Fairly busy road at front of house, acres of fields at the back, how can i prevent her being run over and to only go in fields? Is it fair for her to be a housecat? Daughters kitten bought for her by a bf without asking me! bf dumped but kitten one of family now.
2006-12-27 12:54:17 · 29 answers · asked by Michele 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
She has had all her jabs at vets, has scratch posts, loads of toys, lots of love and plenty of food and treats. Everytime i open the door she tries to get out though. Im happy for her to be a housecat but i feel she wants to explore. Want to do whats best for her.
2006-12-27 13:32:54 · update #1
it is most definately best for your cat to be an indoor only cat, so never let her outside even once.
i just had to put a cat to sleep because he was one who liked to explore outdoors and because i had adopted him off the streets i just let him go outside, and he came down with feline aids. there's no cure for that. he suffered before we discovered his infection and had to put him to sleep. it was so sad. if he had been an indoor only cat, that wouldn't have happened.
also, cats can get run over by cars, poisoned either by car fluids or sick people or just stuff they come across, shot with bb guns or even arrows (the guy across the street from us was arrested after he did that to a cat).
letting the cat out exposes her to viruses like FIV and others, as well as parasites.
keeping her indoors assures you that your cat is healthy and safe. you don't have to worry about her getting hurt, killed, stolen, or infected. i'd keep the cat indoors.
2006-12-27 14:19:44 · answer #1 · answered by Loon-A-TiK 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
When she's had all her jabs. Get her into routine of sleeping through the night so she is indoors when it's dark. I personally don't think it's fair to keep an animal indoors when it's in their nature to go play and hunt. It's a territorial thing, she may never go very far, but the one piece of advice I would give to somebody like yourself who doesn't know much about cats is get Frontline for fleas from either Internet or vets because they are an absolute nightmare if they get into your house, fleas are still around because the frost hasn't killed them off. Good luck.
2006-12-28 04:11:39 · answer #2 · answered by georgeygirl 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your cat will live half as long if you let her wander outside. It's not only cars. She may encounter animals like skunks, racoons, foxes, or coyotes. Hawks or owls can take small cats. Even other cats can be dangerous. She may get ticks, fleas, pick up feline leukemia or AIDS from another cat. And of course, she could get pregnant (should be spayed, unless you really want a litter).
Cats get acclimated to living indoors. After a while, you'll have a hard time even getting her out to go to the vet.
2006-12-27 21:09:43 · answer #3 · answered by anywherebuttexas 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Never!!! Kittens could get run over are more prone to get sick, poisoned, taken in by another family, attacked by other animals etc.
Cats that are indoor cat are just as happy as out door cats if:
they have a scratching post
high quality food
vet care
toys
litter box
2006-12-27 21:25:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
from my experience of have 8 cats now. i hope you do not let her outside until she is spayed so she cant have any kittens,because she will be able to have them now. she can be spayed from the age of 6 months. hope that was useful. and a cat will go any where it would like but i think she is far too young to explore just yet. a harness would be nice for the kids to take her for a walk first to get used to the big wide world.
2006-12-28 07:44:17 · answer #5 · answered by kennel owner 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1 it should be FULLY VACCINATED BEFORE GOING OUT
2 it should be SPAYED OR NEUTERED BEFORE GOING OUT....
3 YES it is fair to keep her as a house cat - outdoor cats have an average lifespan of 2 years.... and their deaths are not entirely pleasant... some are intentionally killed by angry neighbours or in a game with cars
4 you can prevent her from being run over by building a CAT RUN out of 2 x 4's and chicken wire - next to a window for access.. with a door at one end for you to enter if you need to...
I have happy house cats.. as do many other people
2006-12-27 21:32:18 · answer #6 · answered by CF_ 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's best to your kitten indoors. If you decide to let her out then make sure she's had her shots; even then they can still get feline viral anemia after that expensive series of shots. And then twice I've had people try to keep the cat.
2006-12-27 21:19:14 · answer #7 · answered by lyyman 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can get a harness like a dog lead type thing. I've seen people taking rabbits and ferrets out for walks with one on.
2006-12-28 00:10:43 · answer #8 · answered by susanevans01@btinternet.com 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most cats will adapt well to being inside only cats if they are raised that way from kittenhood. I have 4 that have been strictly indoors for their whole lives - they have a sunroom, a cat tree, and lots of toys and are perfectly well-adapted. Please don't let your kitty outside - the chances of her being hurt or killed are just too great.
2006-12-27 21:09:47 · answer #9 · answered by catznotkidz 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Dont let her out.
There are so many things out there that can hurt her...
Yes, it is fair to keep her a housecat. Mine are, 11 years old, and only go outside on little harnesses and tethers and have a blast rolling in the grass.. and they are safe. I give them catgrass (can buy seeds and grow it yourself) and tons of scratching things and toys... their lives are good and I dont have to worry about them getting nailed by a car.
2006-12-27 21:01:22 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