Conference misery::feline

    Hi,
    
    This is the first time I've ever responded to a note, so I hope I do it
    correctly.
    
    Last winter, after feeding a beautiful stray all summer and fall, we
    decided we would try to bring this outdoor cat indoors, permanently.
                                                   
    We had several concerns:
    
    We didn't know how he would get along with our two other female, declawed,
    indoor-only cats.
    
    We didn't know if he would be miserable indoors all the time.
    
    We worried that he might claw the other cats and they would be
    defenseless.  
    
    And naturally, I felt I couldn't declaw him because if he WAS miserable
    indoors, I would have to let him out.
    
    Well, it couldn't have worked out any better.  He has NEVER cried to go
    outside, although if the door is open he will stand up and look out the
    screen door.  But all I have to do is shoo him away, and he finds
    something else to do.
    
    He is absolutely in love with one of my girls, Misha.  They've
    become best buddies.
    
    And, he's always been the perfect gentleman.  If one of the girls wants
    to eat while he's at the food bowl, he walks away and lets them go
    first.  
    
    I honestly think that this cat has known both sides of the coin: stray
    life in the cold cruel world, and the sheltered life of a loving home
    -- and he knows which is best!
    
    Good luck with yours.

    All my cats are indoor-only.  Three of them were outdoor cats when I
    got them, including two ferals.  It takes about two weeks for a cat
    to adjust to being indoors, in my experience.  They have lots of places
    to sun themselves (bookshelf tops along the bottom of windows, cat
    platforms, etc.) and lots of toys, and seem quite content.  And my
    nerves are a lot better, not worrying about accidents and so on.
    

	Several years ago I had a beautiful, all black female cat named
	Morticia.  She was initially indoor-only, but I got fed up with
	cleaning the cat box, and figuring that we lived in a quiet,
	safe neighborhood, began to train her to go outdoors.  She didn't
	like it at all at first, and only went out when I put her out.
	She'd then cry to come back in, and I can still see her clinging
	to the screen, which is how she'd let us know it was time.  One
	day she disappeared, and I never saw her again.  I have no idea
	what happened to her, and even though this occurred 15 or 16 years
	ago, I still feel guilty about it.  I only hope that someone took
	her in and gave her a good home.

	All my cats are indoor-only, and I wouldn't have it any other
	way.

	Sandy

    I'm not sure about the "Indoor-Only" question.  But the subject of
    Note #5089, Tuscany, is an indoor-only kitty and I'm wondering if
    that's not part of his "problem."  He sits and looks out the window as
    if he's longing to go out and scamper.  He's been an indoor-kitty for
    over a year and still does this.  I told my girlfriend that maybe
    that's why he wee-wee's on the bathroom rug, hint! hint!  She's afraid
    something will happen if she takes him outside.  
    
    Maybe an occasional stroll through the garden could be permitted?  It
    seems unkind to not let kitty go out if he asks.  
    
    -SLT-

    My guys look out the window too, but they're in window potato mode.  I
    believe bathroom rugs have been discussed before;  they're natural
    targets.  It's unkind to have kitty run over too, or attacked by dogs,
    as happened to the cat who lived across the street from me.
    

    "Attacked by dogs" happened to a kitty I know, too.  Scooter's now and
    forever an indoor-kitty.
    
    Is it o.k. to let them out just when you're out with them, as 52.
    suggested?  Of course, I've spent many an evening calling out in the
    garden when kitty decided that rolling in the dirt was much more interesting
    than coming to Mommy...
    
    -SLT-

    This indoor-outdoor business is a hard question.  I know people have
    feelings on either side.   Myself, I'd worry that the cat would take
    off after something during the garden stroll.  Some people actually
    manage with harnesses (but never leave the cat unattended in a harness,
    because it's totally vulnerable if it's tied up when attacked, and
    some cats have gotten strangled in harnesses or leashes.)
        

    I leashed trained one of my cats, then made him a long run from a piece
    of rope.  In nice weather, I tie him outside and he loves it.  I stay
    with him, though, because the rope sometimes get tangled around bushes
    and stuff.  He knows his boundaries and sticks within them.  Kelsey is
    a neurotic sort of cat who needs his space, so the outdoor excursions
    really help him.
    
