Cat Forums - House Cats? Lucy360 - Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:26 pm Post subject: House Cats?
Does anybody have house cats? My mother fostered a little one eyed ginger kitten a few years back and on the first day that he was allowed out of the house he run straight across the road and got killed. My mother was heart broken and the cats she has fostered since have become house cats. They have the full run off the house (except the bedrooms) and my father built a huge cat pen for them in the garden that joins to the house via a tunnel, so that they can play outside and get fresh air without being in any danger. I was just wondering how other peoples cats have adjusted to living indoors?
Heres half of it
GerbilPunk - Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:37 pm Post subject:
i thought all cats were house cats... except for wild ones (well duh!)
Lucy360 - Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:43 pm Post subject:
No House cats/indoor cats live indoors hence the name. Some have to for reasons such as illness eg Leukemia & FIV, they can spread to other cats that they come into contact with, and others do because thier owners feel safer with thier cat indoors, eg they cant get run over, attacked by dogs, stolen.
GerbilPunk - Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:50 pm Post subject:
ooooooooooooooh i see! id never heard of it.
honeydlc - Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:55 pm Post subject:
Wow, your mum's outdoor cat run looks fantastic!
My last cat Ribsy was an indoor cat by her own choice, she was an ex feral cat with one eye and three legs and clearly decided her outside days were well behind her!
My current three cats do go outside, two of them only go into the back garden and stay there but Timber jumps the wall and disappears for hours, leaving me very worried!
I can completely understand your mum's worries, the amount of RTA's we see is very sobering.
I suppose it's a toss up really, if you don't have the facilities for an outside run like your mum's you have to weigh up the pro's and cons!
Lucy360 - Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:56 pm Post subject:
Yeah its quite common these days heres a link for more info and reasons why. http://home.hiwaay.net/~keiper/indoors.htm
Totally agree honeydlc I guess my mums cats are lucky because they have a huge outdoor run which they have 24 hour access to, and many people dont have the room or means to make one.
LauraJane - Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:55 am Post subject:
my 1st cat freddie got hit by a car when he was only 9 months old this happened when we were on holiday & my dad was going round to feed him. he used to leave the garden as soon as he was let out.
My 2nd cat Mille is a home girl, she only tends to go in our back garden, chasing flies etc
At night time I always lock the cat flap so she cant get out as I think most accidents with cats happen at night time.
In fact as soon as it goes dark I get her in for the night. Paula - Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:20 am Post subject:
our cat Casper is a silver spotted british shorthair. my boyf had him from a kitten 4 years before he met me. Casper was always kept as a house cat due to the fact that he is a pedigree cat and my boyfs parents (who used to breed persians) were convinced he would get stolen if let outdoors. the other thing with Casper is that he has a skin condition (the vet thinks it is ezema but not 100% sure) and they were not sure if being outdoors would irritate his skin. so he has never really known outdoors and is quite content with the house.
Lola we got in march last year from a rescue centre, they thought she was about 5 years old. she has always been a house cat as she is very timid due to being mistreated as a young kitty (the rspca had her removed from the place where she was living, poor baby). since then she has always stayed indoors and is also quite happy there.
we do let both cats into our back garden for a wander round when we are there but they are not really bothered. they just sit there and look at the birds in the trees. the slightest movement sends them running back into the safety of the house!
the only downside to having cats who stay indoors is that they can get a bit overweight due to lack of exercise but I try and get casper and lola to play and run around, they tend to want to have a fuss, eat and sleep mainly though lol
LauraJane - Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:53 am Post subject:
"the slightest movement sends them running back into the safety of the house"
my millie is the same - she hurtles in so fast I wonder why the cat flap does come if its hinges. her tail is all bushed up pupils are massive - she is a funny cat.
clareabella - Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:08 am Post subject:
I rescued a kitten a few years ago who was a ferral.My uncle decided to keep her rather than finding her a home.
He decided to keep her in as there is a busy road at the back of his house and she has never wanted/tried to go outside. Infact there has been many times when the door to the garden has been left open and she just sits by it.
She is more than happy to sit in the window sunbathing and getting lots of fuss. She is now 7 years old and has never been outside yet she is the most content cat i have ever seen Lucy360 - Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:52 am Post subject:
Thanks for the replies it makes me feel good to know that others cats live indoors happily. There is no chance of my mums lot becoming fat as most of them are a bit psyco and run throughout the house daily lol.
As clareabella said, many a time a visitor has left the front door open and the cats just sit in the doorway looking out. I also think they are spoilt because they never need to venture out in the rain for a wee, lol.
clareabella - Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:07 pm Post subject:
aww bless them. If she did want to let them out for a bit though you can get harnesses for cats, i used to have one when i was trying to get my cat used to the house move (she refused to move though lol!)
Lucy360 - Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:08 pm Post subject:
lol, we have a cat harness, only one cat out of the lot like it the others just crouch into the floor and stop still, they wont budge.
clareabella - Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:10 pm Post subject:
They are stubbon animals sometimes arent they! Lucy360 - Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:59 pm Post subject:
Certainly are! Lucky they are so gorgeous though, outweights everything!
honeydlc - Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:27 pm Post subject:
Hehehe, LMAO at mental image of myself trying to take my three cats for a walk on harnesses and leads clareabella - Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:04 pm Post subject:
That would certainly be a sight that turns heads
her tail is all bushed up pupils are massive - she is a funny cat.
