Cat Advice

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

So I've got this cat, and I've never had a cat before. I want to be able to let my dogs in and out of my house with the door open all the time, but because of the cat, I cannot.

If I do let her outside, would she come back? Would she roam all over and get killed by a car? I just don't like locking her up in a room while I air the house out on beautiful days like today.

She's very loving and sleeps on the bed with me at night, between the dogs. Follows me around the house, but doesn't sit with me or anything, just sits next to me and watches me. So I kind of worry she's independant enough she will run off.

I want to get a dog door that locks unless the animal has a collar on that allows it to open, but haven't found one big enough for my lab yet. They make them to keep out raccoons and such, and in this case, would keep the cat in.

Any advice? I know there are tons of cat owners here.

[Back]

When I had mine, I worried the same. He got out a couple of times but never went too far.

In fact, now that I think about it I took him down to my mom’s house in the winter I got him and we let him loose and he always came back.

[CrystalTears]

As long as you feed them regularly, they'll come back. Even the strays that would linger around my grandmother's complex would always wind up at her porch because she would have a dish of food outside all the time.

[Ravenstorm]

Most pet adoption places, at least around me, refuse to give anyone a cat unless they swear on their mother's grave to not let it out.

Yes, it could run away. Or get hit by a car. I had one that did and we found it lying in the street in front of our house. Not fun. it could contract any number of diseases. My current two stay indoors now.

Air the house out by getting screen doors and windows.

Raven

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

Well it's mostly for the dogs Ravenstorm, I want to open the doors so they can go in and out at will. My old girl is 15 this year and she's getting a little incontinent.

[Bobmuhthol]

After losing a cat from letting it out in winter (presumed dead), all of my cats are house cats. Depending on where you are, it may be a good idea to keep it inside.

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

Oh, I could give her away too, I've asked around at work a number of times for a good home. I just don't want her to get sick, suffer, hurt, or anything else. I'm thinking the dog door is the solution if I can find one that is big enough.

[The Cat In The Hat]

Sometimes it depends on where the cat comes from.

My mom has 2 and one was born an inside cat, never knew anyone but us, she's 11 years old and we let her out all the time and she stays around the house and climbs the screen door when she wants back in.

The other we don't let out. He was an outside cat as a kitten, my mom found him huddled in her driveway under the car, in terrible shape. We live on the lake so we think he was a "rock" cat (lives in the rocks that keep the lake from flooding us). He stays inside because we're afraid if we let him out his natural instinct will take over and he'll run away or get lost.

Generally, they come home because you feed them. Go outside with it a few times, let it do its thing and see how it reacts.

[ElanthianSiren]

If you live in Wisconsin, no way.

They are trying to enact legislation there that says hunters can shoot any domestic cats without tags. People are a little miffed about it though, and I hadn't heard if it passed or not.

Generally, a cat can find its way home, yes. They also tend to be quite agile and intelligent enough to avoid cars and strangers, but I don't know your cat. I don't know the area where you live/how many cars etc. I also don't know if you have any testing labs in the area, many of which collect stray animals.

Personally, I would never let a cat run around outside unattended. Four summers ago, I lived in the country, and we regularly let our cats outside until we had one that was attacked by a raccoon. The raccoon broke his paw, and I took him to the vet, telling her the cat's paw was broken. She gave me antibiotics to give him and said it was just a deep cut, but the cat's paw became more and more inflamed.

I took him back, and she said "yep, the cat's paw is broken". From that incident on, I refuse to take risks with any of my animals. I love them too much.

-Melissa

[CrystalTears]

We were just talking about the whole cat hunting thing, and it's not so much that we think it feels wrong, but just that it seems... well... STUPID.

I mean can you imagine bragging to your buddies, "I killed me 10 cats today. I is a proud sum'bitch." Cause cats are so challenging to hunt, you know. Open a cat of tuna, call them, they come, you shoot them. Such skill, such bravery! Gawd.

[Back]

Originally posted by CrystalTears
We were just talking about the whole cat hunting thing, and it's not so much that we think it feels wrong, but just that it seems... well... STUPID.

I mean can you imagine bragging to your buddies, "I killed me 10 cats today. I is a proud sum'bitch." Cause cats are so challenging to hunt, you know. Open a cat of tuna, call them, they come, you shoot them. Such skill, such bravery! Gawd.

Yeah

[Edaarin]

You could realize cats suck, and then just run over it.

[peam]

Edaarin wants you to let it outside so he can catch it and eat it.

[Back]

Originally posted by Edaarin
You could realize cats suck, and then just run over it.

Ok, someone had too..

When you say cats suck is that because they taste bad? Or is it you want people to run over them so you have dinner?

[peam]

Ah, stereotypes.

[Brattt8525]

http://www.dogdoors.com/cgi/smart.cgi?command=listitems&type=group&group=elect ronic

The doors you were talking about with the key/collar.

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

Sweetness, thanks Bratt!

[Back]

Originally posted by peam
Ah, stereotypes.

Yeah, but it was a DBLPWN3D!

[Edaarin]

Man...would you eat a cow that was hit by a truck?

Only fresh plz.

[Back]

lol. Hey, Arkans wasn’t around so I posted by proxy.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Edaarin
Man...would you eat a cow that was hit by a truck?

Only fresh plz.

Heh.. I actually had venison from a deer that was struck by a car once. My brother got the call by the sheriff to put this deer out of its misery.. and then we ate it.

:)

[Back]

I have never in my life met anyone who would actually admit to having roadkill for dinner.

You are a man among men, PB.

[DeV]

lol

[HarmNone]

Actually, the cat doesn't suffer at all by being put in a room with the door closed while the dogs are going in and out. As long as somebody remembers she's there and goes in to give her some company from time to time, she'll do just fine. Cats are very independent by nature.

The doggy door may work, but what's to keep the cat from sneaking out when one of the dogs goes out? Cats are independent, and they're definitely not stupid. ;)

It's really best to keep her inside. She can get hit by a car, shot by a BB gun, into a fight with another cat and end up with an infection or disease...any number of things.

[CrystalTears]

Originally posted by Parkbandit

Originally posted by Edaarin
Man...would you eat a cow that was hit by a truck?

Only fresh plz.

Heh.. I actually had venison from a deer that was struck by a car once. My brother got the call by the sheriff to put this deer out of its misery.. and then we ate it.

:)

That's cause venison rules. Who cares how it died, just put it on my plate. Yum.

[Back]

Well no one can accuse Ed of not eating pussy.

[Edaarin]

http://www.kthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=16016

I defy you to find an article about an Asian person eating dog/cat in the past couple days.

[CrystalTears]

We won't find it because Asians eating cats and/or dogs isn't news. :D

[Back]

Heh, love the new avatar CT.