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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 13:45:18 GMT -5
Cats are a lot harder to contain than a dog. They don't take well to a leash and you'd have to have a pretty good fence to keep them in the yard. About the only way is to have them be permanent indoor cats which a lot are. Some cats HATE that though and really want to get outside every now and then and some cats (like my barn cats) are out all the time. Their purpose is to keep the vermin down, so they roam freely.
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Peace Of Mind
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Post by Peace Of Mind on Mar 24, 2015 13:45:19 GMT -5
We live in an upscale neighborhood and you would not believe how many people let their cats outside to roam. I call these people the Flintstones. Cats also come and go through doggy doors. If you could catch diseases from outdoor furniture I'd have died years ago. It's your pet cats that can suffer from diseases and catch something bad - not humans. The only way I've ever seen ring worm from cats is from holding cats to your skin or petting them. I'm not saying that is the only way but it's the only way I've seen somebody get it. Don't ask me how I know this. Stupid neighbor (last place I lived) with a cute kitten with ring worm! And it was an indoor only cat but I had to snuggle him! We all got it that held him. All the years I've adopted feral and stray cats and I get it from a kitten adopted from one of those places.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Mar 24, 2015 13:53:54 GMT -5
Don't worry about it -- the last time the subject came up I was told it was horrible that my almost 90yo grandpa trapped the 20+ feral cats his neighbor (who winters in FL) fed and took them to the animal shelter instead of doing TNR. (He is very proud of his garden and was tired of digging cat turds out of it.) I live in a rural area where the "answer" to a stray cat problem usually involves a shotgun, so I think it was nice of you to consider things you could do to help them rather than immediately go that route.
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Mar 24, 2015 13:54:56 GMT -5
@copperpouches, no I'm not sure they're strays. I just assumed they are. I don't mean to step on any toes if it's a common practice, but I always thought that people that considered a cat "theirs" wouldn't let them roam around. Like how you protect your dogs by not letting him/her roam around. I wish that were true, hon, but it isn't. Some folks get a cat because the kids want a cat. Then, they proceed to totally ignore said cat and let it roam wherever it likes. It's really kinda sad. I often wonder if the same people treat their kids the same way ... The cats lounging on your patio furniture isn't any danger to your grandkids. I can sure understand your concern there, but you can put it aside unless the cat actually looks sick, or becomes aggressive. Then, you need to call someone. The traps aren't all that big, really, and they're not hard to set up and use. Still, not everyone wants to get involved in that. My daughter and SIL rescue feral cats and have a couple of colonies for which they care. They love it but it's not for all. I have a small colony to care for myself. Sometimes, there will be a privately-run organization that will actually come out and help you by trapping the cat and taking it away. It just depends on where you live and what's available.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 13:57:32 GMT -5
@copperpouches, no I'm not sure they're strays. I just assumed they are. I don't mean to step on any toes if it's a common practice, but I always thought that people that considered a cat "theirs" wouldn't let them roam around. Like how you protect your dogs by not letting him/her roam around. It depends. My parents are waaay out in the countryside, and I grew up with outdoor cats. They kept the mice from making nests on the car engines and out of the sheds, and were very cool, they followed us around like dogs when we went outside. They weren't barn cats, just pet cats with a job. Our house in OK is pretty rural too, the smallest yard around is 1 acre+. We kept our kitten indoors until he was several pounds, then we let him come outside with us for walks while we gardened, and kept a close eye on him. He seemed to have a very good sense of caution to match all his energy, so after a couple months, we started leaving the door open so he could go and catch mice outdoors around the house. He'd already cleaned a nest out the attic. Now we leave the door shut, and he lets us know when he wants to come in or go out. He rarely leaves our yard or porch, since it's a good hunting place and he's cautious. He and the assorted cat crew are fantastic for keeping the place mouse free. Our cat is an indoor only cat now that we're living in a major city though. He doesn't have experience with paved roads and cars, that's not something I'm willing to risk. He is chipped and wears his breakaway collar, but the indoor/outdoor thing changes depending on location/neighbor climate and his job. Right now his job is to be fluffy. I wouldn't let him out in the suburbs either, if it would mess up lawns or tick off neighbors. I don't like trouble. At our OK place though nearly all the dogs ran around into everybody's yards too. One walked straight into our house when the door was open. For the most part it's fine though, all our grasses are wild stuff, and the cats are like cute spiders, very useful to have in an area. The dogs are sometimes fun to play with. The barkers stay behind fences, the as far I as I know, it's only the tail waggers that are allowed to go for walks.
