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.
Charlie loves adults - she'll go straight up to anyone that comes in the house and rub up against them, I've never met such a friendly cat! So that's why the kid thing took me a bit by surprise but I can definitely see how it would be different with kids.
Charlie may be affected as much by the children's noise level, as by physical contact. Some cats (perhaps even many or most) can get very stressed around a loud and constant din of boisterous kids. You might try having them keep the noise level down when in your home, but I realize that would be an uphill battle. Having the high-up spaces available (and easily accessible) should help, even if Charlie isn't a 'tree dweller'.
It's a good thing to start teaching young children how to physically handle & interact with cats, but I think the 'noise factor' is often overlooked. Quiet & calm interaction with a cat will always produce better results IMO.
Can't put a pet door in or anything like that, we rent this house, and I'd be too worried anyway about her getting run or something as there's a busy road nearby an a railway.
For some reason she doesn't go up on top of the bookcases. And even if I leave the bathroom door open so she can go in and out as she chooses she stays in the room with the kids but doesn't seem to like them, or at least isn't too sure about them. Just acting differently from how she does normally (normally if she wants a break from my kid she'll go to the bathroom herself as that's her room but she's not doing that when the other kids are here)
I won't be letting her out there on the harness any more, that's for sure, not unless we're walking together.
They also make cat doors that fit into windows.
Why do you think your cat is going to run out in front of a car or train? Cats are much smarter than that...especially if you let them experience the outdoors...they wise up very quickly.
If your cat is already showing interest in wanting to explore the great outdoors you really should let her.
They are not as careless as you might think. I grew up in a big city and my cat who lived a very long life...never once came home wounded.
Let her experience the peace and fresh-air that nature provides vs. having to be chained to a leash or confined to a room when the kids are being kids. That way every one is happy.
Why do you think your cat is going to run out in front of a car or train? Cats are much smarter than that...especially if you let them experience the outdoors...they wise up very quickly.
If your cat is already showing interest in wanting to explore the great outdoors you really should let her.
They are not as careless as you might think. I grew up in a big city and my cat who lived a very long life...never once came home wounded.
Let her experience the peace and fresh-air that nature provides vs. having to be chained to a leash or confined to a room when the kids are being kids. That way every one is happy.
I completely disagree with this post. Many cats are not "smarter than that". Cats get killed or maimed on the road all the time, every single day. All it takes is one instance. All it takes is once. And that is only one of the dangers.
I am very glad the OP keeps her cat inside, except for supervised controlled outings.
I agree with the poster who mentioned the noise level of young children. Such sensitive hearing, a toddler's high voice can be piercing and painful. In addition young children make sudden, unstable movements that are also starling and threatening to a cat.
I think though, she wants to be able to keep her eye on them, to know what they are doing, so she can be ready to defend or protect herself. that's why I am hoping she'll accept your offer of an elevated space, even though you won't be able to shut the sound off for her.
The rescue Remedy really might help. I have a thread on it somewhere let me see....
I completely disagree with this post. Many cats are not "smarter than that". Cats get killed or maimed on the road all the time, every single day.
So do people, does this mean that we should stay inside?
Cats are smarter than that. If you have a dumb cat by all means keep it inside.
I moved into my house over 5 years ago and I feed 2 ally cats that according to neighbors have been here for at least 10 years. Never once have seen them hurt and I feed them every day.
Like I mentioned in the above post I owned a cat that lived a very long life...I attribute that to his freedom. He loved the outdoors. My current cat I got from a shelter and he was a little silly young one. I had to keep close watch on him when outside. Now he's 2 years old and a pro. He loves the outdoors.
To be honest, Charlie is a pretty dumb cat...though she's still not much more than a kitten really - hopefully she'll get wiser as she gets older! But I have horrible memories of my grandad's cat getting run over, and that was in rural Lapland where there were hardly any cars, so the chances are even higher here, especially with the nutcase teenagers on their motorbikes. Also territorial fights with the one neighbourhood cat. But people generally don't let their cats outdoors here, unless they live in the country.
The kids are noisy though, I think I'll take the approach that inside they have to talk quieter, so if they want to be noisy they need to go outside. Them going in and out the back door also leads to escape chances for Charlie as they're not quick enough to shut the screen door (that we finally managed to find and put in - though I'm just waiting for Charlie to tear through it). Don't want to stop them coming here as I'm new to the neighbourhood so still trying to fit in, and giving their parents a break is my way of making friends so to speak.
Your priority should be caring for your pet and making her comfortable. The idea of a bunch of unsupervised, hyper kids "chasing her round" and making her feel threatened and uncomfortable in her own home is mortifying.
We had a big square metal cage that we put Smudge in outside. She could play with the grass or eat it and roll around on it if the grass was tall enough but she was contained and could not get out.
As far as the kids go, personally I would not allow them to come over if they continue to chase your cat. Smudge was not child or adult friendly except to us and a couple other people so we always made sure she had her safe place to go which was actually her metal cage indoors with a cover over it and a blanket inside the cage when it was inside. That gave her the security she wanted, she could not be seen but could see out and she had a nice cusion to lay on inside so she did not have to lay on the metal.
The kids aren't unsupervised, I'm there telling them each time they get overexcited to calm down and leave the cat in peace,mostly its the 2 year old pointing and saying kitty kitty a bit too loudly, or them trying to stroke Charlie if she goes too near them. I don't want to stop them coming over completely as my kid is my priority too, and its important to have friends, but when its nice weather I'm going to push them to play outside instead or go over to their house.
I completely forgot about the obvious high safe place - the window when its open (opens inwards, and then there's a ledge before the screen at the very outside edge). Charlie likes to sit up there and can watch everything in safety. I shall just have to make sure the window is open next time, and if I move the knick knacks off my filing cabinet it should be easier for Charlie to reach the top of the bookcase.
Keeping them inside keeps them dumb...they don't get the type of mental and physical stimulation the outdoors provides.
I feel sorry for inside only cats.
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.
