Michen
Well-Known Member
I know there are cats who genuinely want to be indoors all the time and thats great, but I think it's cruel to keep a cat indoors that may be happier free range just because it's expensive.
Worst thing the cat's done.
- Thread starter ycbm
- Start date
I know there are cats who genuinely want to be indoors all the time and thats great, but I think it's cruel to keep a cat indoors that may be happier free range just because it's expensive.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
In think for must people, especially those who live near busy roads, it's because they are afraid of them being killed or possibly taken as breeding machines, though that’s more young dogs.
I've had one killed on a tiny country road where there are no more than 20 cars an hour on average, and only 1 or 2 after dark.
.
Pippity
Well-Known Member
Of my three outdoor cats:
1- Poisoned and died (age 1)
2- Shot and died (age 5)
3- Shot but survived, hit by a car but survived, finally died of kidney failure at 18.
My current cat is indoor-only because she's deaf, so I don't have the dilemma of happiness vs. risk. I suspect that, when Poppy goes, I'll adopt another with medical reason for staying indoors, just so I can carry on avoiding the dilemma.
Michen
Well-Known Member
Then I guess people need to question whether they should have a cat on a very busy road if they feel too uncomfortable with the risk to let it out, unless it's a definite indoor cat.
Though I completely agree, can happen anywhere/any time. I live on a quiet road and have seen a couple that have been hit. But ultimatly I feel the risk is worth it for my cat to be an extremely happy cat- I'd rather he had 5 great years than 10 cooped up inside or in a garden.
CanteringCarrot
Well-Known Member
I've tried to encourage mine to go outdoors but he's always at the door 5 minutes later. He's fine with sunning on the balcony, or being in the garden while I'm watering plants, but he has very little ambition to explore further. So he's an indoor cat.
I do think many are overweight and not fed properly. Mine is a smaller lean cat and the vet always comments that he's the perfect weight. The neighbors primarily outdoor cat is the most obese cat I've ever seen in my life. I don't know if it goes around collecting food (doubt it, people don't really so that here) or she feeds it far too much. I thought it was going to die last year when it was hot out and I found it laying under one of my trees.
A fellow livery thinks the yard cats are thin, but in reality, they're all perfect in their weight. Healthy, trim, active, and content. So people's ideas on weight is a bit distorted (sort of like with horses too).
I do think many are overweight and not fed properly. Mine is a smaller lean cat and the vet always comments that he's the perfect weight. The neighbors primarily outdoor cat is the most obese cat I've ever seen in my life. I don't know if it goes around collecting food (doubt it, people don't really so that here) or she feeds it far too much. I thought it was going to die last year when it was hot out and I found it laying under one of my trees.
A fellow livery thinks the yard cats are thin, but in reality, they're all perfect in their weight. Healthy, trim, active, and content. So people's ideas on weight is a bit distorted (sort of like with horses too).
Cloball
Well-Known Member
M is much happier being out he likes to go on adventures and bring back prizes he has also been seen to dunk his head in the stream. Nearly all of the indoor only cats I know display some stress related behaviours. I appreciate M also does but he has been so much better now he's settled and free.
CanteringCarrot
Well-Known Member
I forgot to mention that it would seem that life is a bit more "exciting" with an outdoor cat. No prizes here aside from the odd insect. He did, however, get a mouse that came in through the garage at our last house. He sat by that door leading to the garage every evening for a few days, eventually one came in and he was ready! Never saw another mouse there again ? it was a bloody ordeal, but effective.
Our neighbors cat also caught mice frequently (a field was directly behind us - perfect hunting) and it amazed me how he would just eat the whole thing from head to tail in a few seconds.
Our neighbors cat also caught mice frequently (a field was directly behind us - perfect hunting) and it amazed me how he would just eat the whole thing from head to tail in a few seconds.
