indoor cats soon to live outside....

[kit e cat]

My boyfriend is SEVERELY allergic to cats. I'm not talking about some sniffles or sneezing, I'm talking about he can't breathe and he also has allergy induced asthma and has had severe asthma attacks. That being said, when we made the decision for him to move in with me 2 years ago, I had 3 cats. I sat him down and told him in no uncertain terms that the cats lived indoors, and that is where they would stay. He could deal with it or not move in. Well, he's dealt with it. He takes medicine and doesn't touch the cats nearly as much as I do. And the cats are not allowed in the bedroom. It can be done. Putting an indoor cat outside to live is much worse than just taking it and having it put to sleep.

I am doing the same when spring comes.
My cats are all going outside.

Provide a lot of shelter. We already built a cat house and bought outdoor heating pat for warmth.

I know most people are against having cats outdoor here.
But if that's the choice we made, then we have to try the best for cats being outside.

-Kazy

And I really am speechless at this post. I know you're waiting til spring comes, but what about when winter comes again? I really am speechless. Find them new homes who will care for them.

 

[kazy]

Originally Posted by Kit E Cat

And I really am speechless at this post. I know you're waiting til spring comes, but what about when winter comes again? I really am speechless. Find them new homes who will care for them.

I totally understand your feeling, but my case is little different.
My cats were feral in my yard. I was not planning to keep them inside, but ended up that way when I trapped them for spay / neuter.

My husband gave in so much to let me keep them confined in the bedroom. (he never had pets in his entire life and grew up with mom who hates animals.)
I won't try to break up my marriage over my cats.
I will not take them to shelter because they are not tame enough to be adopted.
I made commitment to myself to look after them. So that's what I will do.
I would think twice about converting 100% indoor house cat to outdoor cat, though....

-Kazy

 

[glitch]

Well Ive lived with cats my whole life, and they are very easy to get along with so I dont understand whats up with having to put cats that you brought inside, outside! Sure, you neutered them, but what good does that do to keep them warm in winter?? I also dont understand how your marriage would suffer from cats. Just because he didn't "grow up" with them?? I dont know... so are you on here too trying to figure out a way to put yours outside too??
My babies would die outside, and I know it! So I dont let them go out. Its too cold, and I know from seeing the old neighborhood cats that they can freeze solid overnight! Even a dog can! (that happened to my dad) Why can't you just find good homes for them personally?? Instead of homing them at a shelter, find a couple friends and ask them to take them! Im sure someone has to want them! Cats are wonderful, once given the chance to be!! Come on folks, give em a shot! They can be members of a family too!!! I promise!!
Another idea is to put them on the Emergency Rescue thread!! Maybe a member that lives in your area can help you two out! Or put them on craigslist, or petfinder! There are other ways...

 

[emmylou]

Originally Posted by Kit E Cat

Putting an indoor cat outside to live is much worse than just taking it and having it put to sleep.

I don't think that's true... I'm sure cats would rather be outside and alive, than dead. But it's certainly much better to find an indoor cat a happy, new indoor home than to force it outside.

 

[white cat lover]

Originally Posted by emmylou

I don't think that's true... I'm sure cats would rather be outside and alive, than dead. But it's certainly much better to find an indoor cat a happy, new indoor home than to force it outside.

Some cats simply do not have the survival skills to live outdoors.

The humane society where I volunteer places cats on farm as an alternative to euthanizing. However, we only place ones we know can/will survive on a farm. If they've never lived outside, we won't let them go to a farm.

 

[emmylou]

That would be a rarity, though... a cat who couldn't survive or learn how to. And a good chance of survival is better than a 0 percent chance of survival (euthanasia).

I'm not advocating putting an indoor cat out. I'm just saying it's not literally a fate worse than death.

 

[lsanders]

Originally Posted by Kit E Cat

My boyfriend is SEVERELY allergic to cats. I'm not talking about some sniffles or sneezing, I'm talking about he can't breathe and he also has allergy induced asthma and has had severe asthma attacks.

Kit E Cat, I went through the same thing- my boyfriend, who didn't grow up with cats, but had contact with them at friend's houses (without any problems), suddenly became severely allergic to them at the age of 24 or so. It started with my friend's cat, an all gray house cat. Same thing- full-blown asthma attack. Then he was allergic to all cats, any color/coat length until fairly recently, at the age of 30. He'd noticed that he could spend more time around friend's cats before getting a reaction, if he got one at all.

At Christmas, we visited an old family friend who had three gray cats and it came back with a vengeance. Within a half-hour he was outside gasping for air. And since I had filled out the paperwork to adopt a cat from the shelter I volunteer at (thinking, "FINALLY, I can have a cat again!") I was not happy.

We brought the cat home a week later, though, and were very relieved when at no time in the last 8 weeks has he had a reaction to our black and white cat. So, we think (hope, PRAY!) he's outgrown the allergy. We think he may just still have a reaction to gray cats, since they tend to have thicker coats, and sometimes are a little oilier than other cats.

Has your boyfriend always has this allergy? Maybe there's hope! BTW, what medication is he on? We found that only prescription asthma inhalers would do the trick. I've heard about another medicine, a class of drugs called Cromolyn sodium that are for people with allergy-induced asthma.

 

[siamesestacey]

I would ask your allergist about a subcutaneous injectable drug (tiny needle that goes just under the skin, not into a vein or muscle) called Xolair or generic name omalizumab. If your step-son has asthma he might be able to get a tiny skin prick type of injection once a month and won't have allergic reactions to the cat. My cousin is on it and it's amazing. She used to have severe cat allergy and now she doesn't even react to her mother's cats.