Going outside

[noahmason]

I need some advice. I'm sure many of you have discussed this before My cat , Noah, has been an indoor cat for 4 years of his life, until we moved into a house. We've been letting him outside for about a year now, until the day we found fleas!! I've delt with many flea investations in my home and did not want the hassle again. We've started keeping him indoors due to flea problems and I worry about him when he is out. Okay, my problem is, he makes me feel so incredibly guilty for keeping him in, he howls all day and night, pawing at the door. What do you guys feel about letting cats out? Safe??

[Former User]

Funny, I had this Cat tip of the day for today:

"In Or Out?
Cats adapt quickly to circumstances, whether they're indoors or out. There's no question that the outdoor cat is at far greater risk than the housecat. Outside, a cat can fall victim to dogs, cars, wildlife and other hazards. Fights with other cats are a fact of life for the outside cat, and the chances of both pregnancy and infectious diseases are much higher.

To put things in perspective, think of it this way--the average indoor cat lives upwards of 15 years. The outdoor cat has a life expectancy of 4 to 5 years."

[yorkster]

Oh, NoahsMommy. I know what you are going through. My (now) 8 year old is an indoor only cat, but would absolutely love to go outdoors. He was at one time a outdoor kitty, but it has been a long time. The problem is we live quite close to a busy street.
He is constantly trying to dash out the door whenever he gets a chance- BAD KITTY! We go to great lengths to keep him in for his own saftey.
The good thing is that after about a month or so, he quit crying to go out. He has not ever stopped trying to however. He still manages to give me 'that look' , which still makes me feel guilty sometimes.

In all honesty, I would probably let both my cats go outside if we lived somewhere away from traffic. But we don't, so inside he stays!

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[wayne0214]

Noahmason; Since those of my furkid family who have been spayed and neutered, do not actively protest any longer to go outside. (This is probably because of those who stay outside are prone to attack and cause cat fights.) It is always best to keep them indoors if possible. Yet, I know that they have a special way to make us feel guilty after listening to their protests about being closed in. However, if it is safe for them to go outside during the day only, then I would let them, provided that you can call them in when ever you want, especially at their evening meal time. But, if you see problems with their being outside , then you will have to figure out a way to keep them inside with plenty to do -- to keep them entertained. I have lost many furkids by keeping them outside at night. Yet, those who are kept inside now, are at peace and safety to stay inside, both day and night.

Considering flea problems, personally, I place "Front Line" (or an equivalent product) on them, or some of them to keep flea infestations down My inside 9 do not have any flea problems yet this year. I hope this helps in your decision.

........wayne

[Ann]

Oliver is an indoor cat, but once every week or so I will let him go out and walk in the garden, supervising his every step. He loves it and has a great time. To me that is a SAFE way of letting him be both an outdoor and indoor cat

Of course, maybe some cats would try to venture away from your garden, so this tip might not work for all cats!

[noahmason]

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice. I feel better about keeping him inside, since I worry so much when he's out. My other cat, Mason, likes to go out, but just layes in the grass. Noah hunts and brings me many treasures and has the ocassional fat lip Do you have any ideas about how to entertain a cat inside that doesn't really like to play?? Mason will play with ANYTHING, but Noah has gotten grumpy at the ripe ole age of 5. Any suggestions?

christy

[K & L]

Indoor only! We had some things happen to ours before we made the decision, no more outdoors.

[wayne0214]

Christy, I'm assuming that both of your furkids are spayed or neutered. If Noah is "grumpy", It could be that there are not enough interesting things for him to get into. Do your cats play and chase each other around the house? If not, perhaps you could consider taking on another furkid, one that will play and keep the others interest up.

For examples of inside intertainment ideas, I have made some simple wooden windowsill boxes (appx. 18" x 8" with an old towel for them to lay on, with the sides being about 3" high) and mounted to the windowsills, close enough to allow them to be in the "front seat", but far enough back to allow me to shut the sliding window when necessary. My cats love 'em, and they are always occupied with someone -sometimes two. Theses boxes allow my pets to not only to sleep in them and at night, but also to see what is going on outside and also it gives them a sense of safety being up about 7 ft. from the ground, outside.

As far as cat toys, I have found that a hanging blanket, suspended so that the ends touch the floor, offers many hours of playful entertainment for them. They climb the inside and outside, and play hide and seek with it. Sometimes they like to sleep inside the fold on the floor, like a tent. These ideas are given for a few examples

.........wayne