yet again they let the cat out

[bainsidhe]

My cat got out once. Of course he ran away from me, staying just out of reach, because he knew I'd haul him home. And when neighbor came home, he of course walked right up to her for scritches. He's a social creature, what can I say?

[Pixilated]

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

People also operate under the misplaced notion that "cats have to roam free". *snip*

My thoughts exactly. Even people who understand why dogs shouldn't be allowed to roam at will seem to think cats should I've never understood it.

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!"

Yes ... and no. My family used to have an indoor/outdoor cat named BJ (snoozed indoors during the daytime and went outside to pick fights at night). When I took him, I said he was now an indoor cat. The transition in this case was extremely easy, since I had to drug him for a five-hour road trip. When he woke up he was in a completely alien environment, so all his former habits went *poof*. If Mom and the others had tried to keep him at the family home and retrain him, it would've turned into a major battle of wills -- and I'm not sure who would've won.

As for the second point, I would disagree strongly, although there may be some cats that for whatever reason can't make the transition to house-bound kitty. Both BJ and virtually all the strays that I've taken in have lived very long lives (10-15 years minimum). Only one died relatively young (8 years old) and it looked like some form of extremely vicious cancer ... she went downhill very fast. Still, it was 6 to 7 years after I'd taken her in.

[MadMike]

My Frisky used to get out all the time when he was a kitten, but I was always able to catch him, even if I had to chase him all over the yard. And when he got out in the snow the first time, I didn't have to. I chased him around the house once, and he ran back inside. Guess he didn't like the snow.

My township passed a law against letting cats out back in 1997, and at the time I thought it was ridiculous. But now I feel that my cats are a lot safer, especially where I live now. I'm near two fairly busy streets that intersect with each other, and a lot of people use my street as a shortcut from the one to the other. And some of them drive like idiots.

[Seshat]

We have one cat who likes to go outside to nap in the sun; and one who likes to go outside and dominate the territory.

Sun-napper is happy to stay within 'range' of the humans in the back yard, while we're gardening or hanging out clothes or just being out the back.

Dominator ... isn't.


Guess which one we try to keep inside? Guess which one knows every place he can run to where we can't reach him?

[PepperElf]

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

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.

I swear... do you live here? Cos that sounds a hell of a lot like what's happening here.

1) wild animals that can eat/kill cats - hawks, coyotes, cars (especially the speeders)

2) people who think "roam free!" and pretty much ignore the lease they signed which specifically states pets aren't allowed outside without a leash (although the dog owners have pretty much been cured of this). not to mention it's been on every single monthly notice (posted by the mailboxes) for over 6 months.

3) people who don't pick up their dog's shit. there's maybe ONE other apartment that picks up after their dog. The official "dog walk" area is starting to look like a small shit-field

[Merriweather]

Our current cat (two years old) has never been outside without a carrier, she shows a bit of interest at open doors, but doesn't bolt.

Our other cat, that we lost a few months ago, wandered outside when we had a door open once, and we didn't realize it. The door was shut, and not long after we heard a noise at another door nearby, it was her wanting to get in - seems the outside scared the crap out of her, and after that, she'd stand at an open door but never step out over the doorsill.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

My friend has a cat that, per the adoption papers they signed, must be an indoor cat only. However, he will attempt to get outside when he just really wants to be outside.

Their solution?

There is a cage outside that is well protected from any of the nasties that might run around outside. They stick him in there for about 15-30 minutes, and then bring him back inside. Apparently that full satisfies his desire for outside time and he'll be cool for a while.

I thought it was pretty funny.

[Shalom]

My sister once had an inside cat who spent all his time scheming to get outdoors. Unfortunately he'd been inside all his life and had no street smarts, and was therefore scared spitless of the Outside, so on the rare occasion he did get loose, he tried frantically to get back in as soon as possible.

Especially if there was snow on the ground. I witnessed this once. It was hilarious to watch. He'd gone zipping out the back door into the yard (this is Brooklyn, so we're talking largish postage stamp size) onto about an inch of snow with a light ice crust on top, only to stop short when he broke through the crust. He'd take one or two hesitant little steps, there'd be that tiny "crunch" as he went down into the snow and he'd freeze again. Finally he got tired of that and leaped onto the table we had out there, but that had snow on top of it as well and he found the results as unsatisfactory as on the ground. When he started growling I took pity on him and picked him up, which he normally wouldn't let me do. When I'd gotten within three steps of the door, he took off like a rocket and disappeared into the house.