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lexxy703
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Post by lexxy703 on Mar 24, 2015 13:57:35 GMT -5
I have 3 cats with distinctively different tastes for the great outdoors. 1 will only go as far as the deck & only if I leave the door open for her. One who enjoys being outside in nice weather but doesn't stray very far from the house. Usually lounging around in the sun. He prefers to spend his nights indoors. And one that I don't see for days at a time when the weather is nice. She spends the majority of her time outside & only comes in when the weather is bad or really cold.
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Mar 24, 2015 13:59:18 GMT -5
Like this: That's more like what I see around here and what my daughter and SIL have seen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 14:03:13 GMT -5
Cats are a lot harder to contain than a dog. They don't take well to a leash and you'd have to have a pretty good fence to keep them in the yard. About the only way is to have them be permanent indoor cats which a lot are. Some cats HATE that though and really want to get outside every now and then and some cats (like my barn cats) are out all the time. Their purpose is to keep the vermin down, so they roam freely. See, when I (briefly) thought about getting a cat, I thought if I was going to bring one home to live with me and be "mine", I needed to keep it indoors to keep it safe and not have it go missing. Shows how much I know.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 14:11:20 GMT -5
Cats are a lot harder to contain than a dog. They don't take well to a leash and you'd have to have a pretty good fence to keep them in the yard. About the only way is to have them be permanent indoor cats which a lot are. Some cats HATE that though and really want to get outside every now and then and some cats (like my barn cats) are out all the time. Their purpose is to keep the vermin down, so they roam freely. See, when I (briefly) thought about getting a cat, I thought if I was going to bring one home to live with me and be "mine", I needed to keep it indoors to keep it safe and not have it go missing. Shows how much I know. I have an indoor cat. He's in more than 95% of the time, but sometimes I'll come home and be juggling things getting in the house and that little stinker will be out the door in the blink of an eye. He's better now that he's almost 15, but when he was younger he would hide near doors and once he was out, he was OUT until he wanted to come back in. There was no catching him.
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imawino
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Post by imawino on Mar 24, 2015 14:11:33 GMT -5
Cats are a lot harder to contain than a dog. They don't take well to a leash and you'd have to have a pretty good fence to keep them in the yard. About the only way is to have them be permanent indoor cats which a lot are. Some cats HATE that though and really want to get outside every now and then and some cats (like my barn cats) are out all the time. Their purpose is to keep the vermin down, so they roam freely. See, when I (briefly) thought about getting a cat, I thought if I was going to bring one home to live with me and be "mine", I needed to keep it indoors to keep it safe and not have it go missing. Shows how much I know. I think in many cases this is true. As a previous poster just said it can often depend on the area, and the cat. I'm in the suburbs and I do not let my cats wander at all. They are indoor only. It's for their safety as well as out of consideration for my neighbors. It pisses one of the cats off sometimes, but that's the way it is.
