Topic: Keeping a cat indoor (Read 4788 times)

forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) · « **Reply #21 on:** March 03, 2007, 20:42:19 PM »

Nearly ten years ago my 5 n a half month old kitten got killed by a dog a neighbour was looking after , i have never or will never get over it and blame myself every single day ,i only wish i had more knowledge back then of the dangers a cat faces when going outside , now theres no way on this earth id let any of my cats out doors , its got tot the point now that i feel very uneasy and distressed when i do see a cat out wandering around i think of all the awful things that could happen ,sadly we live in a very cruel nasty world where there are people who harm cats ,theres cars and busy roads , un cat friiendly dogs and of course the fur trade , i feel a cat can lead a perfectly long healthy and happy life indoors .

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Ela · « **Reply #20 on:** March 03, 2007, 15:13:58 PM »

Quote

I truely believe there are arguments for and against Inoor/Outdoor but at the end of the day if your cat is loved,

Sadly I see far more reasons to keep cats in that let them out. However, it is a purely a personal thing to us all and in most cases no rights or wrongs. As you are new (and very welcome) to this forum perhaps you will see my reasons for keeping my cats in. The are on the indoor/outdoor debate on my Cats Protection site www,chesterfieldcats.co.uk

deni · « **Reply #19 on:** March 03, 2007, 15:05:38 PM »

My cats have been both. For the first 6 years they were indoor cats, not ideal but they were 2- 3 week old kittens due to be destroyed it was that or no home at all. We moved when they were 6 and they could go outside, one turned into the 'night stalker' bringing home everything from a bat to a rabbit! (Don't worry thay have had their jabs). The novelty wore off, he is now quite happy indoors watching the world go by through the window screaming at the birds occasionally. His brother is more laid back, he's basically lazy, going out is a chore which had to be endured. We see an affectionate side that many owners of outdoor cats may miss, we certainly see them play more.

I truely believe there are arguments for and against Inoor/Outdoor but at the end of the day if your cat is loved, well cared for and happy it's all we could ask for. There are far too many incidents of animals being mistreated by so called caring owners, they are the ones we should worry about.

Susieh · « **Reply #18 on:** March 01, 2007, 13:01:33 PM »

I'd agree that cats have different attitudes to outside.

Maddy is a little homebody and goes out for a bit every day and sometimes to toilet but mainly stays indoors. The only time she seems to really enjoy being out is if I am with her. If it is too cold or rainy then she just stays indoors through choice.

Paddy spends the longest outside and doesn't like using a litter tray, so always has about 30-40 minutes outside before bedtime as well as a couple of hours during the day and much longer in the summer. He is also the only one who catches mice & birds.

Freddy is somewhere inbetween and loves going outdoors for little periods but never goes far and never stays out for long. If he goes out the same time as Paddy then he follows Pads around outdoors (like an annoying little brother

). He also steals any mice or birds that Paddy catches and takes over the torture

My cats all stay in at night and although I sometimes have to stay up late waiting for Paddy to come home, I always wait before going to bed as Freddy can somehow open the catflap even when it is on in-only. So say from 11pm (or 2am if Pads takes his time) they are indoors and then Paddy wakes me between 5-6am (with his special "I want a wee" miow) when I open the catflap and go back to bed. When I wake up next they are all inside so I think they just go for a wee and then wait for me to get up and give them brekkie. Even though letting them out when it is still dark in the early hours may seem counter-productive, I do this because my main reasons for keeping them in at night are because of gangs hanging around (which they do most nights until about 2am) and they are gone by then.

I think that the 2 boys would be very reluctant to be indoors because they have tasted the freedom of outside, but if they had never known it then I'm sure they would be fine. The boys are vocal during the day and the night too

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #17 on:** February 28, 2007, 18:08:31 PM »

Our 3 boys are allowed access to outdoors 24/7 and allways have been as far as I am aware.

We live on a quiet road altho I know only too well that doesn't mean it's safe outside. Just thought I'd confirm that each of the 3 has different attitudes to outdoors.

Freddie would go crazy

if he were not allowed out, Thomas would be unhappy but live with it

but Billy I'm almost certain wouldn't give a hoot as long as his rampart (scratching post with place to sit on top) remained by the window so he can keep an eye on things.

All cats are different. Even if they are used to going outside, it doesn't mean they would be deeply unhappy at staying inside. That is why I am so upset at RSPCA policy of pts cats used to indoor/outdoors that they are unable to find indoor/outdoor homes

Sorry just unloading.... Don't for a minute think that your little man, Eil_w, is deeply unhappy. Sounds like he just wants attention and knows how to get it lol

Lovely post Becca. Hope things are beginning to improve a little for you alho, if social services still there, maybe not? Glad to hear the clan are doing their utmost to keep you cozy tho.

Beccles · « **Reply #16 on:** February 28, 2007, 18:00:43 PM »

Ollie usually has a bit of a cry when I shut him and the girls downstairs for the night - I think he's experimenting to see if he can get me to come back and let him upstairs, really - the last few nights I've got into bed really early because of having to get social services carers in (grrr but that's another story) so it seemed nicer to let the mogs have the run of the house so that they and I didn't get too bored. I got awfully hot under all those cats last night!

BubbaBoy · « **Reply #15 on:** February 28, 2007, 15:40:54 PM »

My Siamese boy is an indoor cat as we live on the top floor in a busy city. He has never seemed bothered by this and loves sitting on the windowledge and watching the cars (I think he thinks they are some kind of animal as he has that predatory look in his eye). We exercise him every night by getting him to chase a ribbon around the house and then jump around after his mouse toy for half an hour. He then waits for us to go to bed and has a ten minute sniff around when the lights are off before coming to bed!

