Anybody else have a yard waste junkie?

[jcat]

Jamie has had us in stitches this evening because he's been up to his old tricks in the cellar. He adores the smell of cut grass, wood chips, etc.. My husband has been doing a lot of yard work this week, and Jamie has been in his glory, rolling around on Daddy's gardening shoes, sniffing them and trying to get his head into them. DH also has a 30-gallon folding vinyl container for yard waste which Jamie has claimed as his own. He likes it even better than a cardboard box, and that's saying a lot. He kept jumping into it tonight, but then couldn't get out again, or at least pretended he couldn't. I'd lift him out, he'd jump back in, then we'd do another round.:lol3: He probably could have played in it for hours, but I was afraid he'd overexert himself (he has severe HCM).

Do your cats go into ecstasy over the smell of yard waste?

 

[rad65]

I live in an apartment with a small back yard, so there isn't any yard waste, but my younger cat absolutely loves grass and fallen leaves. I know cats will eat grass to calm their stomachs, but he goes to town on the backyard whenever I take him out there. He rolls around in the grass, shoves his nose into the grass to smell it, and munches grass for as long as we're outside. I can only imagine that once I move out of the city and get a house with a lawn that I mow, he will go extra crazy for the intensely smelly lawn clippings.

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• rad65
• Aug 28, 2012

 

[jcat]

He sounds like Jamie. When I take him outside, he'll roll in the grass clippings, go into the garage and rub himself on the lawn mower, and dive into the wood chips under the shrubs. :lol3:

 

[mimi3908]

this is an interesting issue for me because I have a backyard but I'm hesitant to allow any of my cats to go outdoors at all. Are your cats indoor/outdoor cats that you feel okay to let them go out on their own?  When you say you bring your cat out there, I suppose you mean you supervise your cat while it is out and about? because that is what I would do since I'm afraid of any of my cats going out there and somehow finding a way out of my yard even if it is mostly enclosed by six foot high fencing. I'm also weary about typical outdoor issues like what cats might end up eating, the need to wear a collar, and stuff they might bring in the house. I'm sure a lot of people have cats that live in and out of their house, but I couldn't bear the risks of my cats getting hurt or lost, so allowing them in my backyard might be an idea. Still, I'm grappling with the potential dangers of garden plants, shrubs, insects, etc that might negatively affect my cat because my yard filled with all types of plants. Or am I over thinking this?

 

[yayi]

Our grass and trees are regularly trimmed and cleared but I have never seen any of my cats (old and new) do the things Jamie and rad65's cat do. That is, unless there is something alive buried in the pile. Then it's a pretty funny thing to watch. They bury themselves in it, or dig or jump on it. 

 

[yayi]

this is an interesting issue for me because I have a backyard but I'm hesitant to allow any of my cats to go outdoors at all. Are your cats indoor/outdoor cats that you feel okay to let them go out on their own?  When you say you bring your cat out there, I suppose you mean you supervise your cat while it is out and about? because that is what I would do since I'm afraid of any of my cats going out there and somehow finding a way out of my yard even if it is mostly enclosed by six foot high fencing. I'm also weary about typical outdoor issues like what cats might end up eating, the need to wear a collar, and stuff they might bring in the house. I'm sure a lot of people have cats that live in and out of their house, but I couldn't bear the risks of my cats getting hurt or lost, so allowing them in my backyard might be an idea. Still, I'm grappling with the potential dangers of garden plants, shrubs, insects, etc that might negatively affect my cat because my yard filled with all types of plants. Or am I over thinking this?

You can build them an outdoor enclosure, where in you can put "safe" plants they can enjoy. Your enclosure can also be screened to keep bothersome insects out. 

 

[jcat]

this is an interesting issue for me because I have a backyard but I'm hesitant to allow any of my cats to go outdoors at all. Are your cats indoor/outdoor cats that you feel okay to let them go out on their own?  When you say you bring your cat out there, I suppose you mean you supervise your cat while it is out and about? because that is what I would do since I'm afraid of any of my cats going out there and somehow finding a way out of my yard even if it is mostly enclosed by six foot high fencing. I'm also weary about typical outdoor issues like what cats might end up eating, the need to wear a collar, and stuff they might bring in the house. I'm sure a lot of people have cats that live in and out of their house, but I couldn't bear the risks of my cats getting hurt or lost, so allowing them in my backyard might be an idea. Still, I'm grappling with the potential dangers of garden plants, shrubs, insects, etc that might negatively affect my cat because my yard filled with all types of plants. Or am I over thinking this?

Jamie goes outside on a leash every day. We have a 2-meter (6'6") fence, but cats can easily clear that. I put a dog harness on him, use a retractable leash and take some reading material with me, because he'll often lurk behind a bush in the hopes of catching a bird. He eats grass out there - untreated, of course -, but leaves other plants alone (except for marking them). I used to put him on a fixed line and sit out there with him for an hour or so, but since he's gotten older (13) he's preferred a couple of short walks to one long stay out there. He does have a cat-net-secured balcony he uses.

Miezi, our "half cat", has always been indoor/outdoor, which isn't my preference, but she came to us as an adult, goes crazy when confined, and has never taken to a harness and leash. She goes between our house and a neighbor's because she and Jamie don't get along at all, and usually sticks to our property or our neighbor's. I worry about cars, cat fights and anti-freeze, but not so much about plants. Two big advantages are that she comes when called and we live in a cul-de-sac with very little traffic, basically just neighbors who know to watch out for her.

As yayi said, one possibility is making an enclosure. There are several threads here discussing enclosures people have bought/built and an article: Cat Enclosures
Search Results for “cat enclosures”

 

[mimi3908]

thanks for the suggestions and link. I have to look into this more, I know one of my kitties stares at my yard often so will see how that can work.