There is a neighborhood stray cat that I fed for a while. He wanted to move in, and when it was starting to get colder I was trying to figure out the best way to house him for the winter without letting him come in contact with the rest of my pet menagerie (he was feisty, to put it mildly) but he moved back to the garage of some people the next street over who had been feeding him before me.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Mar 24, 2015 14:13:40 GMT -5
Thank you CarolinaKat. I understand some people get touchy about animals and that's ok. Somebody has to look out for them. I'm sure some people would and have gotten cats off their property by any means necessary. If that was me, the cats would've been gone a long time ago. Instead, I see a cat on my patio again, think about it's getting warmer and my grandson will be on my patio and playing in my yard more often and I tried to find out if there was anything I should be concerned about since I don't mind the cats being around. So one of the concerns that came up was trying to help make sure they don't reproduce. It was unexpected, but I didn't reject the idea outright, I just said I'll have to think about it. There's a reason I haven't gotten another pet after my last dog died. I haven't gone this long without a dog since I was in elementary school. I've thought about getting another dog, a cat, I even thought about a bird, but in the end, I don't want any extra work or responsibilities right now. I can't be any more honest than that. If me needing to think about the TNR program makes me a bad person in someone's eyes, so be it. But the ire would be more appropriately directed at whoever had these cats before they ended up wandering around and reproducing. Just my opinion. I know about dogs. I don't know much about cats. Or the rabbit (s?) I see in my backyard. Or the squirrels that run across the utility lines. I leave the rabbits and squirrels alone to do what they do, but I've never seen them lounging on my porches or patio furniture either. Forgive me for not knowing anything about a TNR program and having the idea that being helpful could be as simple as letting the cats hang out in peace and maybe feeding them. So anyway, thanks for all advice. I do understand the concerns about spaying and neutering and I agree they're valid. If all the traps are as big as the one in the picture above, I don't even think I could get that in my car. I can just barely get my grandkids' carseats through the opening to the backseat of my car. Something else I'd have to figure out if I decided to do that. I would have no concerns about the cats and your grandson. They will probably hide when you're outside playing anyway (most of my outdoor kitties hide from anyone but me and DH). I just saw that you weren't familiar with cats and one of the main concerns with cats is they have kittens. Not everyone knows that TNR is something that's out there and that there are places that help. That's what we were trying to let you know; I figured you didn't and that's why I brought it up. Also I was just pulling pictures of the things we were talking about so you could have a frame of reference, so I am not sure how big the live traps would be with whatever program is in your area. I just know how frustrating it is when everyone's talking about one thing and you're lost, lol. If you have any questions about anything there are several of us who are very happy to give info. I've had both cats and dogs my entire life, most of which are rescues or strays. (I also currently seem to have a pet possum )
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Mar 24, 2015 14:14:44 GMT -5
Cats are a lot harder to contain than a dog. They don't take well to a leash and you'd have to have a pretty good fence to keep them in the yard. About the only way is to have them be permanent indoor cats which a lot are. Some cats HATE that though and really want to get outside every now and then and some cats (like my barn cats) are out all the time. Their purpose is to keep the vermin down, so they roam freely. See, when I (briefly) thought about getting a cat, I thought if I was going to bring one home to live with me and be "mine", I needed to keep it indoors to keep it safe and not have it go missing. Shows how much I know. I think that's absolutely the right way to think. If you don't have acreage (often need barn cats), cats do much better if kept indoors. Not one of the three of mine have been outside since they moved in. The Siamese has never been outside at all. None of the three have any desire to go out. They're quite happy being pampered.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Mar 24, 2015 14:22:59 GMT -5
Cats are a lot harder to contain than a dog. They don't take well to a leash and you'd have to have a pretty good fence to keep them in the yard. About the only way is to have them be permanent indoor cats which a lot are. Some cats HATE that though and really want to get outside every now and then and some cats (like my barn cats) are out all the time. Their purpose is to keep the vermin down, so they roam freely. See, when I (briefly) thought about getting a cat, I thought if I was going to bring one home to live with me and be "mine", I needed to keep it indoors to keep it safe and not have it go missing. Shows how much I know. Actually, this would make you a great cat owner. I have 4 indoor-only cats myself. Keeping cats inside is the safest thing for them. If you want a cat that's a 'pet' to interact with and snuggle with, you can't beat a couple of indoor cats. (although my dog gets kinda peeved when the cats cuddle her). My indoor cats also like to sleep cuddles up on each other. My indoor cats do not go outside (sometimes the older one sneaks out and I have to go get her). When I talk about my barn cats, these are cats that are used to being outside and would not easily adjust to an indoor lifestyle. I live in the country. I am surrounded by lots of farmland. The barn cats fill a role of keeping away the things I don't want to deal with.
