When Is The Right Time To Let My Lovely Norm Outside?

[mani]

Although I take on board what you are saying - the part about a cat not wanting to wander confuses me? I recently watched a interesting programme which no doubt most if not all of you watched?They fitted cat cams and movement trackers to all the outdoor cats and although a few stayed close to their home base the majority of the cats tracked covered vast areas and patrolled the same borders nightly and sometimes daily.

The BBC documentary? Yes, cats will patrol their territory. It's a matter of how large that territory is. It can simply be your home and they can be happy. I do understand how you must feel about incarceration, but you are anthropomorphising.. He does not see his home in the same way.
I'm also concerned about what 'outside' is in your area.

I've managed to cross the first hurdle- he has now been wearing his very smart bright purple cat collar with shiny brass id tag! He stopped fighting it after 3/4 days!Cat flap - actually a doggy flap is being fitted tomorrow afternoon by a good carpenter mate of mine so I will let you all know how his outdoor adventure pans out?

I do wish him well and hope he keeps safe.

 

[JimmyJimmy]

JimmyJimmy I can understand why you are so adverse to the idea of keeping Norm indoors after hearing that you spent some time in prison yourself. However, cats and teenage boys have a very different way of looking at the world. Cats like to have their territory and, if they are neutered, they have no wish to travel outside of their own safety zone. Once Norm has got used to the idea that your home or your home and a catio are his territory he'll be quite content.

My cats have a big enclosure. I have one huge feral born cat who was neutered a bit late and he climbs out of it almost every day. He never goes very far though. I live in the middle of a forest, but all he does is climb over the fence, go to his favourite look-out spot and stare at the rest of the cats from there.

Cats are very much creatures of habit. They don't really want to roam around unless they are hungry or looking for a mate. Even the feral cats I feed stick to their territory of two back yards, a shed and a field.

Also, please don't think of a catio as a prison. With a bit of imagination it can become a lovely tranquil spot for you both to enjoy. Has anyone posted this yet?

Cat Enclosures - Outdoor Cat Runs - Many Cat Enclosure Pictures

Some awesome catios here. The one on page three is like a luxury resort for cats, it's so beautiful.

Get creative, think about what you could do in your own back garden, start making some outdoor shelving and cat trees that match your taste and surroundings, plant loads of cat nip and mint! Making a catio is such a fun project.

I take on board your advice and comments.Its probably just me but in my mind a cat enclosure is a false outside freedom - like seeing those sad animals in a Zoo pacing and pacing in their individual prisons,so bored with their existence and nothing new to stimulate their minds

 

[JimmyJimmy]

JimmyJimmy I can understand why you are so adverse to the idea of keeping Norm indoors after hearing that you spent some time in prison yourself. However, cats and teenage boys have a very different way of looking at the world. Cats like to have their territory and, if they are neutered, they have no wish to travel outside of their own safety zone. Once Norm has got used to the idea that your home or your home and a catio are his territory he'll be quite content.

My cats have a big enclosure. I have one huge feral born cat who was neutered a bit late and he climbs out of it almost every day. He never goes very far though. I live in the middle of a forest, but all he does is climb over the fence, go to his favourite look-out spot and stare at the rest of the cats from there.

Cats are very much creatures of habit. They don't really want to roam around unless they are hungry or looking for a mate. Even the feral cats I feed stick to their territory of two back yards, a shed and a field.

Also, please don't think of a catio as a prison. With a bit of imagination it can become a lovely tranquil spot for you both to enjoy. Has anyone posted this yet?

Cat Enclosures - Outdoor Cat Runs - Many Cat Enclosure Pictures

Some awesome catios here. The one on page three is like a luxury resort for cats, it's so beautiful.

Get creative, think about what you could do in your own back garden, start making some outdoor shelving and cat trees that match your taste and surroundings, plant loads of cat nip and mint! Making a catio is such a fun project.

A cat in a hemmed in enclosure is totally alien to my way of thinking? I also detest caged birds - flight is the greatest gift any animal could wish for and then we take that away! I also dislike cut flowers - such beauty but people cut them and their life is over in a couple of days? Leave them in the ground where nature intended!

