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📚 Dianne 📚
"Never Judge A Book By Its Movie"
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Post by 📚 Dianne 📚 on Dec 3, 2018 12:15:18 GMT -8
I have always been a staunch believer that pet cats should be indoor cats. That they aren't adequately prepared to face the rigors of the outdoors no matter what is intuition for them- Hunting, tracking etc.
I watch my cats fight via the sliding glass doors on my patio with my neighbors' outdoor cat who annoys them and baits them daily...I don't know what would happen if I let them outside and they actually fought this cat. My heart is in my throat just thinking of them being on their own in the forest around my house, encountering a coyote or bear or even just being hit by a car.
Well anyway, what do you think? Should cats be left to stay outdoors on their own? Cats already need yearly rabies vaccines as dogs do, the only thing they don't have in common with dogs is being licensed and tagged.
Why aren't dogs left to roam on their own? Shouldn't they be able to go free like a cat?
In one way I can kind of understand why they are not allowed to roam since dogs are close to their lupine cousins, they have that pack mentality going on and they could do some major damage if the pack is riled enough
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Post by ukschalke on Dec 3, 2018 13:08:34 GMT -8
i used to have two cats and both were indoor cats
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Derek‽
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Post by Derek‽ on Dec 3, 2018 22:58:39 GMT -8
Cats aren’t china dolls. They can handle themselves if they’re familiar with their surroundings and have adequate survival experience. A cat born and raised indoors won’t fare nearly as well as a cat that has spent extensive time outdoors, of course, but their instincts will enable them to acclimate if necessary. It’s important to remember that house cats are ambush predators and are thus “cowards” by nature. Their go-to moves when faced with danger are hiding and evasion. Their bursting sprint can outrun almost anything, and their smaller frame means they can get into and through passages most predators can’t.
But nature is nature, and prey eventually falls to predator some of the time. The law of averages, and all that. People shouldn’t let their pets roam unless they’re emotionally prepared for the day in which that pet never returns.
I have a cat who used to be an outdoor cat. He was born of a stray under my neighbor’s deck and eventually gravitated to my house for food and water, and he just never really left. He spent most of every day on my porch or garden. He usually only spent winter nights inside as his preference was to stay outside whenever feasible. He was the definite alpha of the neighborhood; other strays or owned outdoor cats would occasionally follow him around, and they deferred to him, especially when it came to eating. I only ever saw him back down from raccoons.
After my house fire in 2015, he was scooped up and taken with me to my grandparents’ farm to stay for awhile. He liked their attention and didn’t pay attention to their cat’s protests at his presence, but he still wanted to go outside, which we couldn’t allow due to coyotes and his lack of familiarity with the area. This greatly pissed him off. So, I took him out on a leash. He accepted this restriction at first, but it clearly wasn’t ideal for him. After three or four trips around the yard like this, he just... stopped. He didn’t want to go out at all anymore. A lifelong outdoor cat turned into an indoor cat almost overnight. Now, at the new house, he has scratched at the door a few times, but he still isn’t allowed outside. I took him out once just to show him that this neighborhood is completely foreign to him, which seems to have succeeded in quelling his desire.
As for dogs, they tend to be territorial and show a willingness to confront anything within their perceived territory, including—especially—other dogs and humans.
Curiously, the Peruvian city of Cusco is famous for its wandering dogs, both stray and owned. They spend their days running about town doing whatever they please and go home at night. They’ve formed a canine society within a human society and have learned to follow along with human social norms. Makeshift packs do form, but the dogs almost never come into conflict with humans, because the dogs have their own business to tend to (mostly just socializing amongst themselves) and they don’t have time to interact with humans much at all. And because they roam free in this bustling, open environment full of dogs and people, their concept of territory seems to break down. They may remain protective of their homes, but the broader city itself is a shared territory no dog or pack could ever hope to claim exclusively.
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Pearson
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Post by Pearson on Dec 4, 2018 3:24:49 GMT -8
If a cat has always been indoors, in my opinion it would not be prepared to all of a sudden take on the outside world. My wife has had horses most of her life, the barns where they were kept always had barn cats. They were use to the elements, were fed and taken care of, and kept the rodent problem down to a minimum.
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Post by User 180565 is taking donation on Dec 4, 2018 17:37:51 GMT -8
I read a comment once, let them out when it rains. Problem solved.
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📚 Dianne 📚
"Never Judge A Book By Its Movie"
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Post by 📚 Dianne 📚 on Dec 5, 2018 4:53:05 GMT -8
I read a comment once, let them out when it rains. Problem solved. Okay, I give in---what the heck does this mean? *Oh wait -coffee just kicked in-you mean that they will never want to go out again after they meet up with the rain right? How about some good old fashioned New England sleet and snow? Think that would do the same thing?
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Post by User 180565 is taking donation on Dec 5, 2018 4:58:34 GMT -8
I read a comment once, let them out when it rains. Problem solved. Okay, I give in---what the heck does this mean? *Oh wait -coffee just kicked in-you mean that they will never want to go out again after they meet up with the rain right? How about some good old fashioned New England sleet and snow? Think that would do the same thing? They would have too much fun in the snow my cat darts off running even if I just show him a spray bottle now dont even have to use it anymore just point runs away from things he's not suppose to be near.