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gs11rmb
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Post by gs11rmb on Mar 24, 2015 14:25:07 GMT -5
Nine years ago, a little stray cat decided to come and live with DH and me. She was so skinny and small we thought she wasn't fully grown and when we took her to the vet, they estimated she was actually six years old, had been spayed (so was someone's pet at some point) and was simply starving. She almost doubled her weight in about 6 weeks and became our pet. She was indoor/outdoor and used the cat flap and we were so lucky to have cat friendly neighbors that didn't mind her wandering through their gardens and sleeping on decks and porches. If that hadn't been the case, we'd probably have had to find her a new home because she detested being kept indoors. We had to put her down 6 weeks ago and she's now buried in the backyard. Neither DH nor I had had a cat before but that little stray turned out to be just wonderful - we miss her a lot . If you do decide to feed the strays, I hope they turn out to be just as fabulous. Wish I knew how to insert a photograph!
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Mar 24, 2015 14:37:33 GMT -5
Nine years ago, a little stray cat decided to come and live with DH and me. She was so skinny and small we thought she wasn't fully grown and when we took her to the vet, they estimated she was actually six years old, had been spayed (so was someone's pet at some point) and was simply starving. She almost doubled her weight in about 6 weeks and became our pet. She was indoor/outdoor and used the cat flap and we were so lucky to have cat friendly neighbors that didn't mind her wandering through their gardens and sleeping on decks and porches. If that hadn't been the case, we'd probably have had to find her a new home because she detested being kept indoors. We had to put her down 6 weeks ago and she's now buried in the backyard. Neither DH nor I had had a cat before but that little stray turned out to be just wonderful - we miss her a lot . If you do decide to feed the strays, I hope they turn out to be just as fabulous. Wish I knew how to insert a photograph! -hug-I'm sorry for your loss. However your story does remind me of this story: SIL has indoor cats. One night a storm blew open the front door, Kiddo had forgotten to lock it, and Em the kitty escaped. Em was gone for a month, She was 6 and had never been outside, and they basically had given up hope of her returning. SIL and the family were very upset. The other cats would wander the house and Meow aimlessly, it was sad (i visited and it was really sad). About this time, someone a few miles away found a kitten. The neighbors had just moved out and it looked like they had abandoned their kitten. The kitten was scrawny and small and was in very poor condition. The man couldn't keep the kitten, so his friend took the kitten home to his wife. The wife was not happy he came home with a kitten, but felt so bad for the skinny kitten that she cooked it a chicken breast for dinner. They bought kitten food and a collar and some toys. About a month later they took the kitten to the vet. The vet said that the cat was ~1 year old, but wait! it had a microchip!. The 1 year old kitten was actually the 6 year old Em!!!! SIL got EM back after a ~2 month absence and everyone was happy. Except the couple who had to give Em up. They were very sad. They had not wanted a pet, but now missed Em since she was gone. So they went to the shelter and adopted a kitten! (I know because they sent pics to SIL)
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 14:52:19 GMT -5
Thank you CarolinaKat. I understand some people get touchy about animals and that's ok. Somebody has to look out for them. I'm sure some people would and have gotten cats off their property by any means necessary. If that was me, the cats would've been gone a long time ago. Instead, I see a cat on my patio again, think about it's getting warmer and my grandson will be on my patio and playing in my yard more often and I tried to find out if there was anything I should be concerned about since I don't mind the cats being around. So one of the concerns that came up was trying to help make sure they don't reproduce. It was unexpected, but I didn't reject the idea outright, I just said I'll have to think about it. There's a reason I haven't gotten another pet after my last dog died. I haven't gone this long without a dog since I was in elementary school. I've thought about getting another dog, a cat, I even thought about a bird, but in the end, I don't want any extra work or responsibilities right now. I can't be any more honest than that. If me needing to think about the TNR program makes me a bad person in someone's eyes, so be it. But the ire would be more appropriately directed at whoever had these cats before they ended up wandering around and reproducing. Just my opinion. I know about dogs. I don't know much about cats. Or the rabbit (s?) I see in my backyard. Or the squirrels that run across the utility lines. I leave the rabbits and squirrels alone to do what they do, but I've never seen them lounging on my porches or patio furniture either. Forgive me for not knowing anything about a TNR program and having the idea that being helpful could be as simple as letting the cats hang out in peace and maybe feeding them. So anyway, thanks for all advice. I do understand the concerns about spaying and neutering and I agree they're valid. If all the traps are as big as the one in the picture above, I don't even think I could get that in my car. I can just barely get my grandkids' carseats through the opening to the backseat of my car. Something else I'd have to figure out if I decided to do that. I would have no concerns about the cats and your grandson. They will probably hide when you're outside playing anyway (most of my outdoor kitties hide from anyone but me and DH). I just saw that you weren't familiar with cats and one of the main concerns with cats is they have kittens. Not everyone knows that TNR is something that's out there and that there are places that help. That's what we were trying to let you know; I figured you didn't and that's why I brought it up. Also I was just pulling pictures of the things we were talking about so you could have a frame of reference, so I am not sure how big the live traps would be with whatever program is in your area. I just know how frustrating it is when everyone's talking about one thing and you're lost, lol. If you have any questions about anything there are several of us who are very happy to give info. I've had both cats and dogs my entire life, most of which are rescues or strays. (I also currently seem to have a pet possum ) I tagged you in that post, just to say thank you. The rest of the post was about me being slightly irritated, but not with you. I appreciate you and the other posters telling me about TNR and posting the pictures to show me what you all were talking about. I don't personally know many cat lovers IRL, but I knew a lot of the posters here love cats. I figured this was a good place to ask my question, and it was. Good luck with your pet possum. LOL!
