Why does she want outside?

[shais_mom]

Kylie who was born inside, and taken to the inside of an apartment, and then after a year brought to my house, is always trying to get outside.
She meets me the door and goes out to my back porch. Then when I take Keegan out I let her walk around my concrete and she also kinda goes around the perimeter of the house, with me watching her like a hawk. She has never been outside for any legnth of time. Another friend of mine has Kylie's sister and she doesn't have any desire to go outside at all. She is content to watch out the window. Why is there such a difference b/n the two?

[lynnestankard]

Not at all sure - but perhaps Kylie is more adventurous and wants to explore further. Keegan could be totally laid back!

When our late Kisi (Siamese) arrived to live with us she was only a kitten and the breeder told us NOT to let her outside - 'cos apparantley Siamese have no road sense! Well we put up with this for a full year - and she drove us insane!!! So we allowed her out - and she was sooooo happy!!! And the rest of her short life was a joy to her and us !!

[yumyum6970]

Yum Yum was an inside kitten till she was about six or seven months old and wanted OUTSIDE!! So now she wants out
all the time!!!

http://pepeirce.tripod.com/thekittycorner

[Logan]

Staci, when we got Mimi, we swore she would be an inside only cat, after losing Shrimp Boat to the outdoors. When I was pregnant with Helen, and my husband had to clean the litterbox, all of the sudden it was ok for her to go outside. LOL! From then on she was an in/out cat, with no problems. But then Helen and I moved to an apartment, and again, she was forced indoors all the time. It just didn't work. She was miserable, and I ended up taking the risk and allowing her to go outside again.

You know the old saying about "curiosity killed the cat". I think cats truly are curious, some more than others. Kylie sounds like she is a smart girl. She knows that Keegan gets to go outside so there must be something good out there! I'm just guessing, but I''ve heard many people say that they just force the issue, and the cat finally figures out that they are inside to stay. One thing you can do is make sure she has a nice place in a window to look outside, and open it when you can so she can hear and smell the outdoor things. I know that all cats are safer and healthier if they stay inside, and I wish my two were different and would stay indoors. It is just too late for both of them at this point.

Good luck.
Logan

[shais_mom]

For clarification for those of you who don't venture to the "dog side", Keegan is my 4 mos old Golden Retriever puppy. I just had to laugh when you said she must be laid back! Definatley not how she is described!!
Tome' is my friends cat and Kylie's biological sister.
I keep the blind up on one of my low windows so that Kylie can look outside I don't know how much she uses it tho.

[LoudLou]

We have The Beans.... Mocha is the runner... she would like to "think" she can be an outdoor kitty but she is wrong (she tried once that's how I met my husband) Garbonzo on the other hand has absolutely no desire to leave the comfort of his home.. the two are different as nite and day... we are extremely careful when we open any and all outside doors, and we trained Louie from a pup to wait to go out until Both kitties were accounted for. It takes a lot of work but it's worth it. Right now we live in Very large home and have what we call the "buffer" zone... we enter through the backyard(fenced) into the garage, then into the house.

[lynnestankard]

Sorry Shais-Mum - I only get little red crosses on the end of your message - so no idea Keegan was a DOG - will you please apologise to the little furryboy and tell him - no harm meant and will he accept a cuddle and pat of his wet nose?!!
Lynne.xxx

[zippy-kat]

Staci, Kylie and her littermate remind me of myself and my sis. We couldn't be more different! Alyssa is little Miss Popularity & hasta be everywhere & do everything. She's always surrounded by friends. lol I'm more content to stay home and read a book or chat on the computer. She excels in science and I in english. 'Lys' is darker complected and has brown hair...I have a fair complexion & strwbry blonde hair. While we both love all animals, she's much more of a dog person and I a cat/bunny person!

Everybunny's gotta different purr-sonality!


Oh and Logan, how did you pick the name Shrimp Boat for your kitty?