The cat they have now is an ex-outside cat. She was a skinny little thing who had become the mother of several generations of kittens, before they were finally able to get someone to do a TN&R on her. (we can't spay cats ourselves, nor hire it done either, as it's against our religion: have to actually sell the cat to the vet and hope he's intelligent enough to understand why we're doing that and what to do with his new possession before selling it back to us. Arguments on this topic redirect to Fratching please.) Now she's finally done with motherhood, she's both gotten up to a more healthy weight, and become more amenable to coming inside the house. Still likes to hang out outside in all sorts of weather, though, and doesn't really like playing with the kids; she's still a bit feral in some ways, I guess.

[vikingchyk]

The cat they have now is an ex-outside cat. She was a skinny little thing who had become the mother of several generations of kittens, before they were finally able to get someone to do a TN&R on her. (we can't spay cats ourselves, nor hire it done either, as it's against our religion: have to actually sell the cat to the vet and hope he's intelligent enough to understand why we're doing that and what to do with his new possession before selling it back to us. Arguments on this topic redirect to Fratching please.)

No fratching here. I had never heard something like this before, that a religion's beliefs could extend into this part of animal care. Very interesting. Thanks for sharing - I think it's always good for me to learn something new about people who are different from me and my experiences

[Mikkel]

Thanks for sharing - I think it's always good for me to learn something new about people who are different from me and my experiences

My thoughts exactly.
Shalom, do you have a link to a page which explain this, or should I just try rereading the old testament?

[Gizmo]

There is a cage outside that is well protected from any of the nasties that might run around outside. They stick him in there for about 15-30 minutes, and then bring him back inside. Apparently that full satisfies his desire for outside time and he'll be cool for a while.

This actually sounds like a great idea. Best of both worlds!

[siead_lietrathua]

the only way we could keep our one cat from escaping? chain locks. we have a pocket door between our kitchen and laundry, where we mostly exit the house. so we put a chain on it on the laundry side, set to open just enough where we can reach through if need be, but his head won't fit. we jsut pop the chain before we leave, lol.
of course the relatives make fun because it's technically "backwards" aince the chain is on the outside of the main house. i just tell them we're trying to keep the sociopaths IN not OUT! :P

[Lachrymose]

From discussions on another forum I frequent, there seems to be a bit of a cultural divide with the indoors/outdoors cat thing.

For instance, from what I understand, most cat owners in the UK let their cats roam as they please.

(Any UK/other non-US CS'ers feel free to correct/comment )

[Cooper]

Yeah, I have a neighbor who lets their cat run free. They've been doing it less since I gave a rather subtle: "You know what your cat did yesterday? She ran right into my house and ate my cat's food!"

The cat is the sweetest little thing, and I wouldn't mind it being out-and-about if I had a way to let it back in their house, but they're the only one in the neighborhood who seems to keep their house locked up tight. If it's storming, I can't let the cat in my home, so I put it in their screened-in porch area and go: "Sorry kitty, try and stay dry. At least it's easier here."

She loves attention though. She'll jump right in my lap if I sit down, and she's played with my bunny. (I was rather worried about that, since the bunny isn't afraid of any creature, and she very well could have been sizing him up for food, but after a bit of watching it became clear they were just playing, and not hunting.)

It's okay here though, for the most part, as we're rural, and no cars go around here... but in an apartment zone? I've lived there. Too much activity for any animal to risk.

[Gizmo]

Yeah cats in the UK are usually free to roam. Its worth noting we have no HOA style stuff over here so I don't know of anywhere that have specific pet rules unless they are law related ones to do with breeds or supposedly 'dangerous' pets.

I only know a few owners who do keep their cats inside. Two have done so because of attacks on pets in the area (one bleaching and one *rumoured* antifreeze ). A few more just because their cats have always chosen not to go outside themselves and don't want them to now in case.

The only others I know of are very young kittens or people that haven't long moved. A friend 'walks' their cat by putting them on a lead tied to the door and therefore restricting how far they can roam on their patio (flat so no grass available - they have some astroturf and some pot plants stuff on there though).