Conference misery::feline_v1

    These people do not sound like they should have a pet.  I know that
    there is some law or rule the MSPCA has concerning pets in freezing
    weather but I'm not sure what it is (you may want to call them).
    It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many nuts out there
    and so many of them have pets.  I don't know what I would do in
    your situation besides being furious.  Try calling the MSPCA and
    see what they say.  Most people will do there best to get the cats
    in when they know the weather is going to be bad but to have your
    cat crying to get in and knowing he/she is there and STILL not let
    them in is crazy.

    As an owner of two indoor/outdoor cats, they tell ME when they want
    to go out and come in and I just stand there and open and close
    the door.  (Yes Chauncey and Nikki, whatever you want, yes sirs!!)
    If I know the weather is going to be bad during the day while I
    am working, I keep them in; if it is going to be nice, they can
    go out, but I always leave a bowl of dry food and ice water on the
    balcony for them.  My fiance also works out of our home most of
    the time which makes it a lot easier on my nerves if they are out
    while I am at work.  In the winter, they stay in all day, regardless
    of what THEY want, until I am home to supervise.  There have been
    at least two occasions where I have been working and it has rained
    unexpectedly (fortunately in the morning) so I was able to go home
    during lunch and let them inside.
    
    This, I feel, is responsible indoor/outdoor pet ownership.  What
    your neighbor is displaying is downright cruelty and I would have
    him reported at once (or maybe you and your husband can have a talk
    with him?).
    
    /Roberta
    

    re .2
    
    I don't really know my neighbor (a woman) very well, just to say
    hi to her and talk briefly about casual things (like the weather!)
    
    I have tried dropping subtle hints to her about my concern, but
    she doesn't seem to get the message.  
    
    So far, the concensus to report her to the MSPCA seems to be a good
    idea.  I am glad to know that I was not crazy in assuming that this
    is not normal behavior for outdoor cat owners.
    
    Any more ideas on this subject out there ?
    
    Cheryl
                                               

    How subtle are you being?  Maybe coming straight out and telling
    her the cat seems to be suffering is worth a try.  Some people just
    don't think.  I think it's worth working with the owner a bit, since
    the shelter may mean euthanasia.
    

    If this woman actually *puts* the cat outside without the cat asking
    to go out, then my guess is this poor kitty doesn't have the desire
    to go outdoors, but is forced to.  People like this really make
    my blood boil.  Throughout this file, there are notes of this nature,
    but unfortunately, if we have no intentions of reporting those doing
    harm, the best responses we're going to get are notes of sympathy and
    expressions of concern.
    
    I urge you to speak with your neighbor this weekend.  Some people
    are just plain ignorant and under the impression that all cats *like*
    to be outdoors which we know isn't true.  Please try to muster up
    the courage to speak for this poor kitty who can't speak for itself
    and let us know the results.
    
    Thanks.
           
    

    Some people think that just because a cat has a fur coat, they're
    protected from the weather. Not true! Especially in the snow. Cats
    and dogs can get a bad case of frostbite on their pads. Also, the pads
    can actually stick to the snow/ice and bleed.
         	I have 2 kittens that by the winter will be staying
    in my barn at nite. I got them for the purpose of catching mice.
    They will have a nice DRY and WARM place to sleep in the barn. (hay
    makes a great bed!). Their food and water will be in the barn also.
                Naturally on very cold days, they'll be in the house
    with me. Who am I kidding, they'll probably be in every nite......
    
    Tina
                                                                       

    Well, I did it.
    
    This past Friday night, there were four very violent thunderstorms
    in our area (one, which occured at about 3:00 A.M. reminded us of
    a hurricane, with driving rains & wind).  Of course, we heard Mittens
    meowing, but by the time we got downstairs to try to let him in,
    he had vanished (we suspect he was hiding in the woods near our
    home).
    
    That was the last straw.  Saturday morning, I had a long talk with
    my neighbor, and told her that I thought she should really take
    the weather into account before she lets Mittens out at night. 
    She said that she never heard him crying outside (she may be hard
    of hearing...I really don't know).
    
    She said that she thought that cats were very independent, and would
    be able to manage in any kind of weather.  I told her that may be
    true for lions & tigers, but domestic cats were another story.
    
    She was very nice about the whole situation, and I think she will
    take more care with Mittens in the future.  I will still be keeping
    my ears open, but I think we have solved the problem.
    
    I want to thank you all for your inputs (especially Roberta, your
    notes gave me the courage to face this person that I hardly knew).
    
    Cheryl
    

    Well, perhaps if she can't hear Mittens crying, she can hear the
    phone ring.  The next time it happens (which might be tonight!),
    call up the woman and tell her that Mittens was crying outside your
    window and would she mind coming over to take her home.  It might
    work.  Good luck!
    
