Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
She is fascinated with the outside. Every time I take the Basset out, she stands at the storm door looking out the window. We bang on the storm door to try to make her afraid, but Bobbles fears nothing.
Today, I came in from the front door, which doesn't have a storm door. I heard a kitty yelp and looked down to see the last inch of her tail in the door. The rest of Bobbles was outside. Fortunately for her, the front door doesn't actually close all the way without turning the knob and giving it a push. I was afraid to open the door for fear she'd take off running. When I opened it, she slinked off to the side under a porch chair. I snatched her up without her running. As I carried her inside, she was looking around in amazement at the trees and birds.
She is an expert at darting in and out of our interior doors. It doesn't matter how careful we are, she gets into the master bedroom when we're coming and going. We don't mind that. But I'm worried these same skills will be transferred to escaping the house one day.
If she gets away, will she come back? How do people have indoor/outdoor cats? Is there a certain age for letting them start going outdoors? One of my childhood cats was an indoor/outdoor cat but I was too young to know how and when it was let out for the first time. He did come home all the time, I really wasn't planning for Bobbles to be an indoor/outdoor cat, but I feel I might need to prepare myself for Bobbles having other plans.
I have had this ongoing battle with Jasper now, for a long time.
I had other indoor cats, who pretty much decided that the outdoors was too scary for them, and they were content to laze on the sofa...no problem.
Not Jasper. He is not a couch potato kitty, he wants to be out there, in the wild. I just can't keep him in, he is a runner, and I have too many folks who open and close doors around here, who can't keep a determined cat in the house.
So, our compromise, has been that he wears a harness, with a tag, all the time. He goes outside, with supervision, on a long tie, sometimes, he does get out, and he pretty much stays in the yard.
What I have done, is when Jasper comes in, he immediately gets his white chicken breast dinner...this has made him pretty much, food driven, he knows, when he comes in, he gets his dinner...this has at least made him not want to leave his food dish too far away.
What I have done, is when Jasper comes in, he immediately gets his white chicken breast dinner...this has made him pretty much, food driven, he knows, when he comes in, he gets his dinner...this has at least made him not want to leave his food dish too far away.
I'm going to try this. It's similar to how we train our dogs. They ALWAYS get treats when they come into the house. We never punished them if they got loose. I wanted them to never be afraid of coming home. As a result, I have a crazy dog who runs right back to the door after doing his business because he wants that treat. We have to force him to stay outside with us so he can get exercise. LOL
I've noticed that Bobbles is smart and trainable. She does come when called. She also does understand the word "no." I realize she won't be as trainable as a dog, but your sharing that you motivated Jasper via her food drive gives me hope. Now I just need to figure out what type of food Bobbles will LOVE with enthusiasm. She eats her canned and dry food without a problem. It seems she'll eat anything. I need to find a food she's wild about for a treat.
I really wanted my cats to be indoor-only cats. But the family I got Toby from had let him outside daily since he was a kitten. (He was a month shy of 2 years old when I took him in.) For the first month or two he was content to stay inside or just sit out on my balcony as he adjusted to his new home. But eventually he started yowling and scratching at the front door to be let out. Each time I let him out he'd stay out longer and venture farther. The first time that he was gone for over two hours it was past my comfort zone and if he stayed out more than 20 mins I would get him and bring him back in. But nearly every night shortly before I went to bed he'd sit in front of the door and start his yowling and scratching. It became a battle of wills, which Toby eventually won by peeing on the carpet after I brought him in too soon for his liking. Since then I've been letting him out mostly whenever he wants (unless the weather is too hot or I'll be going out of town) and for as long as he wants. Sometimes he stays out for 2-3 days at a time, other times he goes out in the evening and comes back a few hours later or the next morning. I always put a collar on him before letting him out and keep him up-to-date on flea treatments. I've noticed a real change in him, for the better. He no longer mopes around the apartment, he's more affectionate, and he just seems happier. He even chooses to stay inside for a few days sometimes too. So I know that even with the dangers that come with letting him roam outdoors, it's best for him. This is how he was raised and I had to accept that.
When I brought home my second cat, Neptune, he would see Toby going outside and get jealous. For a few weeks he was content with just going out on the balcony, but then he started meowing at the front door too, or trying to slip out with me or when I opened the door for Toby. The first few times I let him out I went with him, because I wasn't sure if he'd be able to find his way home or that he was appropriately afraid of cars. I soon discovered that he's quite good at following me, like a dog. We go on walks and he enjoys it. I learned that he knows the way home when he accompanied me to the apartment complex office to pick up a package, and on the way back he became distracted by a bug in the grass. The package was heavy so I decided to drop it off inside and come back out for him. But as I was unlocking my door I looked down to see Neptune running up the stairs. He doesn't seem to want to be outside for long without me, I chalk that up to him having been abandoned and then living in a shelter. I use it to my advantage, I take him outside a few times a week and when I'm ready to go back in I just start walking toward home and he follows. I always give him a treat for coming back inside on his own (and sometimes, it takes the treat to get him to stop sitting in the hallway giving me the sad eyes and come inside). On the few occasions that we've found Toby while we're out and he comes back in on his own with us I give him a treat too, but the rest of the time, access to his food seems to be its own reward. He always makes a beeline for the food dish immediately upon returning.