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Mar 24, 2015 14:56:05 GMT -5
Nine years ago, a little stray cat decided to come and live with DH and me. She was so skinny and small we thought she wasn't fully grown and when we took her to the vet, they estimated she was actually six years old, had been spayed (so was someone's pet at some point) and was simply starving. She almost doubled her weight in about 6 weeks and became our pet. She was indoor/outdoor and used the cat flap and we were so lucky to have cat friendly neighbors that didn't mind her wandering through their gardens and sleeping on decks and porches. If that hadn't been the case, we'd probably have had to find her a new home because she detested being kept indoors. We had to put her down 6 weeks ago and she's now buried in the backyard. Neither DH nor I had had a cat before but that little stray turned out to be just wonderful - we miss her a lot . If you do decide to feed the strays, I hope they turn out to be just as fabulous. Wish I knew how to insert a photograph! Aww, I'm sorry for your loss, hon. There are a lot of us here who really understand how much it hurts to say goodbye.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 15:05:05 GMT -5
See, when I (briefly) thought about getting a cat, I thought if I was going to bring one home to live with me and be "mine", I needed to keep it indoors to keep it safe and not have it go missing. Shows how much I know. Actually, this would make you a great cat owner. I have 4 indoor-only cats myself. Keeping cats inside is the safest thing for them. If you want a cat that's a 'pet' to interact with and snuggle with, you can't beat a couple of indoor cats. (although my dog gets kinda peeved when the cats cuddle her). My indoor cats also like to sleep cuddles up on each other. My indoor cats do not go outside (sometimes the older one sneaks out and I have to go get her). When I talk about my barn cats, these are cats that are used to being outside and would not easily adjust to an indoor lifestyle. I live in the country. I am surrounded by lots of farmland. The barn cats fill a role of keeping away the things I don't want to deal with. Unfortunately, I'd probably be a terrible cat owner. I'd have to have the perfect cat that wouldn't jump on my kitchen table and counters, or scratch up my furniture, and after an appropriate "training" period, never, ever, ever pee and/or poop anywhere besides the litter box unless there was a really good reason, like illness. It's my understanding that a cat is likely to do at least one of those things and that would seriously irritate me, so it wouldn't be fair to the cat for me to get one and expect it to be my idea of "perfect".