[shais_mom]

Well, after 2 nights of wild chase missions, Kylie has finally put me over the edge! The first night was when I came home and found poor Keegan(2 days after her spay surgery) in her crate with diarrhea and vomit all over the inside of her crate. I took her outside and was worried about her, when Kylie made her break for it she ran over to my neighbors house and Finally when I got her home she was all snuggles of course that night. The next night she did the same thing this time she hid under neighbor's car and tried to fight with their cat. Kylie is declawed! So I finally got ahold of her and took her back. So today whenever I took Keegan outside Kylie went in the dog crate! I decided that I am going to try my darndest to either put her in there when Keegan goes outside or is at least not near the door. I will still let her out to the back porch, she like to explore back there and she can't get outside unless someone would open the door. I just don't want anything to happen to her, and I don't want an indoor/outdoor kitty, its to dangerous for them. She isn't going to be happy but it's better than being roadkill!

[aly]

Staci,

I think she is just wanting to go out because you let her sometimes. If you stop letting her altogether then she will soon realize she can't go out. If you let them do something once, they'll keep trying to do the same thing for a loooooong time.

What I did when I got Shiloh is I scared her of the doors. I'd walk in the front door stomping my feet, yelling, and squirting water. I know it sounds mean but I'm paranoid and don't want my baby to EVER slip out. Needless to say, she bolts every time she hears the doorbell, hehe.

(oh I just read your latest post. I think its a good idea to just make Kylie stay in the crate or away from doors when Keegan goes out).

[Logan]

Shrimp Boat got her name because I found her at a seafood market at Holden Beach, NC. She had been dumped there, along with another kitten, who had already been taken home by someone. Shrimp Boat stayed at the seafood market for a week, and even went out to sea on a Shrimp Boat, thus her name!

[purrley]

I can sure relate to the bolting cat problem. My Panda was a feral outside kitten for all of her kitten hood. Now that I've domesticated her, she still has the hunger for the great outdoors and I have a real problem with her bolting out the door. I have to watch her really close. When I come in I'm opening the door really slow to see if she's there waiting to run out. Usually a firm NO will back her up, but sometimes she still makes it past me. Now the weather is getting warmer, I will have an even bigger problem with her wanting out. I don't know how to solve it, other than to just be as careful as possible to not letting her get out. And I'm more careful than ever since I'm having trouble in my condo neighborhood right now. Everyone is keeping their furkids under lock and key!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

First of all you need to train her to stay in when you open the door. When I say "NO," Tubby knows exactly what I mean and he'll stop right in his tracks. It's the same thing as saying "STAY" to your doggie. It might take some practice, but she seems like a smart kitty and I'm sure she'll get the hang of it. Then, get a leash for her and *only* let her outside on the leash. Even if its only the patio or just closeby. She will get the hang of this pretty quick too. This is the only way my two get outside, and they seem to have accepted it. Tubby's not too happy when I keep him on a short leash so he doesn't go on the grass, eat it then proceed to throw it all back up again as soon as he gets inside on the cream colored carpeting, but he has really learned "the ways of the rope." All I have to do is tug a little and he'll come whichever way I tug. Peanut, on the other hand, has never really got on to "the ways of the rope" and gets confused when I try and tug her in a different direction. However, even though she doesn't understand it, it keeps her safe.

The reason she likes to go out is because you have given her a taste of what it's like. Leaving a window or screen door open for her will help some too.

This is my first post, so hopefully all the smilies and pictures come through right.

[Heather Wallace]

My oldest cat Tatty is very strange. He lived with me in a flat for about six years and was never able to get out, he used to sit at the window all day and stare out, he really wanted to go out as he would often try and escape.

But now we live in a house will a garden and he is now free to come and go as he pleases, guess what? He now doesn't want to go outside. I have to chase him to make him go outside to do his business. He is like a naughty child!

[Former User]

Of course, when you hav a change to go out, why bother, but my godness when the door is closed etc. they HAVE TO get out as soon as possible! Cats!