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Post by wildmaven on Dec 5, 2018 7:13:20 GMT -8
There are also all of those studies done (I'm too lazy to actually go get sources right now but maybe I will in the morning) that claim that cats are highly disruptive to natural wildlife in urban areas. As much as they may seem small, sweet, and cuddly, they are predatory animals and will kill anything smaller than them in most situations. Allow cats to roam free outside is irresponsible of the owners not only because it can put their pet at risk but that it also does such environmental damage as endangering some small, urban bird species. Absolutely true! "Predation by domestic cats is the number-one direct, human-caused threat to birds in the United States and Canada. In the United States alone, outdoor cats kill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year. Although this number may seem unbelievable, it represents the combined impact of tens of millions of outdoor cats. Each outdoor cat plays a part." abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/cats-and-birds/
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♥ ℒʊ√ ♥
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Post by ♥ ℒʊ√ ♥ on Dec 5, 2018 17:46:24 GMT -8
Having both strictly indoor cats (tamed/non-feral) and outdoor cats (ferals), I can honestly say that outdoor cats can survive the elements if properly fed and given proper shelter.
I strongly believe in TNR for all feral cats and have been doing it for decades. The longest lived outdoor cat in my colony was 19 3/4 years old. I know because his mother came to my property to give birth. After doing so, she was immediately spayed. I successfully tamed four of the five in the litter and kept two and gave two to a friend. But Tiger was simply not having any of it. He wanted to be outdoors and anything less would not make him happy. So I let him live the life he chose and he chose wisely. For almost 20 years, that boy lived life on his terms and enjoyed every second of it.
Now, if someone has dumped their cat and it is by no means feral, then I either foster it until a good home that supplies references can be found, or it becomes my indoor furkid.
As far as killing birds, I have a very healthy bird population here. The feral colony is located in the back of the house and the bird feeders in the front.
www.alleycat.org/resources/the-wisconsin-study-bad-science-costs-cats-lives/
The Hemingway cats in Florida are tourist attractions as are the colonies along the boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ.
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📚 Dianne 📚
"Never Judge A Book By Its Movie"
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cats57
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Post by 📚 Dianne 📚 on Dec 6, 2018 3:37:01 GMT -8
Okay, I give in---what the heck does this mean? *Oh wait -coffee just kicked in-you mean that they will never want to go out again after they meet up with the rain right? How about some good old fashioned New England sleet and snow? Think that would do the same thing? They would have too much fun in the snow my cat darts off running even if I just show him a spray bottle now dont even have to use it anymore just point runs away from things he's not suppose to be near. I gave up with the spray bottle of water -I started using compressed air, you know, the stuff you clean your keyboards with!
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Shady
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Post by Shady on Dec 6, 2018 4:35:23 GMT -8
I think the answer to this is different depending on where you live. It’s more unusual to have indoor only cats in the UK I think, but we don’t have large predators and rabies isn’t a risk. Cats generally have a large territory, and when I had to keep mine inside when they were young, they were desperate to escape. I have lost one in a road accident, and it was awful, but we lived in a very quiet and low risk area and looking back I still wouldn’t have kept him inside permanently.
I’ve also moved house with my cat, and despite his surroundings being unfamiliar at first, he soon got to grips with it and he’s never run away. He doesn’t go far and spends more time inside than when he was younger, but he hates it when we go away and shut him in with the auto feeder.
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Derek‽
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Post by Derek‽ on Dec 6, 2018 17:23:05 GMT -8
I read a comment once, let them out when it rains. Problem solved. If only it was that easy. Have you ever found yourself on a pitch black farm, in the middle of a storm, at midnight, trying to wrangle a cat that truly, madly, deeply hates you? I have. Two weeks ago.
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Post by User 180565 is taking donation on Dec 6, 2018 17:31:14 GMT -8
I read a comment once, let them out when it rains. Problem solved. If only it was that easy. Have you ever found yourself on a pitch black farm, in the middle of a storm, at midnight, trying to wrangle a cat that truly, madly, deeply hates you? I have. Two weeks ago. My cat deeply hates me so I understand.
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Meryl
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Meryl
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Post by Meryl on Dec 9, 2018 11:46:22 GMT -8
Cats are meant to be indoors, if they want to be. It's cruel to keep them indoors if they want to go outside. Some cats are mousers/ratters, some love to be pampered by their owners. They are all different. Listen to your own cat. They know what they want and what's best for them. The longer they live with you, the more you'll learn.
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Former Member
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guest@proboards.com
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Former Member
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Post by Former Member on Dec 12, 2018 6:30:28 GMT -8
Cats hate lemon pepper, if you can't find any in your supermarket then create your own, cats hate lemon, pepper, and garlic.
I once had a kitten who insisted on using my furniture for a scratching post and I tried everything under the sun, and I'm not about traumatizing my pets so I don't abuse them in anyway physically and verbally so, I had some lemon pepper that was never being used to I rubbed it on my couch where he would scratch at, just watching him squint was and back away was too adorable but, after a couple of days he got the hint and never did it again.
It didn't mark up the couch with stains or anything and the scent stayed there for about a month maybe.
I've seen way way too many cats suffer a slow death from both natural and human elements to say I am not for outdoor cats at all. This word just isn't made for them anymore the human population is clearly taking over and wildlife are hungry, either/or none leave a positive impact on the outdoor cat neither does nature for that matter.
I once failed a rescue on a poor kitty that was dragging his/her back end around after having his butt blown apart from a firecracker, the vet had to put the kitty down, so much for being an outdoor kitty. We once had a bunch of feral and stray cats re-homed after vet care and neutering/spaying them after almost losing a feathered species to cats.
I bet I can give people MORE reasons to keep their cat indoors than I could not to keep them indoors.
People drop their dogs off at a mountain out here called Jones Lake? People also drop their unwanted dogs off at Indian reserves as well? The park rangers used to find black garbage bags of dead puppies up at this one mountain every breeding until they left cameras up to find out who was dumping them.
The worlds' not what it used to be anymore!
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