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 15:10:28 GMT -5
Cats are a lot harder to contain than a dog. They don't take well to a leash and you'd have to have a pretty good fence to keep them in the yard. About the only way is to have them be permanent indoor cats which a lot are. Some cats HATE that though and really want to get outside every now and then and some cats (like my barn cats) are out all the time. Their purpose is to keep the vermin down, so they roam freely. See, when I (briefly) thought about getting a cat, I thought if I was going to bring one home to live with me and be "mine", I needed to keep it indoors to keep it safe and not have it go missing. Shows how much I know. To me it depends some on the personality of the cat. Some dogs would happily live indoors all their lives. Other dogs like hounds, huskies, cattle dogs are working dogs. They face dangers doing their jobs, but they thrive on their jobs and humans oblige because it's symbiotic. Kids and cats are the same way, a mixed bag of personalities. Some do very poorly when kept in small spaces 24/7. Our cat was a complete stray kitten someone found in the back of their truck when they got it back from impound. He had 3 different types of parasites (ear mites, fleas, tape worms). We took him, got him healed, and kept him indoors for several months as he grew and we assessed what kind of personality he has. Turned out he was basically a wild thing, and we worked really hard to socialize him and have him implicitly trust that we're watching out for him. He still doesn't seem to get the reason for petting, but he lets us and others we vouch for do it, and he does seem to trust us a lot. His dominant personality trait is "caution" but he's also got a hefty dose of natural energy to match his 16 pounds of muscle and claw. Not all cats are working type cats, that's for sure. For some, it'd be like putting a maltese in the woods by itself to track game, theoretically doable, but likely a very bad idea due to the hair and personality. Like dogs, some cats are deeply inclined to work though, and have the personality for it; caution, strong hunting instinct, lots of energy, large size if possible. I felt safe letting our guy into the yard after observing him closely outside for several months, he's got a thing for cover and when in doubt, he makes himself scarce. He basically acts like the bobcats around my parents' place, and like our old outdoor cats acted. They lived to be 17 years old, then all passed within a couple months of each other in their sleeping nooks near the house, maybe because the 3 were siblings. I really loved them a lot, they were always there to comfort us if we went outdoors when we felt bad, and followed us all over.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Mar 24, 2015 15:21:57 GMT -5
Actually, this would make you a great cat owner. I have 4 indoor-only cats myself. Keeping cats inside is the safest thing for them. If you want a cat that's a 'pet' to interact with and snuggle with, you can't beat a couple of indoor cats. (although my dog gets kinda peeved when the cats cuddle her). My indoor cats also like to sleep cuddles up on each other. My indoor cats do not go outside (sometimes the older one sneaks out and I have to go get her). When I talk about my barn cats, these are cats that are used to being outside and would not easily adjust to an indoor lifestyle. I live in the country. I am surrounded by lots of farmland. The barn cats fill a role of keeping away the things I don't want to deal with. Unfortunately, I'd probably be a terrible cat owner. I'd have to have the perfect cat that wouldn't jump on my kitchen table and counters, or scratch up my furniture, and after an appropriate "training" period, never, ever, ever pee and/or poop anywhere besides the litter box unless there was a really good reason, like illness. It's my understanding that a cat is likely to do at least one of those things and that would seriously irritate me, so it wouldn't be fair to the cat for me to get one and expect it to be my idea of "perfect". Yeah, you'd have to let some of that go. They're not dogs! My parent's cat meets all your requirements, but he likes to turn over the water dish and wallow in the water. Then he jumps on my dad and rolls around to dry off. Personally, the 'battle of the table' was not worth it to me. So I got a clear plastic tablecloth and I just take it off when I need to use the table (which is rare since it's just DH and I). I also have a babygate on the bathroom to keep the dog from messing in the litter box. I have various cardboard boxes which are 'sacred kitty beds.'
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 15:27:14 GMT -5
My cat was never interested in jumping up on tables or counters. He was certainly capable as he sleeps in the top bunk bed with DS, but never cared about tables. He doesn't scratch anything because he's declawed and just recently started occasionally pooping outside the litter box. I'm attributing it to old age and it's almost always in a corner of a room with tile floor, so not a big clean up deal.
His issue is that he talks. All. The. Time. Seriously, he never shuts up.
