yet again they let the cat out

[PepperElf]

The same cat from this thread - the one that *wasn't* hit by a car.

No cars involved so it's just sightings - but the way this keeps going it could easily turn into another "road kill" thread.

I've already mentioned the cat to the apartment manager and apparently the residents claim that "it gets out" and that they "can't catch it" or whatever.



Yeah. Right. I call bullshit. I was walking the dog in the dog-walk area and she was finally relaxing enough to do her business when BAM - out runs cat from the apartments.

Don't get me wrong, I really think the cat's cute. I rather like it. But no fucking way are they even TRYING to catch it. If they were trying to catch it someone would have followed.


I mean I'm a stranger and I've easily picked this cat up twice. There's no way it's "too hard to catch".

Needless to say pooch and I had to leave the dog walk - or rather I had to drag my dog out to another area - to finish her business. Cos my dog has "prey drive" and wants to play with the cat... like it was a chew toy.

and none of this would be happening if they obeyed the apartment rules and kept that kitten inside. yeah it's in the lease.

[telecom_goddess]

I lived in an apartment for a while that required my cats to be inside, and I did everything I could to keep them there but there were still lots of times they streaked out the door anyway and no I couldn't catch them at that time cause they wanted to be out. I just had to wait until they were ready to come back in.

Sometimes it's just not possible, especially with cats.

[Pixilated]

Admittedly it's hard to catch a cat on the run, but it isn't hard to make sure they don't like to be anywhere near the door. I've done that with all my cats. Loud noises, squirt bottles, a stern "NO!!" -- anything that makes them shy away when they get close to the door. It's even more important that they "train" the animal if it's a young kitten, because they really move.

When I moved into mom's house in June, I noticed that the one of my cats would always come very close to the front door when I was coming in. I started slamming the door HARD with my hand, or giving it a quick boot with my foot, as I turned the knob. He still comes to greet me, but now stands well back of the door as I walk in.

I won't say I've never had a cat scoot out the door, but I've had cats all my adult life, and it's very, very rare.

[dalesys]

... were still lots of times they streaked out the door anyway ...

Keep a large butterfly net hanging on a hook outside the door... Position net, open door, carry disgruntled cat inside, shut the door.

[suburbandecay]

Best trick I saw to keep a runner indoors was to point a laser pointer somewhere else inside to get the cat's attention so you could get in and out without having to chase a cat.

[PepperElf]

Sometimes it's just not possible, especially with cats.

I entirely understand that concept, and I'd be prepared to believe it myself... except for the fact that I've easily caught it myself - twice.

and believe me, i know cats. i grew up with cats. owned my own as well. and it's clear this kitty isn't trying very hard to "escape" when I try to catch him.


I didn't try today though. Not with Miss Dog with me. I don't want to know what the dog would have done if the kitten had been in reach. But I imagine it would involve a broken kitty neck.


It was possibly bitchy on my part but I did let the apt manager know the cat was out again. Not today (she's leaving early) but possibly tomorrow... she's already decided that the next time they see the kitten outside she's having one of the maintenance men bring it to the office.

and from there on it's between them and the manager i suppose.

[Zellie Crescent]

Personally, I'd just take the kitten home and introduce it to the rest of my zoo

Me too.

[Merriweather]

I lived in an apartment for a while that required my cats to be inside, and I did everything I could to keep them there but there were still lots of times they streaked out the door anyway and no I couldn't catch them at that time cause they wanted to be out. I just had to wait until they were ready to come back in.

Sometimes it's just not possible, especially with cats.

That's exactly it, and can even be true with dogs. I once had a really great dog, sweetest thing, but very hard to train on a few points. Her worst habit, that I tried everything I knew to break her of, was to watch for the front door to be opened and make a mad dash outside. I tried to make sure she was nowhere around when I went out, and to hold her when I opened the door. But she'd still slip by sometimes, especially if I was a little preoccuppied with my toddler. And while I would call her, and go after her as soon as I could (this was in an area cut off from main roads, no real speeders, she was reasonably safe for a short period), I couldn't always go chase her down that minute, as I couldn't just walk out the door and leave a three year old on her own. Oh, and for the record, she was a smallish dog, non-threatening, never growled or bit, etc.

Anyway, one day someone (never did find out who) stuck a note in our door threatening to go to authorities (this was base housing) about how I constantly just opened my door and let my dog out to roam the neighborhood!!

So really, appearences can be deceiving, it can be hard to be sure of the situation. These people may very well be letting the cat run free without bothering to try to catch her, or they could be trying their best to keep her in and not managing to for several possible reasons.