 

[Norachan]

It doesn't need to be hemmed in. If you take a look at some of the links to other threads and pages posted in this thread you'll see what is possible.

But I think you've already made up your mind and won't be persuaded by anything others post here, so I'll respectfully bow out of this thread.



I wish you and Norm a long and happy life together.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

A cat in a hemmed in enclosure is totally alien to my way of thinking? I also detest caged birds - flight is the greatest gift any animal could wish for and then we take that away! I also dislike cut flowers - such beauty but people cut them and their life is over in a couple of days? Leave them in the ground where nature intended!

It's been known for centuries that cutting flowers actually benefits the plant overall, strengthening the whole by allowing the plant to put energy into new blooms, rather than into blooms already formed.

"Hitherto, the horror of the gardener has been the cutting of flowers for the house; but if it should prove that cutting prolongs his bloom, strengthens his plants, and gives all who care for flowers a fuller enjoyment of them" - Google Search

Keeping a cat, on the other hand, increases the demand in the marketplace for meat which the cat requires for its own survival (unless one's cat is a vegetarian, in which case it will have a very, very short lifespan indeed), thereby directly causing the death of those animals used in the manufacture of cat foods.

JimmyJimmy - no doubt your Heart is in the right place; there is an inherent sanctity in all Life, and certain "rightful places," and, "proper times," for all things, as witness Ecclesiastes 3:2, but your logic regarding your interaction with God's creatures and His creations is - in my own opinion - somewhat askew.

There are countless, "my cat has gone missing," threads on this forum which attest to the fact that the animal behaviourists have been right all along: a cat allowed outside understands that he or she is being told that they no longer enjoy the favour of having a safe and Loving home, and that it's time to go elsewhere.

I genuinely hope - for Norm's sake - that you'll take the advice given here by mani to Heart:

I do understand how you must feel about incarceration, but you are anthropomorphising.. He does not see his home in the same way.

That said, I hope that Norachan is wrong about your having already made your decision despite the wise and learnéd counsel you've been offered here by so many other posters, however, like NoraChan,

I think you've already made up your mind and won't be persuaded by anything others post here, so I'll respectfully bow out of this thread.

while I hope you've not yet, "made up your mind," I likewise hope that someone might come along with the skills and the words to change your mind. Norm is a beautiful fellow, and you've been given - after the loss of several other cats who've been allowed outside and who have perished because of that - the opportunity to enjoy one another's companionship safe in the bosom of a Loving home. I hope that consideration - the possibility of a future which includes the Love of so noble an animal as Norm for many long years - might sway you from again turning a cat outdoors, to the perils and maladies of a cruel world which has no Love for the sanctity of Life.

I wish both of you a long and joy-filled Life together, and shall, likewise, "bow out of this thread."
.

 

[rubysmama]

JimmyJimmy One last comment from me before I too bow out of this thread.

I posted upthread about our young cat that was killed by a car when I was a kid. I can't imagine what it must have been like for my dad to find him. He never said anything about the condition the cat was in and I shudder now to even wonder. The memory of losing our dear, sweet, barely past kitten-hood cat was more than enough to convince me that keeping my Ruby inside was the only choice.

I just remembered another outdoor misadventure one of our cats had. One night when she didn't come home by bedtime, we all worried that something terrible had happened to her. The next morning my parents looked out the window and saw her sitting on the inside window ledge of the locked shed. Dad opened the door, she came out and all was well.

But what if it was someone else's shed she'd been nosing around in when they closed the door. When would they have found her? That thought keeps me double-checking my own shed before I close the door. But other people might not even think of it, and might not open their shed / garage on a regular basis. Just the thought of a cat locked in a shed overnight, let alone days, is horrifying. And one more reason to keep our cats inside our safe and comfy homes.

I hope if you end up allowing your "lovely Norm" to go outside that he shocks you and ends up staying inside. And if he does go outside, I hope he beats the odds and lives a long and happy life with you.

