your opinions count

[carole]

Thank you to those who did offer me their opinions on whether to let my cats outside.
one problem i would encounter with keeping them indoors is in the summer time, not only for the cats but for our comfort too, we would not be able to open the ranchsliders, windows etc, we do not have air conditioning, most homes in nz donot, except for the expensive ones. and yes it does get hot here.
its meant to be cooler right now but its warmer than usual , and i must say finding it quite sticky having no fresh air coming, in, so that i can keep lexie safe.
yes i know what u are all saying, i mean thats probably what happened to my sooti, he appeared to have been run down.
i am not sure what i will do, i will have to put some serious thought into it, but i cant see it practical to keep them indoors because of the above problem, and no i cannot afford to put a air unit in sorry.
also i would be worried if a fire broke out they would be trapped if i was away at the time. well just my thoughts, always interested to hear yours thanks.

[NoahsMommy]

Hi Carole,

Is the area you live in safe for a cat to be outside? If so, then I'm sure its OK. Just make sure they have collars and a microchip if possible.

[carole]

hey thanks for your advice, i have tried collars but they always get lost unfortunately, as for being safe, well reasonably so, but of course there is always traffic, other cats etc, but yes my neighbourhood is full of cats, no-one keeps them indoors or very few here in nz, how does the micro-chip work plz?

[Soledad]

Carole, I'm in NZ and find it to be a place (in general) that is very conducive to having an indoor/outdoor cat. I know my Boo is indoor/outdoor. However, he is a homebody so I never worry too much.

[carole]

Yes i tend to agree with you, my other cat ash likes both indoors outdoors and i have no problems except for cat fights, and yes he is neutered, but i worry because my young male got run over so it would appear 5 wks ago and now i have little lexie who is so precious and little i am scared the same thing will happen, she would be quite content inside i think, but bit impossible having one in and one out eh and in the summer, no good i think, well good to hear from you , give boo a pat from me cheers carole

[jenluckenbach]

this is just a question: Don't you have screens on your windows? We open our windows too, when it is warm, but they are all cat-safe by having screens in them. Just curious.

[Soledad]

I don't have screens on my windows, nor have I seen any in the houses I've lived in or visited, save for one or two. It's not as standard as it is in the States.

I have noticed here in NZ that it is almost unheard of to have an indoor only cat. It works for the most part. I have never seen a dead cat on the roads, nor am I aware of it being much of a problem. NZ on the whole, strikes me as a very cat-loving country (they seem to be the preferred pet) and neighbours love having cats in the neighbourhood to spoil. I think it's a great situation as I can't imagine making Boo stay inside all the time yet I hate to worry.

And, Carole, I'm a girl!!

Soledad means solitude in Spanish.

[carole]

no we dont have screens, that is something some people do have in nz but its not the normal for everyone to have them, i have two largish ranch sliders too, so it would be very expensive to put screens all through the house.

[emily_the_spoiled]

If you are planning on letting Lexie go outside I would definitely recommend having her micro-chipped and a collar if possible. The micro-chip is smaller than a single grain of rice and is injected into the cat in between the shoulder blades (the same area as a regular injection). If Lexie is ever lost and turned into the animal shelter or a vet's office she is then "scanned" and the office obtains a number from the chip. They then phone a toll-free number and obtain info about the owner. There are only two manufacturers in the world but the technology is fully compatible, i.e., one scanner can read both chips. It is a one time procedure and doesn't cause them any pain.

I usually have it done at the same time I get them spayed/neutrered. I have had both Emily and Tanner done, just in case they get out.

If you have any questions about chipping them feel free to PM me.

Cheryl

[carole]

thanks for the info on the micro chipping, i presume we have it in nz, will be considering it seriously, collars seem to always get lost, had one on my other cat, thanks again, cheers.

[moosmom]

As long as your kitties are fixed and vaccinated, I say WHY NOT?? I have 6 cats and they are all indoor cats. I live on a very busy street so going outdoors in not an option. The only thing I'd worry about is if other people are responsible enough in NZ to have their cats spayed/neutered and vaccinated.

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by Soledad
And, Carole, I'm a girl!!

Soledad means solitude in Spanish.

He he he.....and what a beautiful one, at that! Soledad has a wedding shot on here somewhere...but, I, too, originally mistook her for being a boy.....he he he he....

[Soledad]

*Blush*

Thank you, Cataholic. Very sweet of you.

I think you should keep Lexie inside, because you seem to need that right now. You can always change your mind, but it seems like you need some love and security.