[PepperElf]

If the cat is that eager to escape I'm thinking that perhaps it just doesn't want to be living with its owners. Could be they're mistreating it in some way and the kitten is just trying to escape. Personally, I'd just take the kitten home and introduce it to the rest of my zoo

i think that's what the apt manager is considering. she doesn't want another cat of her own right now but i think she's considering trying to put it with another home.

i don't think it's exactly right but that's between her, the owner (who knows this already) and the other apartment.


i don't think kitty is abused though. it just seems sweet and friendly - not scared or timid.


i suspect however they think "it's ok" to let kitty out because ... in the back they're less visible to the manager of course. I mean I couldn't let my dog run free cos they'd notice. (not that i would though). Plus others have done it in the past - although the others have also been spoken to about it. (there's also 2 wild cats that come around)

really the kitty-owners are kinda lucky that the others have been spoken to. cos one of the other residents use to let her dog run free in the back until another resident (afraid of dogs) complained. lucky cos... that dog was a bit territorial, barking at other animals that came near its "territory" or at people too.

and remember, kitty isn't afraid of dogs. it plays with a dog at home so it thinks dogs are all friendly to cats. (which is also why it keeps trying to approach mine, thinking it'll get to play... not realizing it'll likely get its neck broken instead).

[Jay 2K Winger]

As has been mentioned, it applies to dogs as well as cats.

Our current dog, Mocha, has a pretty strong "wannabeoutside" streak to herself, and this is one reason we can't just let her outside to do her business and expect her to come back, like our previous dogs would. Mocha, despite some strong efforts to do so, has not learned what the boundaries are to her "territory" and so we have to put her on a leash whenever we take her outside.

It's for this reason we have baby gates up at the two 'doorways' to the front half of our house. Mocha can't get past them to rush out the front door. We're always careful to keep the door to the laundry room shut when we go out, as it opens onto the garage, so we don't have to worry about Mocha darting outside when we come back.

[raudf]

Sneaky kitty is sneaky and I have to of the worst at sneaking. Oh, they think they're being sneaky when they do manage to get outside, but they are very easily caught. Or I should say, one is easily caught and the other is too scared of the lack of ceiling (he was in a litter when we found them and there was a bird circling above... I think he lost a litter mate to it. Anyways, he's afraid of the ceiling fan too.) and freezes. The older one only wants out because we're out there, so he comes rubbing up the moment he can, so it's a scoop and plop.

We keep the cats indoors because my parents used to have a dog that hated cats except as a menu item.. soo, the cats developed a hatred of dogs. Plus, the youngest being so traumatized, it's just better to keep 'em indoors. Doesn't stop the occasional try, though.

When Dad was in the military, the only time the cat and dog was allowed out was with us. The cat had his basket to ride in or followed me around. The dog followed HIM like they were litter mates. But don't be fooled, if a strange dog tried taking out after us, the cat would come unglued. A cowboy in a rodeo would have envied this cat's ability to hang on and rake.

[auntiem]

If the cat is that eager to escape I'm thinking that perhaps it just doesn't want to be living with its owners. Could be they're mistreating it in some way and the kitten is just trying to escape.

That isn't always the case - I had a Houdini cat. She was abandoned by my nasty neighbor - they moved and just left her in.the.house. When the landlord came to check on the property she dashed out. She spent the next month sitting in the driveway waiting for her owners to come back. My roomates and I fed her and finally got her to come inside our house, but she would dash out at the first opportunity and go over and sit in the driveway. We finally got her to stay overnight and when that roomate moved he took her with him - two weeks later guess who was in the driveway? Lather, rinse, repeat. I finally moved with her across town, but left a picture of her at the house just in case. 'Cause there was no catching her in the middle of her "pulling a runner". She trained a neighbor who had an evening smoke after dinner to walk her home at night, knock on our door and she would run back in.

[Pagan]

If the cat is that eager to escape I'm thinking that perhaps it just doesn't want to be living with its owners.

Not necessarily. Could just want to see what's "out there". Same as dogs do.

i suspect however they think "it's ok" to let kitty out because ... in the back they're less visible to the manager of course.

People also operate under the misplaced notion that "cats have to roam free". No, no they don't. Especially where I am, since there's a pack of coyotes that roams here.

We've also got some idiots here that don't think that their dogs need to be on leashes either. Never mind the fact that it's in the lease that everyone signs and it's a city ordinance. I cringe every time I see one running loose with the owner trailing behind. They could bite someone, get run over running out into the parking lot, or become a snack for the aforementioned coyotes.

Of course, half of them don't pick up after their dogs, either. Which is also in the lease and part of the same city ordinance.

[MoonCat]

I feel very very bad for that cat, because it's a case of "something bad waiting to happen." Cats CAN be trained to stay inside, but it takes consistent effort. Any vet will tell you that in general, a cat that spends most of its time outdoors will not live as long as an indoor cat. My guess is that someone in that apt. is trying to get rid of the cat in a passive-aggressive way. "It got outside! I can't help it if it didn't come back!"

[Ironclad Alibi]

Not necessarily. Could just want to see what's "out there". Same as dogs do.

Our dog is always wanting to go out and just look and sniff around. We call it being a tourist.