Keith_Beef
Novice equestrian, accomplished equichetrian
Last night Tabitha was sitting in the garden staring intently at a small concrete slab where a downpipe from the gutter goes into a drain. I crouched down next to her to see what she was waiting for. After two or three minutes a dry leaf near the hole was pulled down into the drain.
I thought it might be a toad, because I disturbed one a couple of years ago hiding in a pile of dead, dried leaves behind the bins, but the two of us (Tabitha and I) waited patiently for another two or three minutes and a little, pointy grey snout poked up, sniffed the air and went back down. It looked slightly too big to be a mouse, maybe a shrew. I've just been reading about the common shrew, and it seems that cats don't like the smell of them.
I thought it might be a toad, because I disturbed one a couple of years ago hiding in a pile of dead, dried leaves behind the bins, but the two of us (Tabitha and I) waited patiently for another two or three minutes and a little, pointy grey snout poked up, sniffed the air and went back down. It looked slightly too big to be a mouse, maybe a shrew. I've just been reading about the common shrew, and it seems that cats don't like the smell of them.
Rosemary28
Well-Known Member
We’ve had plasterers in, and today we’ve got carpet fitters. The cats have spent two days shut in our bedroom (not all day, only whilst workmen were here!) so this morning, Ida went and sat on the window in the back bedroom before I could shut them in. The problem is, the back bedroom is full of all the furniture from downstairs, so I couldn’t get to her to move her!
She did move eventually but she was not impressed.
She did move eventually but she was not impressed.
millikins
Well-Known Member
The cat did nothing wrong here but still caused mayhem. I lost my daughter's kitten in the cavity walling, I was having the downstairs bathroom done and all the pipework was exposed. Daughter had strict instructions to keep the door closed, it was me who forgot. Dropped her at school, came home, no kitten. Searched the house then heard her mewing piteously from inside the wall. I spent all day trying to tempt her out with no success, and had to own up to small, furious daughter.
Eventually I rang the RSPCA who said I had a total of 8 hours before she'd be dehydrated, we were on 6 with no movement from the kitten back to the hole she went in. So I had to borrow a cold chisel and knock a hole in the kitchen wall at the point the mewing was coming from releasing one dusty, hungry kitten but otherwise none the worse for her adventure.
Eventually I rang the RSPCA who said I had a total of 8 hours before she'd be dehydrated, we were on 6 with no movement from the kitten back to the hole she went in. So I had to borrow a cold chisel and knock a hole in the kitchen wall at the point the mewing was coming from releasing one dusty, hungry kitten but otherwise none the worse for her adventure.
smolmaus
Well-Known Member
Our past cat Callie's most infamous behaviour was bringing back shrews from the field and only eating the tasty bits (the ears, it seems), but still opening the whole thing up so the children got a lovely anatomy lesson.
Shady
Well-Known Member
Just thought all of you would like to see my bathroom door frame!
I've not posted before as I have so many 'worst things the cat's done ' that i'd be taking over the thread and actually I like reading other peoples tales of mangled mice in the bed sheets and so on ...makes a nice change that it's not always me thinking OMFG what you broken now, or puked on , or torn apart, or brought home proudly.....
Hope you can see this
xx
I've not posted before as I have so many 'worst things the cat's done ' that i'd be taking over the thread and actually I like reading other peoples tales of mangled mice in the bed sheets and so on ...makes a nice change that it's not always me thinking OMFG what you broken now, or puked on , or torn apart, or brought home proudly.....
Hope you can see this
xx
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Poor wee thing. Glad you got her out safely.
millikins
Well-Known Member
She was none the worse Gloi
But you have to ask "WHY?" What was the appeal of a hole in a wall?
Cloball
Well-Known Member
OH has started narrating the cats side of the conversation when he's (the cat ... Most of the time) shouting to be fed.... I think he may have cracked ??
Crazy_cat_lady
Well-Known Member
Tonight weve had Stripey S**t and Penny Dreadful vs the fly.
I managed a video of the events, below is a screenshot of SS.
