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Post by valliesong on Dec 5, 2009 0:56:42 GMT -5
It all depends on the individual cat. We have one right now who is having difficulty adjusting. I don't think he was ever kept in the house before we got him, and even had trouble grasping the litter box concept. He still bolts out the door, but we grab him and put him right back in. I figure he will give up eventually, but we have considered using a scat mat at the front door. I'm not really into using adversives, but we have a busy road out front. Any ideas are appreciated!
What may work well for your cat, but logistically won't work with our house, is to set up a special kitty run for him outside. Build a lightweight frame of wood and tack hardware cloth or wire fencing to it. He can even have a little kitty door that lets him right out into it. It should have some kind of roof so he doesn't get rained on. That may be your best bet for a cat that has been going in and out of your house for years. It is much easier to change the behavior if he would be going to a new home, since that is not the case, a safe place to go outdoors would be ideal.
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Post by AmyJo27 on Dec 5, 2009 17:39:33 GMT -5
Oooo, I REALLY like the idea of building a special place for him to go outside! I am definitely going to look into that! My dad is really creative and great at building things (Many years in construction) so I’m going to talk to him! Especially at this given time it would be wonderful to have something like that! There have been MANY strange things happening in my area and Simon is now being confined to the house again and he just loves it . My neighbor (Lives 2 miles away) is a sheriff and has a Rottweiler. He stopped by my house this morning to let me know that he had his dog tied up outside to go potty when he heard a loud sound so he went outside and found his dog a bloody mess. He took her to the vet and she had been shot! Luckily she is doing ok now but whoever did it shot right at his house to shoot his dog which was in his yard! He doesn’t know why someone did such a thing! He thinks he might have ticked someone off (Being in law enforcement), or maybe someone doesn’t like Rotts . Either way he wanted me to keep my eyes out (Knowing I have pets). He said there have been a lot of dogs that suddenly go missing when in a secure kennel or on a chain. He thinks someone is up to something! It’s kind of scary because in my area there is rarely criminal activity and all the sudden it seems it’s been on the rise!
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Chloe
I Love RPBF!
Posts: 433
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Post by Chloe on Dec 5, 2009 20:24:06 GMT -5
It all depends on the individual cat. We have one right now who is having difficulty adjusting. I don't think he was ever kept in the house before we got him, and even had trouble grasping the litter box concept. He still bolts out the door, but we grab him and put him right back in. I figure he will give up eventually, but we have considered using a scat mat at the front door. I'm not really into using adversives, but we have a busy road out front. Any ideas are appreciated! What may work well for your cat, but logistically won't work with our house, is to set up a special kitty run for him outside. Build a lightweight frame of wood and tack hardware cloth or wire fencing to it. He can even have a little kitty door that lets him right out into it. It should have some kind of roof so he doesn't get rained on. That may be your best bet for a cat that has been going in and out of your house for years. It is much easier to change the behavior if he would be going to a new home, since that is not the case, a safe place to go outdoors would be ideal. The idea of the outdoor kitty run is a great one! Especially because cats who have been indoor/outdoor cats for a good length of time spray even if they are spayed or neutered. When you bring them indoors not allowing them to go outside anymore, they will most likely begin to spray in your home. Maybe with an outdoor area you can avoid that. I agree though, indoor life for a kitty is the best way to go, there's to many nasty things in the great outdoors! That's so sad about the officer's rottie, how horrible. I just dont understand people like that. I hope he finds out and is able to prove who did it!
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Post by AmyJo27 on Dec 5, 2009 22:30:28 GMT -5
I am SO excited about the outdoor kitty run! I would have never thought of it! Its purrfect (HA get it!!!) I have also preferred my cats to be indoors but Simon showed up at my acreage at a young age and he has been used to the outdoors right from the beginning. My other cat Dory on the other hand, has ALWAYS been afraid of the outdoors! I honestly have no idea why but she hates it! Both of my cats are fixed but yikes! Now I’m scared of Simon spraying!
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Chloe
I Love RPBF!
Posts: 433
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Post by Chloe on Dec 6, 2009 20:32:17 GMT -5
I am SO excited about the outdoor kitty run! I would have never thought of it! Its purrfect (HA get it!!!) I have also preferred my cats to be indoors but Simon showed up at my acreage at a young age and he has been used to the outdoors right from the beginning. My other cat Dory on the other hand, has ALWAYS been afraid of the outdoors! I honestly have no idea why but she hates it! Both of my cats are fixed but yikes! Now I’m scared of Simon spraying! Ya, when I was a teenager we had a cat show up at our house one day, she was so sweet. She never left. My mom tried her darndest to make her an inside cat but it was just not gonna happen! She lived a really long life but did pay the price for livin it up out doors. She would come home sometimes beat up from a cat fight, she had been hit by a car 2 different times in her life and she ended up getting skin cancer from the sun, she was a white kitty with a pink nose so she had no protection from the sun. My mom would always put sunscreen on her but it wasnt enough. The cancer literally started eating her nose, that's why she died, cancer. My cat now is a chicken when it comes to goin outside to. He'll go out back but not out front. lol If I had a way to do an out side kitty run, I so would! If you do it, you gotta let us know how it goes!
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Post by valliesong on Dec 8, 2009 0:09:37 GMT -5
I just wanted to say that not all cats spray who are taken in. In fact, it is relatively rare. I have fostered many cats who started their lives out as strays, and the only one I had housetraining issues with was Giorgio. He is now using the box consistently, and it appears that he just didn't "get" it. The only way he is having issues now is that he will try to slip out the front door to eat the TNR kitties' food.
Working at the shelter, we also adopted out many strays, and very rarely were any returned for this issue. I would actually say that they weren't returned any more frequently than the previously owned cats, but I don't have any exact statistics.
Unfortunately I just saw a kitten out front tonight, so I am afraid there may be an intact female and other kittens that I somehow missed having spayed. One of the others I have been feeding has become very friendly, so we may end up taking in a few others and hopefully finding them homes. (Since we already have 3 cats of our own, 2 permanent fosters, and the three dogs and two guinea pigs.)
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Post by AmyJo27 on Dec 8, 2009 18:13:10 GMT -5
We are going to build a kitty run as soon as spring is here! I’m so excited! My dad is going to build it for us!
We have been really lucky with Simon!
He honestly stays in the yard. We have 4 outside buildings that he can get into and he would rather be in there hunting for mice then running in the fields. He has warm places to sleep in each building so he sticks right around the house! He stays in the house all night and goes out for a few hours every day but I have never seen him leave the yard. I’m not saying that he never has, I have just never seen him beyond the yard. Surprisingly we also don’t get that many stray cats around here either.
I am going to keep him in all winter; he usually likes to stay in most of the time when it’s cold out anyway so that shouldn’t be too difficult!
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Post by valliesong on Dec 10, 2009 3:52:56 GMT -5
Sounds like everything will work out great for him. What a lucky kitty!
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Post by AmyJo27 on Dec 10, 2009 12:55:20 GMT -5
Thanks for all your help valliesong!
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Post by valliesong on Dec 10, 2009 15:32:00 GMT -5
You're welcome. Any time!
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