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letting the cat outside
[Deleted User]
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when we first got my cat, we lived in a flat. we have now moved to a house, which although is in a nice area, isnt too far away from a very rough estate. now my little princess is desperate to get out, and i know how much she would love it, shes so adventerous and playful and has so much energy. but i am TERRIFIED of letting her out. a few times last summer i let her out to play in the back garden under my constant supervision and she loved it, smelling all the plants, and feeling all the different textures under her feet. I soo want to be able to let her out to roam free but the thought of something bad happening to her makes me sick to the stomach.
my main fears are - her getting run over.
her roaming into the bad area and her being her usual friendly self and going upto people, for them to be bad to her.
foxes or dogs attacking her.
her getting lost and not knowing how to get home.
neighbours being annoyed at her being in their garden, and flinging water over her or something.
i know i sound so ridiculous, but she is incredibly precious, i feel like shes my child rather than my cat!
how can i get over these fears? any tips or advice?
my main fears are - her getting run over.
her roaming into the bad area and her being her usual friendly self and going upto people, for them to be bad to her.
foxes or dogs attacking her.
her getting lost and not knowing how to get home.
neighbours being annoyed at her being in their garden, and flinging water over her or something.
i know i sound so ridiculous, but she is incredibly precious, i feel like shes my child rather than my cat!
how can i get over these fears? any tips or advice?
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However, they play a huge amount with each other - if I just had M or M it would be a nightmare.
Maybe some 'environmental enrichment' might do the trick for keeping her happy inside - possibly in the shape of a wee prince? If you have never seen two cats playing it's quite an eye-opener. M&M are normally such elegent dainty animals but seem to transform into heffalumps when chasing each other!
If you do decide to let her out, make sure she is chipped and neutered, and if she will tolerate a collar put one on her as well.
You might manage to get her to wear a harness so you can let her out but attached to a long line so she can't escape.
my mum has 2 boy cats who get on great. there old men now but when they were young they played constantly. she let them out and still does and thankfully nothing ever happened to them.
the thing is, were getting a dog. a dalmatian. i dont know how shes going to react to this as she's used to all the attention, so it would be nice to let her out and escape the madness of a dalmatian pup bouncing about the house.
she is already dressed and chipped, altho collar is a no-go zone. i like the idea of getting a lead for her so i might do that.
thanks for replying
i know, its terrible! i just cant stand the thought of her being in any pain, and without me there to help!
about the garden thing, well the fences are 8ft high, but u know cats she will still somehow get up there. there are little bits where the fence doesnt come right down to the ground either so she could escape that way. just wish she knew not to stray away but oh well
If she has been used to being an indoor cat then I would say keep it that way, my two are both indoor cats with access to a courtyard , they are happy as larry and have plenty of room and toys .
Or you could consider really making your garden escape proof ?
http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-cat-proof-a-garden-a54736
http://www.katzecure.com/
http://www.purrfectfence.co.uk/
My parents have a cat who's 10 now and she never really wandered beyond the back garden. They're off the beaten track too so that obviously lowers the risk of road accidents.
I suppose I am lucky where I live to be able to let him do that.
Mine would go stir crazy if they couldn't explore the big wide world. I'm lucky to have a big garden in a village and my house is surrounded by other gardens and open space though, with no busy roads to worry about. I don'[t think I'd have cats otherwise.
I have visions of them all sitting in a circle with their pints of beer in their paws moaning about the their 'slaves' :D
If you are going to try a lead, go for a harness (that wraps around the cat's front legs and body). The leads that attach to a collar, in a similar fashion to a dog, are all too easy for a cat to struggle free from.
Let us know how you get on.
My cat fell in the house and broke his leg in 4 places, I was out so he was in pain for hours, being inside made no difference to the situation.
Cats like to roam, they need the exercise and the enrichment. Stop being selfish and let her out. She'll be fine. She probably will meet other cats and get in a scrap, then learn her lesson.
If you are not willing to give the cat the best life possible (and that included access to the outdoors when possible) then you shouldn't have her. You've said yourself that she is desperate to get out, so let her out. I understand its not possible when you are in a flat or right by a main road but tbh you shouldn't have got a cat in the first place. If someone lived a flat and had a dog that they weren't willing to take for a walk the forum would be in uproar. But keeping a cat cooped up is ok.....madness.
This.
I would say you should let her out if she seems familiar with the new surroundings, if it has been a couple of weeks she will be used to it and it should then be fine letting her explore the outdoors
I don't see that having a house cat is selfish. she has run of the full house, shes well fed, has loads of toys and as much attention and affection off 2 very loving owners as she can possibly get. millions of people have cats as house pets and i'm positive that my cat is one of the best cared for out there, so I really do not appreciate being told that I am neglecting my animal.
thank you...we moved into our house in august, and she got out in the back garden a couple of times. my mum said something about putting butter on there paws so that when they wander off for the first time, they can trace the scent of the butter back home? don't know if this is a load of rubbish, my cat would end up licking it all off before she left the house. she hasnt been out through winter because of the bad weather, but hopefully we'll be able to start introducing her to the outdoors again soon - also we have a raised deck out the back with has gaps in it, so everytime we let her out she runs under there and doesnt come back out for hours. so will need to get some chicken wire put up round there.
Would you be happy to be locked indoors for the rest of your life?
Never smell the fresh air, never feel the sun on your face, never listen to the sounds of the world around you?
Think about it - how would you feel if you could never go beyond your own front door ever again? Would you be content to be condemned to that?
Rather judgmental and a bit unfair dont you think , there are may happy house cats and it is a fact that house cats tend to live longer and also tend to have better general health.
What would be better to you, a cat left in Battersea for life in a cage or maybe put down, or in a happy loving home as a house cat with plenty of room to play and where they are much loved ?
When I was buying my house, the main criterion for me was that it had to be cat friendly. I refused to look at any houses that were not in a quiet location. When I moved in the back glass panelled door was unsuitable for a cat flap so I ordered a new door and, while waiting for it (about 6 weeks), had a carpenter remove the glass panelling to insert chipboard so a temporary cat flap could be installed. I suppose it was a slight security risk but the carpenter said that a determined burglar could break into any door with the right tools.
I don't understand why people with cats choose to move to houses on busy roads
My cat is 16 now and is happy and healthy. She and my other cat have free access to come and go as they please and, this time of year, they choose to spend most of their time indoors near wherever I am in the house. I know when the weather gets warmer they'll be back outdoors again as most of us humans will be, enjoying the sunshine and longer days.
Ignore them, missrae.
I have two house cats for the same reasons as you. They get more attention and more play time than cats that are outside for hours. They are healthy and happy.
They do go outside in the garden several times a day but I make sure they don't go elsewhere.
Mine are 10 months and 7 months - half sisters - and don't know any different. It's not cruel. It's not selfish. It's responsible.
I'm not saying all owners who allow their cats to roam are bad and I'm not saying all owners of house cats are good.
I'm saying that having a house cat is not a bad thing.