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CarolinaKat
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Joined: Dec 21, 2010 16:10:37 GMT -5
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Post by CarolinaKat on Mar 24, 2015 15:33:49 GMT -5
My cat was never interested in jumping up on tables or counters. He was certainly capable as he sleeps in the top bunk bed with DS, but never cared about tables. He doesn't scratch anything because he's declawed and just recently started occasionally pooping outside the litter box. I'm attributing it to old age and it's almost always in a corner of a room with tile floor, so not a big clean up deal. His issue is that he talks. All. The. Time. Seriously, he never shuts up. My table makes up the final piece of the 'kitty highway' in my house. It allows them to follow me around the entire kitchen at petting height, which is their goal, until I get to the back door, then they can move to the bench and prevent me from putting on shoes.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 15:35:59 GMT -5
My cat was never interested in jumping up on tables or counters. He was certainly capable as he sleeps in the top bunk bed with DS, but never cared about tables. He doesn't scratch anything because he's declawed and just recently started occasionally pooping outside the litter box. I'm attributing it to old age and it's almost always in a corner of a room with tile floor, so not a big clean up deal. His issue is that he talks. All. The. Time. Seriously, he never shuts up. Yep. It's a mixed bag for cats. Ours is nearly silent (we thought he couldn't mew for a while), but he has explored every single surface of every place he's lived. He can climb wire and wooden shelves, apparently, if it's too high to jump. Luckily he's been great about using his scratching posts here at the apartment, and has never pooped/peed somewhere weird to show aggravation. We have constructed a mountain of perforated cardboard boxes for him in the living room so he can hide and pounce at us when we walk by. He uses soft paws when we wrestles or pounces us, no claw, but he loves to try to surprise us and bounce off our knees. I play a sort of wackamole game with him too using the cardboard and a toy, to keep him from going insane and to burn off some of his energy.
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Robert not Bobby
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Joined: Jan 29, 2013 17:45:55 GMT -5
Posts: 1,392
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Post by Robert not Bobby on Mar 24, 2015 15:43:55 GMT -5
There's a cat curled up on one of my patio chairs, napping I guess. I've been seeing cats hanging out in my bushes and lounging on my patio and front porch for a while now. I can barely tell cats apart and I rarely see more than 1 at a time, but I think there are at least 2 big ones and a kitten. I've never fed them or anything, I don't know why they like my house. I'm a dog lover and don't know much about cats. I assume they're strays that haven't had shots or anything (do cats even get shots like dogs do?). I don't know about diseases stray cats may carry...... are they possibly contaminating my patio furniture? I have 2 small grandchildren, but the cats run when they hear the door open, so I'm not really worried about direct contact at this point. I'm inclined to just leave them be. Is there any reason I shouldn't? Now that I think about it, if there's a kitten now, there may be more in the future. I don't really want to end up with a gang of cats in my yard. You might end up being an "old cat lady"...but seriously; call animal control, or whatever it is called in your area. I'm more of a dog person myself, but I'm told, if you really get to know your cat...they will bring you home dead mice that they killed just for you. Now if that is not affection, I don't know what is.
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CarolinaKat
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 16:10:37 GMT -5
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Post by CarolinaKat on Mar 24, 2015 15:44:13 GMT -5
My cat was never interested in jumping up on tables or counters. He was certainly capable as he sleeps in the top bunk bed with DS, but never cared about tables. He doesn't scratch anything because he's declawed and just recently started occasionally pooping outside the litter box. I'm attributing it to old age and it's almost always in a corner of a room with tile floor, so not a big clean up deal. His issue is that he talks. All. The. Time. Seriously, he never shuts up. Yep. It's a mixed bag for cats. Ours is nearly silent (we thought he couldn't mew for a while), but he has explored every single surface of every place he's lived. He can climb wire and wooden shelves, apparently, if it's too high to jump. Luckily he's been great about using his scratching posts here at the apartment, and has never pooped/peed somewhere weird to show aggravation. We have constructed a mountain of perforated cardboard boxes for him in the living room so he can hide and pounce at us when we walk by. He uses soft paws when we wrestles or pounces us, no claw, but he loves to try to surprise us and bounce off our knees. I play a sort of wackamole game with him too using the cardboard and a toy, to keep him from going insane and to burn off some of his energy. Try blowing bubbles for him. Mine love hunting the bubbles. They also burn off energy with the jumping and swatting
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 11, 2024 23:29:06 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 15:53:27 GMT -5
There's a cat curled up on one of my patio chairs, napping I guess. I've been seeing cats hanging out in my bushes and lounging on my patio and front porch for a while now. I can barely tell cats apart and I rarely see more than 1 at a time, but I think there are at least 2 big ones and a kitten. I've never fed them or anything, I don't know why they like my house. I'm a dog lover and don't know much about cats. I assume they're strays that haven't had shots or anything (do cats even get shots like dogs do?). I don't know about diseases stray cats may carry...... are they possibly contaminating my patio furniture? I have 2 small grandchildren, but the cats run when they hear the door open, so I'm not really worried about direct contact at this point. I'm inclined to just leave them be. Is there any reason I shouldn't? Now that I think about it, if there's a kitten now, there may be more in the future. I don't really want to end up with a gang of cats in my yard. You might end up being an "old cat lady"...but seriously; call animal control, or whatever it is called in your area. I'm more of a dog person myself, but I'm told, if you really get to know your cat...they will bring you home dead mice that they killed just for you. Now if that is not affection, I don't know what is. Then my cat absolutely ADORES me because the bugger found a mouse in our condo, killed it and then brought it up and left it on my side of the bed. I only found out about it when DH was asking me where something was as he was cleaning it up. Bleah.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 16:00:46 GMT -5
@copperpouches, I live in the city and if I did have a cat I'm pretty sure I'd want it to be indoors or at least on my property all the time. Otherwise, I'd worry about something happening to it. A while back, I asked here if it's possible to keep a cat from doing the things I don't like. The general consensus was that I shouldn't get a cat.
