Love" wrote in message link.net...
Bertil Jonell wrote: In rec.arts.sf.written Peter D. Tillman wrote: : Could be worse. When my parents lived in Kenya, they had friends whose : dog slept at the foot of their bed. Until the night when a leopard came : through the (unscreened) bedroom window, grabbed the dog, jumped back : out. While the couple were in bed, watching in horror. That's the 'other way' a pet can protect the family: by being easier prey. This put me in mind of the old joke about the guy who wakes up to find a gorilla on his roof...... http://www.jokecenter.com/jokes/Misc/261.htm Kevin |
#76
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"Lorenzo L. Love" wrote in message link.net...
Bertil Jonell wrote: In rec.arts.sf.written Peter D. Tillman wrote: : Could be worse. When my parents lived in Kenya, they had friends whose : dog slept at the foot of their bed. Until the night when a leopard came : through the (unscreened) bedroom window, grabbed the dog, jumped back : out. While the couple were in bed, watching in horror. That's the 'other way' a pet can protect the family: by being easier prey. This put me in mind of the old joke about the guy who wakes up to find a gorilla on his roof...... http://www.jokecenter.com/jokes/Misc/261.htm Kevin |
#77
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Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
If that works for you, fine. I couldn't rig our back yard in that fashion (particularly since it's a rented house). I understand that dilemma! I in a rented apartment - with no yard. Other than when we take one to an SCA event Your cat likes SCA events?? Dorothy J. Heydt Albany, California At least in our neck of the woods, we don't have any real predators - except for traffic, of course. If you go up in the hills, it's a different story. I hear there are mountain lions in Tilden Park! Joyce (Oakland) |
#78
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Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
If that works for you, fine. I couldn't rig our back yard in that fashion (particularly since it's a rented house). I understand that dilemma! I in a rented apartment - with no yard. Other than when we take one to an SCA event Your cat likes SCA events?? Dorothy J. Heydt Albany, California At least in our neck of the woods, we don't have any real predators - except for traffic, of course. If you go up in the hills, it's a different story. I hear there are mountain lions in Tilden Park! Joyce (Oakland) |
#79
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In article ,
wrote: Dorothy J Heydt wrote: [Sebastian, the cat of very little brain] Other than when we take one to an SCA event Your cat likes SCA events?? He loves 'em. Mind you, he got used to them at an early age. He and his sister Viola attended their first event, a Mists Spring Investiture, in a basket at the tender age of three weeks, and were an instant success. As they grew older they got used to wearing harnesses and were taken to fighter practices where they got used to loud noises and hordes of people all exclaiming, "Oooh, let me pet the kitty!" Viola lives with my daughter these days and doesn't go to events any more, but since Sebastian has to be pilled every day we take him to everything that involves being away from home overnight. SCA events, conventions, what not. He is incredibly mellow (you would be too, if you were on the drugs he is on) and makes a splendid attention sink. At least in our neck of the woods, we don't have any real predators - except for traffic, of course. If you go up in the hills, it's a different story. I hear there are mountain lions in Tilden Park! Indeed there are. We don't live anywhere near the park, but we do live near Cordonices Creek, where raccoons come out at night to eat whatever's handy. One of our cats, Jasmine, used to belong to our upstairs neighbors. She started as an indoor/outdoor cat till they had a baby and were afraid she might harm the baby (never mind the damage their toddlers had already done to her), so she became an outdoor cat. When the building was sold and we all had to move, they gave her to us. She spent the first couple of weeks as an indoor cat moaning and bitching and complaining (and she is a Siamese); after that she settled down. She's much happier now and she doesn't have to fight the raccoons for her cat food. Dorothy J. Heydt Albany, California |
#80
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In article ,
wrote: Dorothy J Heydt wrote: [Sebastian, the cat of very little brain] Other than when we take one to an SCA event Your cat likes SCA events?? He loves 'em. Mind you, he got used to them at an early age. He and his sister Viola attended their first event, a Mists Spring Investiture, in a basket at the tender age of three weeks, and were an instant success. As they grew older they got used to wearing harnesses and were taken to fighter practices where they got used to loud noises and hordes of people all exclaiming, "Oooh, let me pet the kitty!" Viola lives with my daughter these days and doesn't go to events any more, but since Sebastian has to be pilled every day we take him to everything that involves being away from home overnight. SCA events, conventions, what not. He is incredibly mellow (you would be too, if you were on the drugs he is on) and makes a splendid attention sink. At least in our neck of the woods, we don't have any real predators - except for traffic, of course. If you go up in the hills, it's a different story. I hear there are mountain lions in Tilden Park! Indeed there are. We don't live anywhere near the park, but we do live near Cordonices Creek, where raccoons come out at night to eat whatever's handy. One of our cats, Jasmine, used to belong to our upstairs neighbors. She started as an indoor/outdoor cat till they had a baby and were afraid she might harm the baby (never mind the damage their toddlers had already done to her), so she became an outdoor cat. When the building was sold and we all had to move, they gave her to us. She spent the first couple of weeks as an indoor cat moaning and bitching and complaining (and she is a Siamese); after that she settled down. She's much happier now and she doesn't have to fight the raccoons for her cat food. Dorothy J. Heydt Albany, California |
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