How can I keep my cats outside and safe?

Question

I have three adult male cats that unfortunately we couldn't afford to have fixed, and now it is too late anyways! They spray and one of them tries to get out soemtimes. We live directly next to an interstate where our last cat was hit and killed, so we are scared to take these PURE inside cats out to be roadkill. What can we do to keep them safe outside?? They HATE leashes and flop over like they are dead when put on them. My dad says that the electric fence/inivisble one would be stupid because they could escape it, but I think it's a good idea. Please help!!

Answer 1

Visit www.petstop.com
This will give you and your father a better understanding of a quality electronic fence is and the warranties and guarantees that come along with it.
David Queen

Answer 2

Hi!
You can still have the cats 'done', this should stop the spraying in time, once the hormones have died down. Also I dont think the fence idea is a good one -it may hurt them and they could still escape. I lived on a caravan site here in Spain for a while and was forever getting complaints about my 4 cats being on other peoples pitches. So I bought a wooden gazebo with a waterproof roof and a roll of green plastic mesh and wooden trellis. I nailed the mesh + trellis right round and had a door frame and a trellis door put on for access. I put cat friendly plants in and a water feature with a pump, and the cats drank out of this. I put astro turf on the ground (great for their claws) My cats LOVED it! I put a bench in and they slept on it all the time! They used to climb up it but couldnt escape, but they didnt really want to as they were happy! It looked really pretty esp. when I decorated it with fairy lights on the outside! I sold it to another cat lover when I moved to my house and I think my cats do miss their little 'pad'!

Answer 3

There are plenty of ways to make a small 'cat run' with wire fencing enclosed on top. And there's stuff to put on top the fencing that angles in to keep even a jumping cat inside an enclosure.

Invisible fences only work for dogs, not cats, so that won't keep them safe.

Letting them out by themselves WITHOUT keeping them contained will only get you dead cats on the roadway. You know this, so you need to make the decision to keep them indoors or to get a safe area built for them.

It's NEVER too late to neuter them. It can be done anytime after they reach adulthood, so take them in to the vet and get them snipped. Our Hudson was 3 years old, an outdoor stray we took in, who we had neutered soon as we brought him in to say indoors. We adopted Fred when he was 5 years old, and he was neutered the first vet visit we took him in for. Both were full tomcats when we got them, and with only one 'accident' both never spray in the house. We've had Hudson now for 7 years, and Fred for 5. They were neutered at a late age and it worked out fine.

Answer 4

It is never too late to get a cat neutered.If you can't afford to get them fixed,how can you afford an invisible fence? Just save some money and get them done.There is no safe place for a cat outside,unless you build them a huge enclosure,which would also cost more than getting them fixed,after which they would stop spraying!

Answer 5

i agree with the electric fencing. just make sure its specified to their weight. you could also try making a mesh "run" for them to go in when outside so they cant leave a designated area and nothing can get in to them either. the sun provides certain nutrients to cats so its only natural they want outside. you could also purchase or make a window loft so they can sunbathe without leaving the the safety of inside.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=15736&Ntt=cat+window&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2002&Nty=1

also here is a link to low cost or free spay/neuter clinics. see if there is one in your area.

http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html