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 11, 2024 23:29:06 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 16:05:02 GMT -5
Yep. It's a mixed bag for cats. Ours is nearly silent (we thought he couldn't mew for a while), but he has explored every single surface of every place he's lived. He can climb wire and wooden shelves, apparently, if it's too high to jump. Luckily he's been great about using his scratching posts here at the apartment, and has never pooped/peed somewhere weird to show aggravation. We have constructed a mountain of perforated cardboard boxes for him in the living room so he can hide and pounce at us when we walk by. He uses soft paws when we wrestles or pounces us, no claw, but he loves to try to surprise us and bounce off our knees. I play a sort of wackamole game with him too using the cardboard and a toy, to keep him from going insane and to burn off some of his energy. Try blowing bubbles for him. Mine love hunting the bubbles. They also burn off energy with the jumping and swatting Regular bubbles or catnip scented ones? I never used them but have thought about it. Mostly my 3 just like to follow the sunbeam around the house and then chase each other around at 5:30 in the morning. ... has never pooped/peed somewhere weird to show aggravation. Wish I could say that. My 2 girls are fine with using the litterbox although I do wish someone would stop piling it up into one corner. My big boy likes to pee at the front of the box and for the last year or 2 he's been doing the pooping outside the box. It was real fun when he was on medication for dental work. I laid down some linoleum remnants I picked up at Home Depot around the box and for the most part he stays on there. Can't figure out what his issue is as the box is rather large, actually picked up for a previous cat who would pee standing up and lift her ass up and over. Plexiglass and plastic mats are very good friends to have. I think it had something to do with Chloe but not sure what as he was fine with the other 3 cats he had shared with before her.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 16:07:17 GMT -5
Try blowing bubbles for him. Mine love hunting the bubbles. They also burn off energy with the jumping and swatting Haha, I'll have to give that a try, thanks It'd definitely be novel for him, and I'd be curious to see his reaction, he has some surprising ones. He had a deep fear of the sound of twanged door stoppers at the apartment and the creak of pressing the freezer door for a while. He got over it when he investigated, but for a while he arched his back and his hair was on end and everything when DH twanged a door stopper accidentally. He'd been living here for a couple months, but it was like he thought there might suddenly be a monster or two in the apartment until he kept watch on them specifically for a while.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 16:41:05 GMT -5
@copperpouches, I live in the city and if I did have a cat I'm pretty sure I'd want it to be indoors or at least on my property all the time. Otherwise, I'd worry about something happening to it. A while back, I asked here if it's possible to keep a cat from doing the things I don't like. The general consensus was that I shouldn't get a cat. Yep, we're in the heart of a major city now too, so our cat is indoors only now. I'll assess again when we move again. I didn't feel it was safe to let him out in a city for a lot of reasons, and the complex doesn't want us to let him out anyway because he has his claws. I am glad we chipped him when he was neutered, because if something happens and he does get outside here and lost from panic with all the strange noises, dangers and people, he's got an ID he can't shuck off. He's a generic large black cat that loses his breakaway collar easily because he squeezes through foliage a lot, staying hidden. It'd be easy for him to be mistaken as a stray.
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