inside kitty

[applebee]

my little cat has always been an indoor cat, I have had her about two years, and I recently moved into a new apartment with some other ladies. They have been careless about leaving the door open sometimes, and one day she got outside for a coupele of hours, since then my cat has a dying desire to get real close to the door and try to sleek out when at all possible. It is really annoying, and i am really concerned for her safety. Is there anyway I can teach her to NEVER want to go outside?

[noxlumos]

Hi, you won't really like this answer I'm afraid but I think the idea of a house cat that's never allowed out is really terrible.It's awful beyond words, that someone chooses to have a cat of all things, who love to play and roam and wander and then imprison it in a house for it's whole life.Why do you not let the poor thing out, because it might get run over?Life is like that, lots of things might happen but surely the poor thing is entitled to some quality of life during it's time on earth. The very fact that it's rabidly trying to get out underlines my point exactly, the poor thing wants it's freedom.
I know I'll be slated for this post by the house cat brigade and doubtless told I'm irresponsible etc etc etc, but it's how I feel and funnily enough how our local vetrinary practice feel as well.Is there at least no way you could take her for walks so she gets some times away?We've always had cats, even on busy roads and none of them have been solely house dwellers. I'm sorry to sound so negative but it's my pet hate.Hope you don't hate me now:)

[puddycat]

Have to say I agree entirely with noxlumos - cats weren't born to be kept inside - sorry.

[applebee]

Well.. in general I would agree with you both. Its just that in my situation I live in a city...there isn't a big yard outside for her to play in, in the first place...if she were to be outside, she basically would be playing on the street. I live in a HUGE two story house, and I set up most of one room as an entertainment center for her. I do occasionally drive to a park and take her for a walk....and she kinda likes that. If anyone has any ideas on ways to safely let her outside be my guest...I would love suggestions!!!!! She is my princess :) I regard her happiness as extremely important.

[drgnrdr]

check out
http://www.catsinternational.org/
click on articles and read all the great ones on this website...
we over here in the states are always debating about indoor vs outdoor...most vets here tell you to keep them inside...so it depends on which vet you ask...but if the cat goes out and gets hurt where do you have to take them? the vet right..and you have to pay for their service, do you not?
The Shelters and rescues are crammed full of roaming cats that were out and about, and most get euthanised because there is no room left and the rescues have a limit on homes, so they advocate spay/neuter and keeping them inside, it's taken time but eventually they came around to this way of thinking...check out
http://www.hssv.org/LIBRARY/PDF/Behavior/where cat.pdf
if you can.
I am usually the one standing alone on this issue for keeping cats inside...I've seen to much harm and sadness when they have been let outside. Try the can method, you can also revert to a squirt bottle, the whole point is to make it unpleasant to the cat to want to go out, right now he goes out and finds diff things and it's rewarding, just like a dog that gets loose.. they find stuff also and want to get back out of their yard.

[noxlumos]

Hi, I've read that link and am now even more anti-indoor cats than ever and I don't really accept most of anything that link has to say, it's all very scare mongery and "this MIGHT happen".True a cat might get run over, might crawl into a engine bay etc etc etc, but probably won't. If you keep your cats indoors they are DEFINATELY deprived of their freedom and torturing them by squirting them so they are too afraid to want to go outside just really adds insult to injury to the poor things.
We have our cats chipped so no danger they won't be returned ot us if some do-gooder does pick them up, they are very able to fend for themselves (as are all cats I've ever encountered) and we've never had a cat with health problems due to being free, and our present cats range in age ( having been outside whenever they like) from 3 years to 19 years. We lost 2 to being run over ( aged 7 and 11) but that is just a chance that a free creature takes and I still maintain that keeping a cat indoors is the height of psychological cruelty.
My wife had cats in similar circumstances to you applebee when we lived in our flat in London and hers were free cats ( one is the 19 year old). I don't know what you can do to kindly stop you cat wanting to go out, but I do wish you well as it's very obvious that you love your cat very much.

[mr.bungle]

Noxlumos i totally agree with everything you said. To me its as bad as keeping a bird in a cage.

