Question on roads................

[Ela]

it is down to personal opinion isn't it - we were turned down by a local rescue but accepted by blue cross and rspca subsequently one persons busy is another persons quiet I suppose

Sometimes it is down to what you know. Our local RSPCA only answers the phone about 6 hours a day (if you are lucky) 6 days a week where as I answere the phone 24/7, so I hear about far more problems than the local RSPCA. it is the same with RTA's on my estate, within one hour a couple of Sundays ago I heard of two dead cats on the roads, (people tell me as I am in rescue) yet I bet 99.99999% of the people on my estate if you asked them would say they have never seen  dead cat on the road.

[koscha (Ruth M)]

My guys are indoors at the moment due to me living in a busy traffic area, with the eventual intention of cat-proofing my garden (when the money i'm owed turns up  -come ooooooonnnnnn!). When Z went missing it was all I could do not to stop myself from imagining that he'd been run over- people bomb up Winter Road like it's the Nurberg ring!  
Having said that though I've lost a previous cat (my darling Smudge) to an RTA in a quiet rural village......it's a sticky subject cats and roads......

[Kenzi]

Thats a shame kirst

[Kirst]

Could you not cat proof your garden, this is what we are looking in to at the moment.

Unfotunately due to the sheer size and shape of the garden catproofing is not really an option - and Fredcat would hate it!

[Desley (booktigger)]

I do have to disagree that cats will live a short, happy life with outdoor access - Ginger lived for 11 years being one street behind a busy main road, and 3 of those he was living rough. The 18 and 2 15yo's here have all had outdoor access in previous homes, although I dont know what the area's were like.
As others have said Kirst, it really does depend on the rescue - some have blanket policies, some don't. If there is a cat proofed garden, i would be happy to home to it, and have homed to where other rescues wouldnt because I took the back of the house into consideration, rather than just looking at the front.

[Kenzi]

Could you not cat proof your garden, this is what we are looking in to at the moment.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

Hi Chris, I think I covered that last option off in my last sentence ... Mine go outside and I do care about them It is just that they were unwilling to adapt to indoor living ...

Yes, you did  .  But I always fret about readers taking quotations out of context (a function of the day job).

Blip is the same.  If we move somewhere that I judge unsafe for her, or if she becomes infirm, then I will create a cat-proof garden / area for her to enjoy.  But she will have outdoor access one way or another while I live and breathe 

although i have lost 3 cats to the road i still allow mine outside. I tried keeping them in but they were so unhappy it wasnt fair.
I am sure if, God forbid, I lost another one i would be in for a hard time with alot of people but its the chance i take. I worry the whole time  mine are outside and yes i know i would feel guilty iof something happened but its a chance i have to take.

[Teresa Pawcats]

I would welcome a home with a properly cat proofed garden no matter how busy the road. I do home cats on busy roads where owners prove to me that they have given the road lots of thought, have a proven record  and are confident that puss will be safe.

[Kenzi]

I was just wondering if rescues would still turn you down if you had a cat proof garden but lived near a busy road, But then I suppose there is the worry that the cat could get out of the front door.

[Kirst]

Whislt Beavis doesnt go out that much he gets very upset if he cant - although he has never been allowed out after dark!

Fredcat was adopted by us as a stray after he had been coming into our garden for a few months (he is a big lad and looked very healthy so we didnt cotton on he was owner-less for a while) and he gets very distressed if he is shut in and he has all night cat flap access as he officiallyt lives with mum and dad next door.

[Christine (Blip)]

Hi Chris, I think I covered that last option off in my last sentence ... Mine go outside and I do care about them It is just that they were unwilling to adapt to indoor living ...

Yes, you did  .  But I always fret about readers taking quotations out of context (a function of the day job).

