Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: zoe (tiggy + pipins mum) on April 03, 2011, 19:58:47 PM
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As some of you may remember my 3 (was 4) cats are indoor cats and have been all their lives (other than patch who was a feral kitten but since 8 months she's lived indoors, wil be 4 this year)
anyway theyve never bothered with wanting to go out but for the last 3 weeks patch has been crazing to everytime the door gets opened she shoots out!
i really dont know what to do but obviously want to do whats best for patch!
any advice much appreciated x
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When I first got my girl, she was nearly 2 years old. I wanted her to be an indoor cat aswell as her son (who was only 12 weeks old at the time anyway.) but Tess had previously been allowed outdoors. After around 2 months, she was scratching and miaowing to go outside and all of a sudden started pulling out her fur.
I took her to the vets and the vet couldn't find anything wrong with her. The only thing that was really different in her life, was that she wasn't allowed out now that she was living with me. The vet advised me to let her out as she was visibly stressed. Almost immediately she stopped pulling out her fur and was alot happier.
Now, almost a year and a half since having her Tess rarely goes outside but knows that if she wants to she can. She is so calm and loving wherease before she was just interested in trying to get out the door. I think if your cat is stressed and really wants to go outside you should let her, obviously if it is safe enough etc :)
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I think if your cat is stressed and really wants to go outside you should let her, obviously if it is safe enough etc :)
I agree. If you are worried about busy roads etc, is there any way you could cat proof the garden?
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My two (10-year old) girls have apparently always been indoor cats, which was why we adopted them - because we can't have a cat flap and also because we live on a busy road - but we've been letting them out in the garden for a while now. They only go out when we're around because I'm paranoid they might wander off and, not being outdoor cats, not be able to find their way back. The bottom of the garden is a tempting mix of foliiage, trees and dodgy fencing, which we've cat proofed as much as we can.
They'd never fretted about going out before but now that they do, they seem a lot more contented. Drum has lost a bit of weight (which she really needed to!) and Bass' shyness is so much better now. She's gone from a shy, easily spooked little thing to a much more confident and less easily spooked cat and it's lovely to see her coming out of herself a bit more.
Don't know if any of that helps!
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:wow: That's amazing about Bass - so pleased. :hug:
Always hard to decide what to do. I've always had outdoor cats but cos of the trauma I went through with Smudge 3 years ago I was so glad that Bonnie doesn't want to go out. I was going to get the small back garden cat proofed last year but other things came up but I'm hoping to get it done this year and she can sit out with me for a few hours.
Good luck.
Mary
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davey goes out often but always stays close. Tinks has never been out though and I feel cruel on her but same problem with me re busy road. I wouldn't mind cat proofing my garden, what do that involve?x
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Kerri, PM your email to me and I'll email what info I have.
Mary
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Kerri, there are a few different systems for cat proofing the garden, and it can also be DIY'd. There's some ideas here (apart from the electric system :shocked: ) http://fabcats.org/owners/fencing/info2.html
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Thanks :)
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Just to update,
the garden is on the way to getting cat proofed just got to get fence up between us and the neighbours then the cat proof netting will go up x
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Fantastic - and Summer is just around the corner (hopefully).
Lots of pics when it happens ;)
Mary
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All my cats are outdoor cats. I live on a very quiet road in a very quiet neughbourhood, and it is perfect for the cats.
But still, I am always happy if a cat does not venture too far and comes home quite often.
Tosca, my semi-feral cat, sometimes coes not come home for days on end, or at least, does not show herself to us (we have a cat flap, so she can come in and go out at nicht without us knowing). I simply have to accept this is how it works with her, she pines away if she has to stay indoors. She once got injured and had to stay in for months, and she got so depressed I even considered putting her to sleep. She had an open wound, so she really could not go out, but she was desperately unhappy. She even managed to escape once, still with an open wound and wearing her cone collar.
In the end she had a skin transplant and the wound finally healed. So now she is out and about again, which is as it should be, but I do worry about her.