The Cat-Proof Screen

[valancy_s]

Remember my cat, Bingley?

Comments

[chelseagirl]

Since I live in New York City, it's never been an option, but my husband's family have lost too many cats, in small English country villages, to road accidents, so we're pretty sure we'd never let ours out. Of course, if we were to live somewhere different, we'd have to see how long we kept to that resolve.

I used to have a boyfriend whose cats lived mostly outdoors at his cottage in the woods in the summer, and had to move back to a West Village apartment most others would envy in the fall -- they definitely pined when they moved back, but they seemed to gradually adjust.

[valancy_s]

It's nice to know that cats do adjust to their circumstances. I think the reason it preys on my mind so much is because we live in this rural place with happy bugs and birds and frisking kitties, all of which he has to watch through the window... but I do know indoors is the most sensible place for him.

[soniag]

I only let my cat out into the walled patio area. (And even then I have to watch him or he'll jump the wall.) I think if you play with Bingley, he'll get plenty of exercise and won't miss the outdoors. When my former cats got older they didn't even show interest in running outside anymore.

You can treat him for ticks and fleas and mosquitos, but not for cars and wild carnivorous animals. Or other cats.

[valancy_s]

Hmm, that's an option I hadn't considered. We DO have a back yard with a high curved fence. I guess I could let him out back there if I were going to be sitting out and could keep an eye on him...

I do try to play with him, but he's pretty insatiable and could do it all day. That'll change as he gets older, I know.

[thepresidentrix]

I've also thought for a long time about getting my cats a leash and harness, so I can walk around with them outside. (I think that's something you could still do, even if you lived in the city). Cats supposedly like this, but my neighborhood has lots of bits of broken glass and things, so I'm still worried about them cutting up their little paws...

[valancy_s]

I took Bingley out on a leash once. It was one of those very long ones that spool out, so I sat on the back deck and let him roam. He roamed... under the deck. Where I couldn't reach him. And wrapped the leash around a post or two.

I suggest being smarter than me if you end up purchasing a leash!

[thismightbejess]

My experience with male cats is that they like to adventure far from home, sometimes staying away for days or weeks. Eventually, they decide they'd rather be wild, or they get injured, or some other family feeds them better, and they just don't come back.

The female kitty, though, stays within a one-yard radius of our house and hops home every night.

[valancy_s]

Huh, I didn't realize gender played a role in this sort of thing. Is this based on your brother-and-sister kitties only, or a larger sample?

[thismightbejess]

Well, four of our family cats have wandered away, all of them male

[breathingbooks]

We live in a quiet part of the suburbs, and the cat that is capable of defending itself frequently goes out to play, though we always try to keep him in at night. The worst part is that he yowls at the door every few hours for in or out.

[valancy_s]

I assume Bingley is capable of defending himself (the door gives convincing testimony) but I don't know how good his general survival skills would be.

[snarkhunter]

Actually, it's the ones who are capable of defending themselves who might be in the most danger.

My cat Katy was the most badass cat ever. (Total Napoleon syndrome--she was the runt of her litter.) She won every fight she was in...until it was against coyotes.

The stand and fight cats are the ones who will eventually be outmatched. My cat Christi lived years as an indoor/outdoor b/c she ran from every fight. Smart cat. :)

[thepresidentrix]

Sometimes keeping my cats in all the time makes me feel pretty rotten. I mean, have you ever seen that lolcat with the kitty staring wistfully out the window that says 'All he ever wanted was to poop outside?' It's such a meager goal! And here I am, standing in the way of my cat's dreams

[valancy_s]

Yeah, my head knows inside is the best decision but my hippie heart is all "animals should be freeeeee!" Maybe supervised stints in the backyard are the solution.

I wonder what a misguided tattoo for a cat looks like. "Kibble 4 Eva"? "I ♥ dogs"?