Moved House... Frightened to let my cats out

[**TINA**]

Oh bless, the heartache you have gone thru 

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

If they are happy indoors then you really dont have a problem, it s when cats are unhappy that you have to rethink it
I would get them chipped though incase they escaped

Rolo is running mad up and down the stairs, jumping at the windows as i type this.....
Earlier he was bangin the kitchen cupboards. Now they do that for treats, or Pod will when he has done a wee in the litter (he likes it then changed after one LOL)

I do think rolo wants out tho, Pod does cry at the back door 

(I have never let them out at night tho, once it comin in dark, they are in for the nite )

Am gonna have to try n pluck up some courage at some point.

Some people are not going to agree with me BUT i feel if they are going to be very unhappy indoors then its not fair !
I strongly advice you to get them mirco-chipped before allowing them outside though

Yeah, and i am always thinking .... am i bein unfair or over protective,  Pod was 6mths old & neutered before i let him out.

Only you can decide.

I have lost 3 cats to the road and each time i then stopped the others from going out but they were so unhappy being kept in...it wasnt fair on them.
I still worry everytime they are out, they are only allowed out in the daytime (although one of mine was killed 9.30am).
Its a tough call .....You have to do what you think is right for your cats xxx

[**TINA**]

If they are happy indoors then you really dont have a problem, it s when cats are unhappy that you have to rethink it
I would get them chipped though incase they escaped

Rolo is running mad up and down the stairs, jumping at the windows as i type this.....
Earlier he was bangin the kitchen cupboards. Now they do that for treats, or Pod will when he has done a wee in the litter (he likes it then changed after one LOL)

I do think rolo wants out tho, Pod does cry at the back door 

(I have never let them out at night tho, once it comin in dark, they are in for the nite )

Am gonna have to try n pluck up some courage at some point.

Some people are not going to agree with me BUT i feel if they are going to be very unhappy indoors then its not fair !
I strongly advice you to get them mirco-chipped before allowing them outside though

Yeah, and i am always thinking .... am i bein unfair or over protective,  Pod was 6mths old & neutered before i let him out.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

If they are happy indoors then you really dont have a problem, it s when cats are unhappy that you have to rethink it
I would get them chipped though incase they escaped

Rolo is running mad up and down the stairs, jumping at the windows as i type this.....
Earlier he was bangin the kitchen cupboards. Now they do that for treats, or Pod will when he has done a wee in the litter (he likes it then changed after one LOL)

I do think rolo wants out tho, Pod does cry at the back door 

(I have never let them out at night tho, once it comin in dark, they are in for the nite )

Am gonna have to try n pluck up some courage at some point.

Some people are not going to agree with me BUT i feel if they are going to be very unhappy indoors then its not fair !
I strongly advice you to get them mirco-chipped before allowing them outside though

[**TINA**]

if your garden has secure fencing then you can always put cat proofing around the top (if high enough) and then take it with you whe you do eventually move again

then they can play outside safely and you get the best of both worlds

Ive never had to do that, how or what is done PLEASE.
Sorry if i sound dumb    the garden is all fenced off

[Indys Mamma]

if your garden has secure fencing then you can always put cat proofing around the top (if high enough) and then take it with you whe you do eventually move again

then they can play outside safely and you get the best of both worlds

[**TINA**]

If they are happy indoors then you really dont have a problem, it s when cats are unhappy that you have to rethink it
I would get them chipped though incase they escaped

Rolo is running mad up and down the stairs, jumping at the windows as i type this.....
Earlier he was bangin the kitchen cupboards. Now they do that for treats, or Pod will when he has done a wee in the litter (he likes it then changed after one LOL)

I do think rolo wants out tho, Pod does cry at the back door 

(I have never let them out at night tho, once it comin in dark, they are in for the nite )

Am gonna have to try n pluck up some courage at some point.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

If they are happy indoors then you really dont have a problem, it s when cats are unhappy that you have to rethink it
I would get them chipped though incase they escaped

[**TINA**]

When we lived in the sticks, Rolo went watchin sheep in the field opposite & watched the rabbits., splits never really went out the courtyard, she sat
and watched over the fields at the end of our drive, Pod was the same really, stayed in the garden, shake his treats & he would come pounding down the drive.

I have the fear (i think) its because there has been some cases of cruelty (air rifles etc) on the estate in the past, which i have now learned about.

Cats are vaccinated, but not chipped.

I spoke to Mick again tonight about this, and mentioned a move back to more rural. But we moved here as my mam is ill, so i am close.
Hard choice to give up what we had.