[fat rascal]

i'm with noxlumos, i keep my cats in at night, but they love being outside sunbathing just pottering around, they'd go nuts being indoors all the time.

[peanut]

I can understand not keeping a cat inside once it has been allowed to go outside, but my kitty has never been outside so i dont think he knows what he is missing. If my kitty is inside I know he is safe from cars, kids, thieves who want to take him for thier own pet, and safe from other animals. I am very protective of him and ive gone as far as putting a removeable gate over the window he likes to sit in so that when he stands up with his front paws pushing the screen he cant fall out if the screen were to give out.

[Kimmiebear]

Most cats are more than happy never going outside. I prefer indoor cats myself as they tend to have better socialization. As long as there is clean litter and food and water a cat doesn't need to go outside. Not just because of what might happen but also because of what does happen: cats disturb wildlife in areas that they are not natural predators. They spread worms in there feces when digging in your garden. (I know that many of you don't deworm your cats monthly) Cats are antisocial creatures by nature. They like their immediate staff but do not require neighbourhood friends. I should hope that all the people with indoor/ outdoor cats have them altered so that they cannot reproduce.
To answer the question that was asked, there is not a whole lot you can do. Cats are naturally curious and she probably want to investigate. If she satisfies her curiosity she may not want to go inside. You can set her up to fail; whenever she tries to dart out the house, wait outside with a water gun or a tin can with some pennies in it. When she makes a dash for it, but before she gets outside give her a good squirt or shake the can so it makes a loud noise. I support your decision to keep your cat indoors. I keep all of my foster cats and unadoptable shelter cats indoors.
Cheers
Kim

[noxlumos]

I'm not going to persue the idea that indoor cats=bad, outdoor cats=good, although all of the arguments I've heard have nothing whatsoever to do with the animals well being, just with the owners paranoia, but I would like to ask the pro-inddor cat owners are you English, because it's not something you see a great deal of here so I'm guessing that you are all American and maybe the indoor/outdoor thing is actually quite a cultural opinion. I'm not having a dig, just genuinely curious as i've not really seen much indoor cat ownrship in the UK although I'm sure it does exist as my vet has seen it .

[applebee]

noxlumos, I definately understand that you feel so strongly about having cats outdoors, thats fine, I really did wanna hear a diversity of answers. But what I don't hear from anyone that supports cats being outside...is a positive solution for my situation. At this point NO...I can not take my indoor cat..who knows nothing about the outdoors, has no front claws, and is fixed, and throw her out on the city road...which is DIRECTLY outside my house door. Even if I were to give her to a farm or something so she could be outside...it would be inhumane because she has no claws. Perhaps there is a bit of truth to the cultural question you asked. I am in the US, and it is EXTREMELY common. Would you say that only people who live on farms or have a large plot of grass should own a cat???!!??

[Catso]

I don't know where (most) previous posters are located, but I believe there is a big difference in cat-indoor-vs-outdoor philosphies between Europe and the USA.

In the US, the norm tends to be indoor, in Europe outdoor.

Applebee: there's a saying (this side of the pond, anyway) "curiosity killed the cat". Well founded, I believe, because they are just naturally nosy and explorative creatures. You cat is just dying to see what's on the other side of the door.

I'd say all you can do is make sure she is neutered (tends to reduce wandering) and chipped. I don't think you'll be able to train her, though you could perhaps take her for walks in your local neighbourhood/yard/garden, so if she does get out, she'll recognise how to get back.

[annavc]

I'm in England and my cat is an almost exclusively an indoor cat. As some of you probably know I got him from a rescue centre last year and they told me he was scared of the outdoors and this proved to be true - at first just opening the door into the garden sent him under the nearest bed. Attempts to introduce him to the outdoors brought on constant distressed miaowing and violent shaking. Therefore for the first six months I had him he didn't go out at all - would I be considered a cruel owner for keeping him indoors? Would it have been kinder of me to throw him outside and shut the door leaving him there when he was terrified?

In the last couple of months with some gentle coaxing and gradual 5 minutes trips into the garden he is getting braver and now quite enjoys sitting in the grass but only if I am out there with him. A gust of wind yesterday sent him running back inside!