Do you think:
A) SS caught the fly
B) Completed missed the fly, and instead disappeared behind the cupboard?
B is the correct answer! PD has also demonstrated what seems to be a classic trait of the ragdoll breed, the ability to lose focus really easily!
We also had SS launch across the bed after the fly, spooking PD who took off
The fly, 20 minutes later, remains at large and is buzzing really annoyingly.
OH says they will get it eventually, why do I forsee a huge crash or commotion at 2am or similar time?! They're indoor cats so I can't leave the windows open for it to fly out!
I managed a video of the events, below is a screenshot of SS.
Do you think:
A) SS caught the fly
B) Completed missed the fly, and instead disappeared behind the cupboard?
B is the correct answer! PD has also demonstrated what seems to be a classic trait of the ragdoll breed, the ability to lose focus really easily!
We also had SS launch across the bed after the fly, spooking PD who took off
The fly, 20 minutes later, remains at large and is buzzing really annoyingly.
OH says they will get it eventually, why do I forsee a huge crash or commotion at 2am or similar time?! They're indoor cats so I can't leave the windows open for it to fly out!
Crazy_cat_lady
Well-Known Member
Spectacularly displaying the lack of concentration, being a lamp was more interesting than the fly at this point! She's usually quite good at catching them so by this point, knowing exactly what's likely to happen in the middle of the night, I was holding a rearing SS, to try and let her get on with disposal as he was somewhat useless, and she goes and does this!!
Peregrine Falcon
Looking forward to cooler days
That is brilliant!???
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
OMG! ??
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
My kitten went behind the washer and then managed to get in a gap behind the kitchen cabinets the first day I got her. Took ages to discover where she'd got to.She was none the worse Gloi
Pippity
Well-Known Member
My built-in fridge had a little shelf underneath with a hole in it, leading under the kitchen cabinets, behind the kickboards. On the second day I had her, my cat disappeared in there. I couldn't leave the fridge open and wait for her to come out in her own time, so ended up dismantling the kickboards to get her out. The hole is now blocked off, because she still loves to crawl in there whenever the fridge door is open.
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
They always find the most awkward places to hide ?
ownedbyaconnie
Well-Known Member
We released Ted a few days early as he was really fed up. Hops over the garden fence and OH runs upstairs to watch him from the bedroom window. Calls me up after 5 mins.
Ted was on next doors garage roof with a pigeon in his mouth.
Ted was on next doors garage roof with a pigeon in his mouth.
ownedbyaconnie
Well-Known Member
One blissful week of Teddy not bringing anything dead into the house.
in the last 24 hours we’ve had 3 mice and…a live bat.
that’s the second bat he’s caught. I’d be impressed if I wasn’t so annoyed.
in the last 24 hours we’ve had 3 mice and…a live bat.
that’s the second bat he’s caught. I’d be impressed if I wasn’t so annoyed.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Good old Ted ? ?
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
DizzyDoughnut
Well-Known Member
A live bat! ? I'm so glad my cat is an indoor/catio cat, I genuinely couldn't cope with birds or bats being brought in. I'm terrified of birds even the tiny cute ones ? Luckily the most mine manages to catch is a spider and she makes a big ordeal out of that, it normally involves stalking it for a while before gently tapping it with her paw for ages till falls off the wall then more gentle paw tapping before launching herself on top of it then watching as runs off while trying and failing to bash it with a paw and starting the whole process all over again.
ownedbyaconnie
Well-Known Member
He is a very impressive hunter. He’s no fun to do the laser pen wirh because he actually hunts it. He just sits patiently until you get bored and then pounces. None of the frantic running around the room. What a spoil sport.
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Oh god mine fetched a bat in once. I was asleep and woke up to a commotion and it was the cat chasing the bat round my bedroom and crying pitiously because she couldn't catch it. I put the cat out of the room and managed to get the bat into a towel and put it out of the window to fly away.