We always think of our cats first ... the huge garden, but havin heard the dogs out the back of the house, thats also puttin me off & stressin about.
Splitz now being 13 cant really be bothered, she likes her comfort.
Pod n Rolo are full of beanz (more Rolo) and even thought about gettin another baby so they can all play indoors happy, but still undecided 

Tina Mick Splitz Pod n Rolo xx

[Millys Mum]

Sometimes rural roads can be worse, are your cats chipped?
If they are happy indoors then dont worry

[Catjane]

I know - it's really worrying, isn't it?  I can't bear for mine to be shut indoors all the time as they love to be outside doing what they do.  I just bit the bullet one day, but instead of letting them all out at once, I let just one out at a time (shutting the other two in another room so they couldn't dart out when I opened the back door).  I got them in after 5 or 10 minutes the first time (they don't go far, usually, when they're in new territory).  I did this a few times, and as they got more familiar with outside, so I got less stressed at letting them out.  They all go out (have inside access too) during the day, now, and I only ever have to 'hunt' for Sabby sometimes on fine summer evenings!  Incidentally, I live on a busy main road in the city but in a terraced house with allotments and gardens at the back.  *touch wood* they've never shown any interest in the road to my knowledge - they NEVER go round the front of the houses.  Don't know if that's any consolation or help, but hope it works out for you  

[zoe (tiggy + pipins mum)]

This house is rented so cant really build an outside pen, we took this house for the garden size (a horse wold love it)

Feel my heart race at the thought of letting them out.
Pod & Rolo do sometimes cry at the back door, and it makes me feel soooo guilty.

I think i am going to end up looking for somewhere more rural, but close to family.

When sooty first came too live with us he cried at the door to start with but after lots of encouragment with all the toys indoors he decided that maybe outside isnt so nice after all i can have the backdoor open and he doesnt bother darting out of it, Cat- proofing isnt a pen other people on here have got there gardens cat proofed im sure some of them can tell you more about it,
Sorry too hear that you are scared too let them out it is such a horrilbe position too be in 

[Bryony84]

My girls go outside occasionally but we can't have a cat flap as we rent and I don't like the idea of shutting them out. They sometimes cry at the door but when I actually open it the tend to go out, sniff around a bit and then come back in!

[**TINA**]

This house is rented so cant really build an outside pen, we took this house for the garden size (a horse wold love it)

Feel my heart race at the thought of letting them out.
Pod & Rolo do sometimes cry at the back door, and it makes me feel soooo guilty.

I think i am going to end up looking for somewhere more rural, but close to family.

[clarenmax]

My boy has to be indoors due to his FIV, but even if he wasn't, I'm still fairly sure I'd keep him as an indoor cat.  There's so many busy roads around here I would not be happy with him going out, and so many chavs in the park we back on to, I'd be worried sick 

If your furries aren't showing any signs of wanting to go out at the moment, then I'd keep them inside, cats adapt remarkably well, and maybe think about cat-proofing the back garden so they still get fresh air etc?

[**TINA**]

Sometimes, i sit and think am i bein cruel, as they know what its like outside.

Splitz will be fine, i know that, she has never wandered from the garden in her 13yrs, but feel i cant give one with out the others...

[zoe (tiggy + pipins mum)]

I have 4 cats and i live in a 2 bedroomed house on the edge of a town centre, We moved here in december of last year from a flat and at the time we just had tiggy & pippin who had always been indoors only cats, We then adopted patch who hates the outdoors and sooty who had been living his kittenhood outside.

They all stay indoors 24/7 sooty has adapted to this quite happily the only time he pops outside is when i go to put some rubbish in the bin but he follows me straight back indoors,
After this xmas we are thinking about getting the garden cat pfoofed as this way they will have a little bit of freedom but also be safe away from the road,

Before me and my Oh had our own cats we thought that giving them outdoor freedom was the kindest thing but they seem just as happy indoors with loads of toys cat trees etc.

[**TINA**]

Hi everyone,
After all the experience ive had with puddy's ......

We moved house in September, have come to an estate, from a small village pretty rural.
(moved to be next to my mam who had kidney failure & needs help & my sis who i now live across the road from)
We have a huge back garden, but the houses on the back... (i hear dogs barking)
Also hear stories of cruelty, there is 2 cats in the street which wander in all weathers, even fireworks night (which i was not pleased about  )

The 2 cats in the street come & sit on the window ledge & it sends Rolo & Pod mad....
Growling & nuttin the window. My cats are normally placid really. Rolo can be a little monkey tho, and likes to play rough.....
Rolo used to have me at my wits end at out last home, wandering into the fields n playin DEAF when we were hunting for him.

Mick keeps mentioning that i must let them out soon,  they seem happy indoor's, as they dont like the cold (molly coddled them i guess)

Also i keep thinkin about when Rosie had a run in with a stray tom, which then she become infected (even tho she was innoculated)

Any advice will be appreciated,  i cant understand why i am now so stresed out at the thought of lettin them play out.
Ive never felt or been like this before.
As we moved from stoke with our 3 cats & that as a few hours journey & i let them out after a few weeks..

Tina Mick Splitz Pod n Rolo xx