so i just gotta kitty cat, gots no clue what kind it is, is it gonna wanna go outside? are only certain kinds outside cats? is it gonna run away if i let it outside? anyone know what the deal is? oh and whats up with this catnip stuff?
a lot of people seem to think that cat's don't need to be outside, and although they can lead happy lives without ever setting a foot outdoors I think it's much kinder to have a cat flap and let them come and go as they please. check your cat has had all the important jabs and stuff, then the first few times you let her out go with her, follow her round, that'll show her that your garden is just like another room. Once she starts going out on her own it'll be up to her to come back, but if she's happy with you and gets fed the chances are very low that'll she just walk off and never come back. If cats are un-happy, they do walk off and usually find another person to feed them, which is another reason for letting your cat outside- they should have the right to choose where they live. as for catnip, it's never had any affect on my cats whatsoever. lots of love, attention and security will have a much bigger effect! enjoy ur cat, they're great pets.
Is it a kitten? If its a kitten I would wait just a bit before you start letting them roam around outside. Other bigger cats might cause a problem and small kittens can get hurt very easily. If its an adult cat then you might want to start by going outside with her/him. She will most likely explore a little. My cat got just a little further from the house everyday and eventually he came in and went as he pleased. As far as catnip....they love it. That's all I know about it.
she didnt seem to likethe catnip, maybe shes too young, and yea shes a kitten, i let her outside to chill with me on the porch once but she didnt seem to like it. i really dont want to risk it running away, is there some way i can make sure it stays, other than helping it lead a chill life.
I have never had a cat that has run away and all my cats have been free to come and go as they pleased. She might be a little afraid to venture out now since she is so young....I know my cats didnt really show interest in going outside untill they were older. Once your cat gets to know you and her home and become a little more familiar with it, I doubt you have to worry about her running away.
Theres no way you can make sure it won't run away. Some cats will just wander off. Also if it's a girl you'll want to make sure it's not finding any male cats...unless of course you want more kittens. I always have my cats as indoor animals...when I put them outside they just stand frozen in the grass. They are happier to just get fresh air from the window. As for catnip, my cats never seem to pay much attention to it either...
Its always good to let the kitten get used to where it lives first and then let it outside, maybe in the garden so it gets used to your garden and it knows where it lives, then you could let it outside when you think it's ready. "When the rich wage war, It's the poor who die." - Jean - Paul Sartre.
Don't let a kitten outside! Don't let any cats outside unless you want them to be run over or killed by someone or something. When I see cats outside I bring them home. I figure who ever had them doesn't love them enough to care for them so I give them a new better home. One cat I have that was an outside cat is scared to death of the outside. Kittens don't like catnip until they are older.
I let my cats outside but i follow them wherever they go and only let them out for short periods of time. Being outside is how they get run over by cars, fleas, and eat mites and yucky stuff. And they eat grass alot and throw it back up....in your house. Also they could get in fights w/ stray animals if they're wandering around....being outside is kind of overwhelming for an indoor cat it seems. so i suggest letting it out but keeping it on a short leash (not literally). you have to rub catnip firmly inbetween your fingers...kind of smush it up. the oils on your hands and fingers activate the thing in it that interests cats. but i did have one cat who wanted nothing to do with it....i guess it's all individual
My cat used to like it when I blew smoke in his direction but not right in his face after taking a big toke of chronic. He also ate up a plant i had in the house, cats are natural stoners.
Hello You can let your Kitty outside. Some cats really enjoy it, and are happy,healthy, and will not run away. Also becareful. If you live on a busy street then it is not a good idea. But if it is not busy then do not ber paranoid. Make sure your cat is :Fixed, helps cat overpopulation, and keeps kitty from Roaming :Up to date with vaccines :Aware of environment and knows home :And the environment is safe (lots of traffic, or aggressive cats, or dogs is a no no) Wait until the Kitten is older and ready.
Thats bullshit. Not everyone lives on a busy road with rabid coyotes. You are like a sick neighbor I had who had to come up with your insecurity about the cats not being loved. My cats always play in our housing lot. This lady would literally steal my Siamese by tempting her with food. I am a stay at home Mother so I monitor my cats. When I noticed that I hadnt seen Mantra in an hour or so I would go looking for her. There she would be crying the lady's window. I should have socked my neighbor. Thank God we moved away from that obese bitch. I have my Window open all year for my cats to go outside. They sit in the front yard in the afternoons, and come inside at night. They love outside, and love bringing my daughter gifts of Cicadas, and lizards. They are also quite safe. My parents cat is 17 years old, and is still alive. One of my cats is 10. They are perfectly healthy indoor/outdoor cats. Perhaps even healthier than you average fat indoor. Either you live in a busy street, see alot of nasty strays in your neighborhood, or are sick in the head to STEAL other peoples friend.
nooooo! i was scared someone was going to say that! cats belong outside, it's where their species evolved into what they are today- they would probably survive better living outside all the time than most humans would! Quite a few cats are killed by cars, but more cats are never hit all their lives. One of my cats sunbathes on the road outside our house (we were very worried at first); when a car comes towards her she leaves it till the last few seconds then shoots into our garden hedge. she's never been hit, or close to hit, in her life (and she's fifteen years old now). Let owners decide what's best for their own pets, Smiling Frog.
Glad I found this thread, also glad that the one saying cats should only be inside is being over ruled! LOL I was in this one forum a long while ago and everyone lashed out at me because I have my cats running in and out of the house all day long. They just thought I was the most crulest person alive, because I let my cats outside. I told them if I didn't let my cats outside that they would hate me. Everyone uses the litter but if I left and shut the window so they couldn't get out there would always be crap right in front of the door when I got home. I live in the country 18 1/2 achers, tons of trees to climb mice, birds, lizards, and grasshoppers to chase around, they love it. Some of my cats don't come in because they would much rather be outside. Sleeping in the barn full of hay and I made them a few houses over the summer, which they mainly sleep on top of them, but they still use them I guess. If only those people in the other forum could see this, they would just go off then I would have more people on my side. Some people are just stupid about it. All I have to say is how would you like to be stuck in your house for the rest of your life?
it really just depends. i've had it both ways, and feel a lot better about my boy who stays only inside. there's a difference between carefully monitoring a cat while it's outside and just letting it run about where ever, coming back whenever. i had a very different relationship with my cat who ran about outside and my kitten who stays only inside. the indoor/outdoor cat was more like a roommate, the indoor only one is more like a child.
Aww.. I feel kindof bad now for not letting my Malachi go outside un-monitored. I'll put him on a leash and walk him around the yard, but I'll never let him go outside by himself. We live in a residential neighborhood, and cars do come through here a bit...not like a major highway, but they still do. And there are dogs all over the neighborhood...mostly in fenced backyards, but I've seen strays. As a matter of fact, the last two strays I came across looked kinda rabid, and growled/barked at my roommate and I - I couldn't imagine what they'd do to my little kitty. Besides, my mom is making me get him declawed, because he's made quite a lovely mess of the wallpaper in the entrace hall and keeps clawing the furniture.