    Mary

    Yeah Cheryl!!!  You did the right thing!  I'm sorry if I sounded
    curt in my responses, but I am going through the very same thing
    right now except I have no idea who the owner is.  Here's my story:
    
    I live in a townhouse in Grafton.  There is a very pretty tabby
    and white cat who I often see hanging around my "yard."  My cats
    always chase her away but that never deters her from coming back.
    If my cats are out while I am at work, I leave their food and bowls
    of ice water outside on the balcony for them.  Well, I would come
    home to find ALL of the food eaten and I always leave a lot (dry).
    My cats always pick at their dry food and never lick the bowl clean
    so I was bewildered as to why it was being devoured.  Well, I got
    my answer a week ago when, on a Saturday, I heard incessant mewing
    at my balcony door.  Lo and Behold, there was the kitty, probably
    very angry at me for not leaving food out.  I gave her a can of
    moist this time, and she ate so fast I couldn't believe my eyes.
    So I went back inside and brought her out another can which she
    ate just as quickly.  And then she was on her merry way (a little
    skittish too).
    
    Yes, Cheryl, I remember Friday evenings Thunderstorms well.  More
    mewing at my balcony at midnight.  This time, she wasn't stupid.
    She scooted in as soon as I opened the door.  I fed her and she
    let me pet her.  She was very friendly this time, but hissed wildly
    at my cats.  Chauncey and Nikki wouldn't even go near her.  When
    she rolled over onto her back, it was then I noticed she is an uspayed
    female.
    
    I just got off the phone with Angel Memorial in Boston.  They are
    sending me an application for a spay certificate and once I get
    the certificate, I will make an appt. for her to get her shots and
    spayed.  Then, I will try to find her a good home.  Unfortunately,
    three cats is too much for me at this point in time and my fiance
    still isn't ready for a third quite yet.  If I want to see my wedding
    day, I can't push the issue or else it will become a constant bone
    of contention between us.  He has been very sympathetic about letting
    me care for her until a permanent home can be found.
    
    If anyone out there is interested in adopting this kitty, please
    send me mail.  She really is a sweetheart.  I have been calling
    her Karissa, which fits her quite nicely.  My fiance calls her Cricket.
    Both names suit her well.
    
    Thanks, Cheryl, for speaking up.  If I ever find out who "owns"
    this cat, you can bet I will give them a big piece of my mind! 
    Perhaps you can justify a second kitty??!!
    
    Hey, ya know - there should be more people like us in this world!
    :-)
    
    /Roberta
    
    

< Note 1529.10 by FSHQOA::RWAXMAN "A Cat Makes a Purrfect Friend" >

>   When
>   she rolled over onto her back, it was then I noticed she is an uspayed
>   female.
    
Roberta,

How can you tell an unspayed female?  I wasn't aware that this is externally
visible.

Pam    

    Well, Pam, I'm not sure I actually know how to tell either!!!  My
    guess is she wasn't because she still had her nipples.  And my cat
    book describes how to tell a female from a male by lifting the tail.
    
    When I used to visit Nikki at the Humane Society, he shared a pen
    with an unspayed female who's belly looked exactly the same as the
    kitty in .10, so that was another way for me to speculate the kitty
    is a she and not spayed.
    
    Any experts out there who can shed some light on how to tell spayed
    from unspayed?
    
    

re: how you can tell if they're spayed

A spayed female will have a scar, an unspayed female will not.  Depending 
on the coat length, you may or may not be able to see it easily.

Pink, obvious nipples with the fur away from them mean that the cat is
probably pregnant.  Large nipples means that the cat has probably had a 
litter or two.  Vets don't do anything to the nipples when they spay a cat.

Ray

    I think this cat may be pregnant.  Either that, or she has had a
    litter, but the nipples were very obvious.
    
    Thanks for clarifying and I will look again tonite.
    

    This is a little late in coming but......
    
    Our neighbors have a mother cat spayed, and her son, (altered?)
    and they put the mother cat out in all kinds of weather. She is
    a constant bystander at all the bird feeders in the neighborhood.
    Yesterday when I got ready to leave the house there Katie was panting
    like crazy from the heat, and crying to get into our house with
    the air conditioning. Mocha was inside already after making one
    QUICK trip out in the heat. That was the end. I have talked with
    these people about Katie being out all the time, nothing. All the
    folks with bird feeders have done the same. In our condo complex
    NO animal is to be outside and not attended. The board of directors
    have written letters, and stilll nothing.
    
    When I got to work I called the Nashua Humane Society and they told
    me they can do nothing, but call the Animal Control Officer. That
    I did. He said Nashua has no laws concerning cats, but he would
    go and talk with the people. When I got home last night she was
    on our patio step crying. They were home. This morning when my husband
    got up she was outside panting again. I hope that the animal
    control officer comes soon, and makes an impression on these people
    before she dies of heat stroke. I did tell the officer that he could
    tell my neighbors that it was I that called. Those kind of people
    aren't good neighbors anyhow.

    Is there any way you can rig up some shade for her?  Give her water
    and food?  Especially water. As a temporary measure.  Can't we find
    her a new home thru this notes file?
    

    I wish we could find homes for *all* the kitties listed in this
    notes file; however, many of us are at or over our cat-max.
    
    No one has answered my adoption plea for Karissa yet; however, I
    can't say I blame them as there are so many unwanted cats and so
    few potential new owners.  Our townhouse management staff recently
    made it very clear that cat max is two; it is written in our condo
    documents.  We are having a lot of problems with our unit that need
    fixing and if they came by to make repairs and saw three cats, we
    would be in deep sneakers with them (and because of all the repairs
    we need done, we are not on the best of terms with them).
    
    Anyway, I would love to help them all and am willing to foster Karissa
    on the sly for as long as it takes to find her a good home.