Just reading a book of a cat counsellor, and now I feel bad!

[catmandu]

First of all Kirsten I certainly would dispute whether Cats should be outdoors.
Ebony Beau Tubster , Golden Rod , Ebonite , Orange Blossom and the Scratchys would all be alive had they been Indoor Cats , as well as the Many Cats we see who have been hit by Cars.
Indoor Cats are a lot safer and as a Multi Cat Giardian I would day that there can be personality clashes , but that they generally work themselves out .
And My Indoor Cats are happy , I try to leave toys about so thier minds stay active!
And the fcat that some of My Found Cats have had 15 hapy yeras with me disproves this authors point.
You are a very Good Guardian Kirsten , sometimes writers say something cotreversial as a selling point for thier books , whether they believe them or not.

[orangemm]

My boys have no interest in the great outdoors, either, and I'm glad they don't! I don't have to worry about them being cold, hot, rained on, stalked by other animals and/or humans, being run over by a car, getting infested with fleas and ticks, and getting lost.

They love being spoiled, being able to nap on the beds, getting good meals and clean fresh water. I should have such a soft life!

[Medusa]

Nah, I'm not buying it. Perfect world: cats could be indoor/outdoor w/no problems but it's a dangerous world out there, especially for cats. If she thinks that they're stressed being around other cats, then perhaps she could explain why Pidge cries when she can't find her man Boo or why Specs cries when he can't find Boo. Several years ago I rescued a male and his two sisters, had them altered and found a home for one of the females. While the other female was in hospital recuperating, the male, Chessie, wouldn't eat or even drink water. When I brought his sister home and reunited them, he ran over to her and actually put his "arm" around her and meowed like crazy as though he were saying "Where were you? I missed you so much!" Then he went straight to the food and water dishes and chowed down. Appetite suddenly mysteriously returned!

As for cats not loving us, she should see my deaf little CH baby Creamsicle when I come home. She could be in a room full of people and, believe me, she loves attention, but she'll run straight to me and cry until I pick her up.

As Candace said, it's just this woman's opinion. You're doing wonderfully by your cats; we all are here on PT (except when a certain one of us, me, makes a stupid mistake but we all make 'em, as someone told me). So put your worry hat away, Kirsten. Lily and Luna love you and each other and their happy home and they wouldn't have it any other way.

[Kirsten]

Thanks for your replies and opinions! You're probably right... Maybe this woman's opinion comes from the fact that in her job, she's usually seeing kitties with issues, and not those who live a happy life.

What really confused me is that she often seems to advice to seperate kitties and find another home for them when they don't get along. A couple of weeks ago, I read a book by another cat therapist, and she said that this was the last thing she would try, and that in most cases, this can be avoided. So there seem to be different opinions on this matter, even among kitty therapists.

Kirsten