My cat

[shaz-rla]

What can I do with my cat...  she follows us everywhere - I had to pick her up in the school playground today.  She is very friendly but has no road sense sitting in the middle of a busy main road while cars have to swerve to avoid her!  She  thinks all our neighbours houses are hers..  any ideas?

[gilby]

my cat is the same. We have a shop a few doors down and she even goes there with us. If we open the car door she is in before we know it. I dont think there is anything we can do apart from lock them in when we are out.

[drgnrdr]

To make sure, 100%, that she is safe, is very simple. Keep her inside. She will stay healthier and safer if she's inside. Their are studies that have found that if a cat only goes outside with you (them on leash), they don't get hit by cars, they don't get abused, they stay out of fights, they don't get pregnant nor do they impregnate others, they usually are more prone to live longer. It's a myth that cats "need" to go outside to be happy. I have seen everything that has happened to cats, that are described above. From getting too fat because they go to neighbors and they think "oh poor kitty no home, how about some tuna", to someone letting their dog loose on the cat and they get ripped to shreds, to some sick individual that set a cat on fire to have some "fun". If you REALLY love your cat, and this goes for anyone not just you, you will keep them inside. I hear all the time, "My cat got out and got hit by a car, I'm so upset", and they are crying, I get so mad at them, and say to them that is too bad for your cat, next time KEEP HIM INSIDE, but they say " I love him to death...I want him happy he wants to go out" I say "well you already loved him to almost death already, now take responsibility and keep them safe, inside your home", people get all over someone that leaves their dogs alone or outside all day, but most think nothing of letting their cat roam all over and get into people gardens and scratch things up, scent mark everywhere. Here is info from one of our Humane Societies, it's at

hssv.org

if this URL doesn't open for you

http://www.hssv.org/LIBRARY/PDF/Behavior/wherecat.pdf

please think about it.....

[Peri]

Hi shaz -  just reading drgnrdr s answer - we have always had indoor cats as I feel cats are very vulnerable outside and would worry about them all the time.  However they have been that way since kittens so I dont know how difficult it would be if your cat has already been allowed out.  It also takes a bit more work I think to have them inside.  But its the first time I have seen anybody elses opinion on indoor cats and I have to say our cats are very happy and content and really loved by every member of our family.

[Niff]

have you tried chaining her up to a lamp post and kicking her everytime she feels the urge to follow you?

worked with mine.

[Coobeastie]

Have just read drgnrdrs reply to be honest think its bit harsh and over reactive. I have two cats and they are both completely opposite one is quite happy indoors and sounds very much like yours. The other, she loves her home comforts but short of sealing all doors and windows she can and will get out. If she was entirely content with being in doors then she wouldn't try climbing our chimney to get out!

Of course studies would find that cats on leashes don't get run over...this is like saying that studies show that if you stay in doors you won't get mugged.

As for impregnating/getting pregnant, unless you intend to breed you should get your cats neutured.

Just today our local paper ran a story about two cats that were drowned by a (can't put what i would like to call the person) but at the end of the day this is a not an every day occurence and if we carry this to its natural conclusion nobody would leave their house, as at the end of the day if it can happen to a cat it could happen to you (apart from maybe the bit about fan belts).

[shaz-rla]

Thanks for all the advice given here (and hello to Peri!).  My little cat was a rescued cat and when we first got her she stayed in for at least 4 weeks.  I tried (very hard) to keep her in but she always made a bolt for the door and we found it increasingly harder to keep her in.  She loves being out in the garden in the sun.  In future I am going to try to keep her in when I have to go further afield as I do worry about her safety.  She is spayed so wont be having kittens! 

[drgnrdr]

In response>I simply answered her question.."What can I do with my cat..no road sense..neighbors houses...any ideas"...I was not harsh...it is your personal choice to go out or not..since you have taken the responsibility of getting a cat, that doesn't speak english..can not use cross walks...can't call out for help so someone can help if it's being abused...etc...then the best way to be sure of the above things shaz-rla was concerned about...I gave my ideas..which is what she asked for.

And staying indoors is no guarantee you won't be violated..ask any one who has been raped in their home. When I mentioned "studies" I was making a facetious remark.

For every story you hear on the "news" there are many others that didn't. In my profession I hear them everyday.

The difference between us deciding to go out and the cats deciding is that we have the choice, as humans, if you have a dog and a cat why keep the dog under control but not the cat? Why does the cat decide what is best for it? It's up to us, our responsibility. If you go to that website you can see how to help your cat learn to be content inside. Contrary to popular belief you can train a cat.

My dog really wants to get out of the house, should I let her, with no leash, let her decide to run all over as Coobeastie suggest for their cat? Just because she wants too?

[Coobeastie]

I've always considered dogs to be different. As does UK law. A dog on the loose may attack people whereas its highly unlikely a cat will.

A useful site is

http://www.cats.org.uk/

They have helplines for advice and also downloadable pdf documents, one of which shows a cat friendly garden.

I do have the welfare of my cats in mind. Thats why I dont allow one of them out. It might help for you to understand my choice to allow one to roam by the fact that I live in a rural area 8 miles from the nearest town.

[Tim B]

It's like anything in this life you can only protect it so far, eg, children, spouses, dogs, cats tortoises.  I'm sure that children and spouses can be taught to be happy only in doors but that isn't the nature of the beast.  Animals are invited into our home and it is in their nature, whilst being wild, to respond to our overtures.  Dogs will respond generally, cats won't generally.  It is our privilege that cats allow us to feed them and occasionally to share their company.

If you take the argument to extreme, like they do in they US, indoor cats have their claws removed and dogs have their vocal chords cut.

How far would you take it?

[drgnrdr]

No extreme here Tim b. I don't think that should be done, it's training that helps .

Like I said I was responding to a question and gave my opinion, just like belly buttons, everyone has one. If you have no neighbors for your cat to bother coobeastie, then it would not apply to you. I wish I lived out in the country also.

But cats coming and destroying gardens and peeing on walks and doors and climbing on cars and such and scratching it, killing wild birds (some may be endangered), cats don't check the list. They have been domesticated, they are no longer wild, any more than dogs are wild. We interuppted them when we got involved. Crazy humans...

It's been a pleasure discussing stuff with you guys here, it's nice to have an intelligent conversation, we may disagree but everyone remained civil and allowed the thoughts to come. Thanks shaz-rla for this thread...

[shaz-rla]

It was nice to see everyones varied ideas in this thread.  Thanks to everyone for their comments!