As far as treats go, my cats aren't too picky. I have 4 different kinds and they've yet to turn any down so I can't say which is their favorite, but my favorite for them are their "fishy flakes" from Cat Claws. It's dried, shredded Bonito tuna, and though it took some time to get used to the strong fish odor every time I open the bag, it's my favorite because it's all-natural and I can choose how much or how little I want to give them at a time.
My cats have their own Kitty door which we keep open all day and close in the evening. They all go out and they all come in, and they do it many times during the day. Right now four are out, five are inside. Some of the ones sleeping inside have already been outside and will probably go back out if the sun comes out. They all come in before sunset, and we lock the Kitty door for the night.
Everyone comes inside in the late afternoon. If they aren't around, I have a call that I make and they show up soon. None of them have ever stayed outside at night since they moved in with us.
I'm not concerned about them running off. They chose to live with us and all seem pretty happy and affectionate.
They wear breakaway collars with ID tags and also have microchips.
[quote=Hopes;31394923]I'm going to try this. It's similar to how we train our dogs. They ALWAYS get treats when they come into the house. We never punished them if they got loose. I wanted them to never be afraid of coming home. As a result, I have a crazy dog who runs right back to the door after doing his business because he wants that treat. We have to force him to stay outside with us so he can get exercise. LOL
I've noticed that Bobbles is smart and trainable. She does come when called. She also does understand the word "no." I realize she won't be as trainable as a dog, but your sharing that you motivated Jasper via her food drive gives me hope. Now I just need to figure out what type of food Bobbles will LOVE with enthusiasm. She eats her canned and dry food without a problem. It seems she'll eat anything. I need to find a food she's wild about for a treat.[/quote]
Cat crack, AKA Friskies Temptations.
Sushi is only allowed out on a ten foot leash and harness. Too many bad things have happened, from some SOB poisoning animals with antifreeze to a cat slipping into someone's basemant and starving to death.
Really Hopes I have to say do everything possible to keep your precious new kitty inside only. I would be afraid, even with a harness, she would think she can go outside at will and sit in wait for you to open the door and dash outside. They tend to hide in places we can't get.
I had my last outside kitty over 15 years ago. When I found him mutilated by some wild animal- probably a raccoon I swore I would never have an outdoor kitty again. It's a slow painful death either being run over or killed by another animal. For a long time Oscar would try to get outside whenever I was coming back inside from taking the dogs for a walk. I learned to keep a spray bottle right by the door and I just routinely cracked the door and sprayed at foot level just as a warning. Now he isn't so interested and I'm glad but I still pre emptively spray.
Cats can very well adjust to being inside only and since Bobbles was a tiny kitten and hasn't had any outdoor time yet you will have an easier time keeping her inside. Get her a nice kitty tower where she can look outside and see what is going on. The movement of the fall leaves now keep my two guys entertained most of the day.
Cats can very well adjust to being inside only and since Bobbles was a tiny kitten and hasn't had any outdoor time yet you will have an easier time keeping her inside. Get her a nice kitty tower where she can look outside and see what is going on.
She was born outside and spent the first six weeks of her life outside. That's why I'm worried. She does see outside. She lounges on my big picture window sill most of the day. I will try to keep her inside to the best of my ability. I just needed to know if she'll come back if she gets away. If she ever does get out again, I'm giving her a treat as soon as I get her back inside.
My advice to you would be to make Bobbles an indoor only cat if possible. If for no other reason than to eliminate the 'worry factor'. All of the cats my wife and I took in over the years were indoor/outdoor, and looking back, I wish we had done things differently. We were incredibly lucky we didn't lose any. Our home is in a small town on a quiet residential street with very little traffic, on a very large lot with many trees, shrubs, gardens my wife planted, etc. In other words, kitty paradise. The cats could go out whenever they wanted, and mostly prowled around in the yard or hung out on the front porch or in the back yard gardens. They almost always stayed very close to the house, and rarely left the yard. The cats stayed out more when they were younger than they do now. The ones I have now like to lay out on the porch for a while in the evenings during the summer, but that's about the extent of it. All my guys are seniors now and are probably indoors 90% of time (especially in winter). But I spent a great deal of time trying to keep an eye on them & worrying about them in those early years. They may have been happy being able to go outside whenever they wanted, but I sort of paid a price for that (& nearly drove my wife crazy in the process).
I don't recall if you've had Bobbles spayed yet, but she might not have the urge to go out so bad after she's been fixed. All of our cats calmed down quite a bit after they had their surgeries. Just a thought.
Jasper hangs on the porch, but at 6:00 pm, snap, he is on the small cord. We don't want him roaming at night. We stay outside with him, he really does not even notice he is on a cord. Tonight we barbecued, so of course, he had to supervise.
We bring him in, and he is home for the night.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