 

[Lalka]

A lot of great suggestions posted here. For me, there is no good reason for letting a cat roam free outside and there is too many other good options, like the leash, the outdoor catio or cat tree/shelve in front a secured open window, for your cat to enjoy the fresh air. Even if there was only 1% chance of something happening to my cats outside i would not risk it. That's how much i love them.
And please...cats cant be compared to children. I did like the comment "would you let your kid play next to a highway without supervision". Its like rolling the dices and hoping for a good outcome.

 

[daisyd]

I just hope one day the RSPCA change their stance re advising to let cats roam outside if healthy. My friends hardly see their cats and I shudder at night when I think of them outside . Cats love sleeping under parked cars too and my hubby spent good half and hour the other day trying to entice a cat to move so he could drive. Im afraid until that happens it will always he the norm to let cats outside here. I will always keep my one in even if we do move. She gets I'll eating cat food from the shops God forbid if she eat a raw rodent !!

 

[dustydiamond1]

Hi JimmyJimmy and Norm.
Our 2yr old (vet guess) ex-stray Gypsy has been a full time house cat since she came home limping in Feb 2017. She really wanted to go out when the weather got nice so I picked up a nice 'H' nylon harness from Petco. We had no idea if she had ever been on a leash before. She did really well in it but twice she was able to get her back paws under the waist strap and flip it off. We may not have cinched it tight enough but since the neck strap was still in place she was still secured while we picked her up. After considerable research I decided on the Kitty Holster Cat Harness, I also considered the Mynwood Cat Jackets which are manufactured in Yorkshire. It fastens with Velcro at the neck and the waist and we feel very safe with her in it. Although we are a single cat household she seems quite happy inside, doesn't stand forlornly by the door anymore

. She has lots of window perches to watch the squirrels and birds from. It has been such a hot, humid miserable summer that we haven't been able to get outside with her as much as we would like but she is content inside.

There are more photos of our outdoor adventures in my albums.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Yes - I think you are right - took me nearly 3 years to get over the loss of Barry the Bengal from my life - broke my heart - I cried for days and this is a man who didn't shed one tear when he buried both his parents

 

[dustydiamond1]

I take on board your advice and comments.Its probably just me but in my mind a cat enclosure is a false outside freedom - like seeing those sad animals in a Zoo pacing and pacing in their individual prisons,so bored with their existence and nothing new to stimulate their minds

I can see your point, I can't stand to visit zoos anymore. But please, take into consideration, that at the end of the day those poor caged critters don't get the option of snuggling with a loving human as our dear beloved pets do. Also they aren't on public display since in the privacy of a back yard strangers shouldn't be standing around staring at them.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Maybe some tripical fish ?

Great idea! A fish tank is a wonderful thing for keeping a cat entertained, maybe even better than a window since unlike squirrels & birds the fishys can't disappear as easily.

 

[mightyboosh]

Good luck Norm.

 

[vyger]

I live in a rural area. I have several cats that like being outside. In fact I brought one of them in the other day for a treat and within 2 hours she was in front of the door wanting back out. I see them every day several times a day, sometimes all day because when I am outside they come looking for me. If I am watering the garden they come over and enjoy being with me. But they want to be outside. Since I am surrounded by farm field the only real vegetation is what I have planted on my acreage. The cats will often lurk in the grass and trees at the border of the field. They almost never go any farther except to try and grab something that wanders out in the open. I have several cats that mostly stay inside all the time. They don't want to go out. And I have several that go out in the day and come back in at night. I let them do what they want. We have in effect formed our own colony and the members stick around because its their home and territory. I have almost no mice, none that survive that is, no squirrels, no gophers. My colony keeps them all under control. So, they can be outside but it really depends on the circumstances and on the cats. I would hesitate to let them out if we were living in a city.

 

[daisyd]

Great idea! A fish tank is a wonderful thing for keeping a cat entertained, maybe even better than a window since unlike squirrels & birds the fishys can't disappear as easily.