Blip is the same.  If we move somewhere that I judge unsafe for her, or if she becomes infirm, then I will create a cat-proof garden / area for her to enjoy.  But she will have outdoor access one way or another while I live and breathe 

[blackcat]

Hi Chris, I think I covered that last option off in my last sentence ... Mine go outside and I do care about them It is just that they were unwilling to adapt to indoor living ...

[Christine (Blip)]

If you care about your cat, then you keep it indoors if at all possible.

I have to argue with that, BlackCat.  I care about Blip and because of that, I allow her to express her natural behaviour with outdoor access.  My decision is to allow her into the back garden(s) but never out of the front door (we live in a Victorian terrace so that is feasible).  It is theoretically possible that she could find her way onto a street but in my judgement her quality of life is better with outside access.

A subject which always arouses passions, though.

[blackcat]

there is no such thing as a completely safe environment for a cat. If the house has a good garden and backs onto fields and you can encourage your cats to go out the back way, then you are doing OK. The only way to prevent your cat from becoming a road kill statistic is to keep it indoors or in a cat-proof garden. Obviously if you live on a traffic sewer with constant traffic and mad drivers, then the risk is higher, but really, even quiet country roads can kill. I lived fronting onto a highway and all my cats were fine. I lived a good mile from a highway and one of mine was killed on that highway.

If you care about your cat, then you keep it indoors if at all possible. But if the cat wants out (like smidgen with his flying lessons from the upstairs window) then you have to make the choice to allow them a short and happy life, or a long and frustrated one ...

There is no simple answer ...

[Mark]

Kirst just go for it, I doubt that anybody will think that you are wasting their time, the vast majority of us drive cars and live somewhere near to roads, thank goodness the rescue here do not do home checks or I would probably not be allowed any cats!

Good luck

If I hadn't moved here with my cats, I probably would have been turned down by rescues as well living on a high street - Caution has to be exercised at all times.

I still believe that although the cats' interest is at heart when vetting homes, people turned down by rescues will get a cat if they want, one way or another - not saying this is right but it's a fact.

[Teresa Pawcats]

The nature of the cat needs to be in every equation.

[Millys Mum]

A mile should be plenty for a sensible cat! A rescue would pick a character suitable for your area so dont delay go today 

[Yvonne]

Kirst just go for it, I doubt that anybody will think that you are wasting their time, the vast majority of us drive cars and live somewhere near to roads, thank goodness the rescue here do not do home checks or I would probably not be allowed any cats!

Good luck

[Dawn F]

it is down to personal opinion isn't it - we were turned down by a local rescue but accepted by blue cross and rspca subsequently one persons busy is another persons quiet I suppose

[Kirst]

Its odd as I have NEVER seen a cat become a victim to the bypass , yet I have seen more than one on quiet country roads!

ours have enevr shown any interest in going on the road out front , in fact they only go in the front garden if we are in it. They much prefer out the back...................where all the bunnies are!
 

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

I think it is a very difficult thing.

I live in a clu-de-sac and have lost 3 cats to the road and yet  all around my house there are fields and woodland !
I think it is sometimes very difficult to define what a "main road" is !
Some smaller roads can be just as busy and fast as main roads, especially if they are well known cut throughts ..........
and alot also depends on the cat

[Teresa Pawcats]

Kirst dont let my rant put you off, the check I have just done the road was not only lethal there was no garden at front and tiny yard at rear, if cat had been lucky enough to cross road he could have gone for a good old swim in Manchester Ship Canal.

Just removed sentence as I realise I am in a different thread than I thought I was.

[Kirst]

How 'main' would you consider a main road? I have a 30 mph at the end of my rther long drive , but approx 1 mile away is the main A40.

I have had many cats whilst I have been here and although I have had a fatality it was actually on the quiet road , and since then any cats I have had are in at dusk.

I would really like to rehome but I am worried the bypass might stand against me , and having read Teresa's post I dont want to waste anyones time.

Incidentally behind my house is nothing but fields for about 8 miles  - Beavis and Oscar and now Fredcat do their hunting there!