Actually he does the crying thing too, I thought it was a Siamese trait but maybe not. If he wakes up and can't see anyone he sits and wails (like a baby) until someone calls him from whatever room they are in and he comes running.

I would only let him outside if I lived somewhere with a very secure garden and no big roads. Bubba is pretty useless in general and I shudder to think what he'd be like with traffic. Plus he is a pretty boy and pets get stolen around here all the time.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #14 on:** February 24, 2007, 16:47:56 PM »

Oh Fuzzie

, how could you possibly forget

fuzziesdad · « **Reply #13 on:** February 24, 2007, 14:21:02 PM »

Quote from: Susanne (urbantigers) on February 23, 2007, 14:22:29 PM

Quote from: Eil_w on February 23, 2007, 14:11:24 PM
what he does is he cry's untill i sit up and either say his name or tell him to sshhhhhhh, as soon as i do that he's up on teh bed like a shot, purring away snuggling in.. little monkey, his brother is the exact opposite, so chilled out and doesn't really bother where he is as long as he's comfy... :-)
It sounds like he just wants attention - and he's got you well trained on how to get it!

quite funny this as lu-lu one of our older cats cried last night so I called to come up to bed with me which she does one in a while but..........................then I realised why she was crying so I went down and said goodnight to her which consists of a kiss and cuddle which I had omitted to do earlier.............................sorry lu-lu my fault.

chimpzoo · « **Reply #12 on:** February 24, 2007, 11:12:33 AM »

I've had mine since a kitten and she's indoors all the time. She's never cried at night but i try to make sure i play with her as late as possible for half an hour just before i got to bed, maybe this helps?

ccmacey · « **Reply #11 on:** February 24, 2007, 09:25:37 AM »

After I have gone to bed Macey walks around crying untill I call her name, its like she's looking for me. Once Ive shouted her she comes and snuggles on the bed.

Marie · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2007, 16:57:29 PM »

Our Tommy is the same he cries at night and then when I call his name running up the stairs he comes, see us, settles down and stops. Its like sometimes he thinks he has lost us until we call him. Until very recently we shut our kittens in the kitchen at night and as soon as we took one step out of bed that would be it Tommy would cry until we let him out, all he wanted was attention.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2007, 14:22:29 PM »

Quote from: Eil_w on February 23, 2007, 14:11:24 PM

what he does is he cry's untill i sit up and either say his name or tell him to sshhhhhhh, as soon as i do that he's up on teh bed like a shot, purring away snuggling in.. little monkey, his brother is the exact opposite, so chilled out and doesn't really bother where he is as long as he's comfy... :-)

It sounds like he just wants attention - and he's got you well trained on how to get it!

Eil_w · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2007, 14:11:24 PM »

what he does is he cry's untill i sit up and either say his name or tell him to sshhhhhhh, as soon as i do that he's up on teh bed like a shot, purring away snuggling in.. little monkey, his brother is the exact opposite, so chilled out and doesn't really bother where he is as long as he's comfy... :-)

Mark · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2007, 13:47:06 PM »

If he's never been out, he probably has no concept of outside so I don't think it's that. My cats often miow in the night. It's proably because they are a bit lonely. Kylie has always done it - even though she knows she can jump on the bed at any time (which she hasn't done all week

she has decided that she is sleeping on OH's jumper in the livingroom

)

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2007, 13:33:27 PM »

If it's just at night time he's crying that's not a good time to let a cat out anyway (most peeps who let them go out during the day keep them in at night) so I think your best bet is to ignore him crying. If you make sure he has plenty of toys and interaction indoors he'll get over not being able to go outside.

Eil_w · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2007, 13:29:20 PM »

hiya, thanks a lot for your replies, makes me feel better about them not getting out....

am going to just try and ignore him at night...

thanks again.x

Gillian Harvey · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2007, 12:10:54 PM »

Quote from: Eil_w on February 23, 2007, 10:59:45 AM

they've got loads of toys and things to keep themselves amused, he seems fine during the day, but it's just at night he seems to be unhappy...

Thats when cats are naturally active so thats prob why he is crying to go out. I don't know if you have a garden - but if so would it be possible to fence the garden safely so the cats can't get out of it, or build a fully enclosed cat run to give them some outside space?

fuzziesdad · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2007, 12:08:03 PM »

I personally do not have anything against indoor cats its OK to say they should be allowed outside but it depends on the circumstances if as you are near a main road or some other danger to the cat then why not have indoor cats better indoors with someone who loves them than walking the streets wondering where the next meal is coming from or never knowing love.
ours are all indoor/outdoor but I am sure that if push came to shove they could become indoor cats with a little objecting from to two youngest.
roger.

ccmacey · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2007, 11:55:03 AM »

Personally if I lived near a busy road I wouldn't let my cats out, and I wouldn't care because I would be keeping them in for their own safety. Ted my eldest howels like a banshie to get out but I just ignore him the others arnt too bothered about going out. Don't feel guilty its saving you a lot of stress in the long run.

He might also be seeing cats pass the house at night which is making him want to get out.

Eil_w · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2007, 10:59:45 AM »

Morning,

i posted a few weeks ago about my little cat crying during the night some nights, i now think it might be because he's wanting out, he's never been out before and he usually seemed fine with it, his brother doesn't really bother at all, there's no way they could get out as i've close to a really busy road, i was just wondering if anybody else ever feels really really guilty about not being able to let their cats outside.... has anybody else ever had this problem..

they've got loads of toys and things to keep themselves amused, he seems fine during the day, but it's just at night he seems to be unhappy...

I might be totally wrong here, but hopefully he'll be fine...

Author Topic: Keeping a cat indoor (Read 4788 times)

fuzziesdad

ccmacey

fuzziesdad

ccmacey