Anyone work for the RSPCA

[Bryony84]

Eek! I think if it came to needing to fit a cat flap, we'd have to negotiate with the people who manage the block (4 houses with 4 flats underneath) and see if they would be able to source us a spare door the same as the one we have that I could hack up with a jigsaw!

[blackcat]

have to admit it was my intention to keep mine as indoor cats, but when Smidgen commenced flying lessons from the upstairs window I concluded that this was not an option. He would leap to the ground from the first floor window (much to my horror) so clearly either we had to have ALL windows closed at all times, or I had to invest in a cat flap ... (I always wanted to own a jig-saw ...  )

[pandora]

I suppose it depends on the cat as many have said.  When I adopted my little ginger boy last October at the age of 6 months, he was so desperate to go outside that I called the rescue and asked them if he could get out earlier than the two weeks we discussed and which I did with my other two when I first got them too.  He had soiled the house, was literally crawling the walls and just wanted to got outside, escpecially as he saw the other two doing it. No toys and playing would make any difference to him.   In the end they said to try it and over night he became a contented cat.  Then at the end of January he went missing (got lost in the last terrible storm-put me on tenderhooks today) but has now returned.  He is now a very settled little cat who (after his time in the streets! and the microchip not helping is an entirley different issue)is indoors for most of the day with a couple of hours outside when he wants to.  So it is really down to the nature of the cat.  And the older they get, the more settled they become it seems, looking at my two 8 years old.

[Bryony84]

I hope they feel the same way as people on here, I have had cats all my life and have always been an animal lover. I remember when I was about 10, me and my friend were walking round the corner to the shop and a cat came up to me, I was stroking it and noticed it had a wound on its side, so I picked it up and took it to the PDSA vets up the road!

As far as the cats are concerned, they will be my first priority, I would rather they stayed inside but I wouldn't force it upon them if they weren't happy with it. However all the time they are living inside, they will have lots of toys and exercise, I am planning on getting a 'da bird' for them and my boyfriend already has a low intensity laser pointer which I remember my friends cat loving to chase!!

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

I think you have answered the questions well.

And as you have said, if they are unhappy being kept indoors then you will let them out

[Bryony84]

I didn't mention the indoor thing when I filled in their forms because I wan't sure what they'd think of it. They asked if my maisionette had its own straight to outdoors front door and I said yes and they also asked about a garden and I said we have a shared unsecured garden. The front door doesn't go into it though as it is round the back of the block. I'm unsure as to whether this would be a no straight away with the homecheck. Hard to know what to do for the best, I've got very attached to the girls as I can't stop myself from going to see them every couple of days, I feel sorry for them in that cage all day with no-one really playing with them.

[Tiggy's Mum]

There is a section in the adopting an animal part that has a lift of check points and says: 'Can you give your cat safe access to a garden or somewhere safe outside? '  This makes me think they aren't hugely keen on the idea of indoor cats in general.

I would imagine that the majority of cats that are for rehoming are cats that have previously had access to the outdoors so can see where they are coming from with that statement as I don't think it's fair to keep a cat in if it has previously enjoyed going outside.

My local RSPCA said they would consider homing kittens in pairs as indoor cats (CP said No) so I guess it varies from branch to branch.  My boys are indoor only and have shown no signs of wanting to go out, they're kept occupied with play fighting/chasing each other, lots of toys and interaction from me and of course zillions of cuddles    I'll be catproofing my garden very soon (fence is going up on Friday  ) and I'm sure they'll enjoy some safe outdoor playtime but I wouldn't want them to have free roam - it's too evil a world we live in now 

If I were in your shoes I wouldn't mention the indoor thoughts now, if they are happy with the way your garden/access to it is set up then that's the main thing.  If when the girls come to live with you they don't show any interest in the outdoors then you can think more deeply about the whole indoor/outdoor issue then.

[Bryony84]

The price depends on the colour! Thats ridiculous. I think the Ark ask for a substantial donation per cat, but if we get these 2, they will both have been spayed, wormed, de-flead, microchipped and will have been fed etc for the time they stayed at the centre so I'm happy to donate the money as it would cost a lot for me to have got all those things done at the vets anyway.

I don't know if I should mention indoor cats at the rescue as it may jeopardise my chances of getting through the homecheck and the poor little ones will have an even longer wait in a cage before they have a home!

[Mark]

I think that policy definately came out of the ark (pun intended) 

In an ideal world, every cat would have access to a safe garden but it's not an ideal world. Still there are some independent rescues with some very strange ideas as well - like one in Essex that charges up to £175 "donation" for adopting  and the price depends on the colour 

[Bryony84]

This is the centre in question, I dno't think its actually an RSCPA place looking at the site, as it doesn't get any funding from them, looks like they just work with them.

http://www.stubbingtonark.org.uk/

There is a section in the adopting an animal part that has a lift of check points and says: 'Can you give your cat safe access to a garden or somewhere safe outside? '

This makes me think they aren't hugely keen on the idea of indoor cats in general.

[Mark]

I was googling and it seems various branches have different policies. I was suprised by this statement on Dorset RSPCA site

"Please note that we do not rehome normal healthy cats to 'indoor' homes but do sometimes have special cats who need indoor homes."

[Dawn F]

I don't think they have hard and fast rules - we were turned down for our first choice with them because she was torti and would not get on with our bengal - six weeks later when she was still looking for a home they said we could take her along with the other cat we had picked when they said no!  for the record my torti and bengal love each other

[Bryony84]

This kindof follows on from my cat stories thread. I've kindof got my heart set on adopting 2 little ones from our local RSPCA branch. They are only 6 months old so have never been outside. I've been to see them 3 times since I first saw them on Wednesday so I'm sure the staff at the centre realise how much I care about them being happy etc.

I was just wondering if anyone on here works for the RSPCA and knows what their views on house cats are. I would prefer to keep my cats indoors and away from the many dangers of the outdoors. Although if the cats seemed unhappy and really wanted to go out, I wouldn't stop them as I think thats unfair to them. I have heard of a lot of cats who don't seem bothered by staying indoors.