We are getting one built for gracie ! Knowing her she won't be interested though

 

[daisyd]

I live in a rural area. I have several cats that like being outside. In fact I brought one of them in the other day for a treat and within 2 hours she was in front of the door wanting back out. I see them every day several times a day, sometimes all day because when I am outside they come looking for me. If I am watering the garden they come over and enjoy being with me. But they want to be outside. Since I am surrounded by farm field the only real vegetation is what I have planted on my acreage. The cats will often lurk in the grass and trees at the border of the field. They almost never go any farther except to try and grab something that wanders out in the open. I have several cats that mostly stay inside all the time. They don't want to go out. And I have several that go out in the day and come back in at night. I let them do what they want. We have in effect formed our own colony and the members stick around because its their home and territory. I have almost no mice, none that survive that is, no squirrels, no gophers. My colony keeps them all under control. So, they can be outside but it really depends on the circumstances and on the cats. I would hesitate to let them out if we were living in a city.

Sounds lovely !

 

[Elfilou]

I live in a rural area. I have several cats that like being outside. In fact I brought one of them in the other day for a treat and within 2 hours she was in front of the door wanting back out. I see them every day several times a day, sometimes all day because when I am outside they come looking for me. If I am watering the garden they come over and enjoy being with me. But they want to be outside. Since I am surrounded by farm field the only real vegetation is what I have planted on my acreage. The cats will often lurk in the grass and trees at the border of the field. They almost never go any farther except to try and grab something that wanders out in the open. I have several cats that mostly stay inside all the time. They don't want to go out. And I have several that go out in the day and come back in at night. I let them do what they want. We have in effect formed our own colony and the members stick around because its their home and territory. I have almost no mice, none that survive that is, no squirrels, no gophers. My colony keeps them all under control. So, they can be outside but it really depends on the circumstances and on the cats. I would hesitate to let them out if we were living in a city.

If I were able to give mine that sort of natural setting, I would let her out. I love the idea of giving my cat a part of her independence back. I enjoy that balance where the animal chooses to stay and isn't entirely reliant on humans for every little thing: from food to exercise and entertainment. I will continue to provide mine with daily walks because I think it's important for sensory stimulation, and if I move out of this flat and into a house with a garden I will make a catio.

But humans have taken over in cities. There is nothing "natural" about a cat going out in the city. In a more forested type of environment, or just generally anywhere with a smaller population of human animals I would go for it. But humans (and their cars, and their chemicals, and their attitudes) are too unpredictable and abundant in the city to trust an animal with the cognition of a 3-4 year old outside alone. If I ever live in a more rural area I will definitely consider letting her out, that's when the benefits start outweighing the list of risks.

 

[jcat]

There are countless, "my cat has gone missing," threads on this forum which attest to the fact that the animal behaviourists have been right all along: a cat allowed outside understands that he or she is being told that they no longer enjoy the favour of having a safe and Loving home, and that it's time to go elsewhere.

Animal behavior "experts" who make such nonsensical generalizations are as credible as those who insist that indoor-only cats can't be happy since confinement goes against feline nature. Such sweeping judgments lead to some shelters only adopting to people who subscribe to an indoor-only lifestyle for their cats, no matter the cats' characters and histories or the owners' locations, while others prescribe an indoor/outdoor life even in an urban environment, as is primarily the case in Britain.

 

[mokapi]

This thread makes me very sad.

I wish the best for Norm, and that his life isn't cut short because you consider a home to be a penitentiary. As many others have said, there are easy ways for you to keep him safe and stimulated...if you are unwilling to put in that effort, then perhaps a different animal may be best for you in the future. You can keep very beautiful fish in a 20g tank, but of course they also take genuine upkeep and care (bi-weekly water changes, for example), and cannot simply be left to their own devices.

Anthropomorphism of this type claims a lot of lives unnecessarily. I'm frankly floored that you've lost cats and are willing to risk the life of yet another.

Good luck, Norm.

 

[AbbysMom]

I think everyone needs to remember that there are cultural differences involved here and that some shelters in the UK will not even adopt to people that will not let their cat outside. We have quite a few members from these other countries and everyone needs to keep this in mind. Just as having a spay and a declaw together is still very common in the US, so is letting your cat outside in other countries. All cultures have things that others do not quite understand, but change takes a long time and we need to be tolerant of cultural differences.