My point is that there are often circumstances which dictate whether a cat is indoor or outdoor, its never cut and dried. I'm happy that he doesn't like going outside because I know he's safe. I also know he's very happy and healthy. Having said that I'm also happy for him to venture out but I will always ensure he is supervised and stays within the garden so that I know he is safe and so that he does not destroy neighbours gardens or kill off the local bird population.

I am concernced by applebees mention that her cat has no claws as I am totally against declawing animals - it is cruel and wholly unnessecary.

[noxlumos]

Annavc your situation is entirely different and you are obviously doing exactly the right thing, one should never traumatise an animal and if going out bothers him then he should be allowed to stay indoors, I certainly wasn't suggesting cats should never be indoor if that's what they enjoy, just not kept prisoners.
applebee, I already said that I have no magic answers for you, that will be for the indoor cat people to provide as they have experience of indoor cats.
I am not saying only rural folk should keep cats, I already said that my wife had her cats in Central London ( Covent Garden) which were outdoor, so no I'm not trying to say that cats in cities are bad, they aren't, but I still see no reason why someone would choose to have a cat and keep it prisoner because of their own fears. Your cat is now so used to being inside that clearly you'll just have to stick with that and squirt it or rattle tins at it to stop it trying to escape, but that won't stop it wanting to be free, it'll just make it too scared to try. Do you mind me asking why it was de-clawed as well, as annavc is right, it's an awful thing to do?

[cjk23]

This is a very diffucult situation, especially if you dont ahve a ayrd where she can go.
If you ahd a garden or yard you could have tired either a harness and elad or making a large cat pen / run with toys and branches and things in.

Some cats are happy being indoor cats. i have one who never ventures outside even though my back door is often open.

as for de calwing, as someone mentioned, it is looked on with absolute horror in the UK, unecessary and purely for the owners beenfit at great pain and suffering to the cat.

So a lot of aspects of cat care DO depend on culture I beleive.

[annavc]

Thanks noxlumos. I tend to be a bit sensitive about it these days as I've had a fair amount of abuse thrown at me when I say he's an indoor cat. Cats I've had in the past were always allowed out although one took against the idea after escaping from the cattery and taking 3 months to find his way home - he never went out again after that!

I do agree that if possible and if the cat wants to then it should be allowed out. I think though, that if you live somewhere with no safe garden area and a very busy road directly outside then it is probably better to keep them indoors and as someone has suggested take them to a local park on a harness or something to get some air.

It's probably a debate that will go on and on!

[flipflop104]

I can't believe that in one breath you are saying your cat is your princess and her happiness is extremely important to you and in the next you're saying she hasn't got claws on her front paws!!! OMG!! I AM HORRIFIED!! That is so cruel.

My cats go outside and while I don't think cats should be kept indoors all the time, I think providing they have adequate toys and distractions to keep them happy, then they can be happy but de-clawing any animal but particularly a pet you're supposed to love is just DISGUSTING!! I'm speechless....

[drgnrdr]

mmm flip flop your saying the same things I hear from indoor only owners about Outdoor only owners...mmm amazing...how we think sometimes...
I tried to give you some helpful answers applebee..unless you want to pay for a round trip ticket to have me come to your home and train it for you??? NO?
Darn..>>snaps fingers<<<

[noxlumos]

drgnrdr,hmmmm you still haven't answered the flaming question that I put put to you, what excuse ( other than YOUR human convenience) can you have for mutilating a cat by de-clawing it, and how an "indoor" owner has the nerve to critisise someone who allows their cat to live freely is totally beyond me. You said earlier you were usually the lone person defending indoor cat ownership, have you ever wondered why that is? Why don't you buy a BIG cat and try it with that, or are you scared it might vote with it's teeth?Mind you , you could always remove them if they're inconvenient to you...

[caz21]

I'm not sure why not having a garden would be too much of a problem anyway, its not like a cat would stay in the garden if you had one anyway, they are natural roamers, although its probably best you do try keep your cat an indoors cat because she probably would get hurt if she went out coz she isnt used to the world and cars etc. you need them to learn this young IMO