do you have to make him/her an indoor cat??? one of my friend says so and the other one says that its not true. I'm an adopting a cat in the next month and i'll either get it from my shelter or the humane society (unless you have to make him indoors)... anyone know???
2007-03-05 09:33:09 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
I live in a northern VA suburb and are all for outdoor cats. I have had lots. They all lived longer than their breeds expectancy and they didn't get sick, run over, etc. They were really strong, high immune system, and smart. Most of all they were happy.
thanks for the answers so far!!!
:)
2007-03-05 10:14:35 · update #1
i don't know... it depends on the area... you would have to call the specific shelter and find out their policys i am glad that you are interesed in adopting.. make sure that you do what is best by the kitty that you get
2007-03-05 10:56:04 · answer #1 · answered by stephaniedayton2 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the shelters policy. Every shelter has a diffrent criteria for adopting animals. It varies from Shelter to shelter and rescue or impound facility. Some of these places are extremly strict on the criteria that the cat must be kept indoors or they dont adopt to you. Some say as long as you follow the laws in the area you live in. Our shelter had a policy that if the cat was a healthy, normal, everyday cat, they are ment to be strictly indoors. We did not encourage declawing, and they were spayed and nuetered BEFORE going into the peoples homes. We did one on sight check 1 month after adoption to be sure everything was going well. They had a 2 week trial and could bring the animal back for credit of another cat, or merchandise in the store up to the price of the adoption fee which was about 50 dollars for males and 75 dollars for females. We did however have a Feral cat policy that we will help those who dont want to bring the colony in, we would help (depending on monetary funds at the time) Capture, alter, and re-release the colony. We also would take Ferals and semi-feral or barn cats in that were some what able handle social situations. We had them altered and returned them to responsible and caring farmers that wanted some farming cats. These farmers signed an agreement to care for and feed the cats and be sure they got yearly medical checks.
2007-03-05 17:57:14 · answer #2 · answered by I luv Pets 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The majority of shelters are going to stress indoor cats. How the heck do you think so many stray cats end up in shelters? They were either former outdoor cats, they broke off of their restraints or they snuck out the door and no one ever claimed them.
I personally don't see the need to keep a cat outside or let it outdoors. My cats are strictly indoor cats and both were adopted from my shelter. My first cat was a hit by car stray cat that I scraped off the road. He was a young cat too- about 4 months. He's lucky someone saw him get hit and called us right away or he wouldn't have made it.
If you insist on keeping him outside(assuming you adopt from a shelter that is okay with this or if you find a cat elsewhere)- plan on bringing him to the vet for regular de-worming, vaccinations,flea control and heartworm preventative if you live in an area with a high occurence. Have money set aside to patch him up when he meets other cats that attack him. Have him neutered if he isn't already because we don't need him out there making babies. Have him vaccinated against Feline Leukemia- a contagious cat disease (think kitty AIDS). There is no cure for FIP and FIV other contagious cat diseases.
Look into your city ordinances- does you cat have to be rabies vaccinated and licensed? Are there any ordinances pertaining to animals at large(defintion- animals that are not contained or tied up). How cat friendly are your neighbors?
These are just some things to think about!
2007-03-05 18:27:29 · answer #3 · answered by paris26 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on where you adopt it from. Some places will only give you the cat if its going to be an indoor cat. Other places it won't matter. You just have to call and talk to the shelter you are thinking of going to and ask them about their policies.
2007-03-05 17:42:52 · answer #4 · answered by ineeddonothing 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That will depend on your local Humane Society. Some areas have terrible problems with domestic cats killing too many songbirds and rodents. Yeah, we don't miss the rodents, but hawks, fox, and other natural predators do. A cat can live a full and interesting life indoors so I wouldn't let your local rules change your mind.
2007-03-05 17:40:18 · answer #5 · answered by crispy0triscuit 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You totally don't have to make them an outdoor cat. I would advise against it especially if you live in the city. And getting one from a shelter or something like that will save the life of your future best friend.
2007-03-05 17:40:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most humane societies want you to say that you will keep the cat indoors, but I think that it depends on where you live.
2007-03-05 17:41:51 · answer #7 · answered by lily 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know in CT you do, I don't know about VA. If you want to know for sure just call them up and ask! It's not like the humane society watches you to make sure your cat stays indoors anyway.
2007-03-05 18:31:16 · answer #8 · answered by irisheyes47 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Where I live you have to make them inside pets.
2007-03-05 17:42:45 · answer #9 · answered by Di 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think so, depending on where you live.
2007-03-05 17:37:35 · answer #10 · answered by duckkillerdan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