    We live in a condo complex where dogs are not permitted to run loose,
    but if they were, that would be my only problem with Kelsey being out. 
    Only once did two stray dogs wander into the neighborhood and went
    after him, but I was right there to pick him up and take him inside
    before the dogs actually started running toward him.  He was very
    scared and I received some nasty scratches from it.  I would say, if
    the neighborhood is safe, try leash training.  If you own your own
    home, maybe an outdoor enclosure would enable you to let your cat out
    and not worry about his safety.
    
    --Roberta
    

    All of my guys are indoor cats.  They do love the outdoors however. 
    Alex is forever meowing to be let out and he has even tried to get his
    paws around the doorknob of the front door, but can't get the grip he
    needs to open it.  It's comical watching him.  I do allow them
    outdoors, but only when I can keep an eye on them.  Cleo likes to run
    around the front of the building so I don't let her outdoors too often,
    even if I am there.  I keep mine indoors because I don't want to lose
    them to anything or anyone.  
    
    Karen

    Just because a cat sits at the window and looks out doesn't necessarily
    mean its craving the outdoors.  Cats are the worlds biggest busy-bodies
    and they just have to know what's going on.  
    
    Several of ours are leash trained.  I also have an outdoor enclosure
    plus a second story deck.  Halie and Dundee (now in his new home) 
    love nothing more than chasing leaves around the deck.  Halie shows
    NO interest at all in getting off the deck.  Dundee on the other
    hand would have a field day if  let him.  :^)
    
    I am a firm believer in indoor only, but I also know my cats enjoy
    the variety of going outside so I give up some of my time and energy
    to find a way to let them out safely.  
    
    I lost my first cat to a car and swore it would never happen again.
      Nancy DC
    

    Oh - and Mao is SO good at walking on the leash that we have
    taken her for long walks through the Braintree conservation
    land.  She LOVES it!
    

    Our cats are indoor only cats - but not declawed.  We use that new
    litter (the "clump" kind) and haven't had a days' trouble with it (and
    neither have our furballs).
    
    We had leash trained our first cat, Tiki II.  We put him on a leash and
    harness and would let him sit outside, but only if we were right there. 
    Unfortunately, he figured out how to get out of the harness. 
    Fortunately, he still would only go to just inches beyond the leash.
    
    Rico is terrified of the outdoors, so he's no trouble, and Alex has
    never been out.  They both like to look out the window, but don't do
    anything about it.
    
    K.C.

I used to think I would never keep my kitties inside all the time, since my Mom
always had her kitties outdoor/indoor.

BUT, now that I have 3 of my own - my ideas have changed. I just
see sooooo many cats along side the road and I literally start to cry
just thinking about it and how they must have a family looking for them
and I would be devastated if it was mine.  Actually I have been devastated
when I lost my Mandy to a car while living at my mom's house.

BUT - I do believe kitties can and should have alot of fun outside so when I
have some spare time, say 15 minutes or so, I let Alex and Sadie out in the
backyard to play with me there of course!  We have a blast - they climb trees,
chase leaves, investigate the garden, and I of course take pictures and laugh!

If they start traveling out of our yard I bring them back in the house - shaking
treats in a can usually does the trick.

But since Sasha was a stray and we've only had her for 2 months, I won't let
her out - maybe in the spring we'll ty it.

So my vote is for indoor mostly and outdoor under parental supervision only.

Dawn

    There's a topic in here for everything!  I have just made my formerly
    stray cat an indoor-only.  I have had to bring him in for surgery for
    abscesses twice since June.  He is neutered, but very territorial, and 
    on occassion will go out and "do cat things" all night, dragging
    himself home in the morning with scratches.  Since he's been confined
    to the house, he hasn't seemed to mind at all!  I let him out into the
    front hallway, and he sits in the window and looks out, but hasn't
    relaly begged or insisted to go out yet (this is three weeks since his
    latest surgery).  Can it really be this easy?   He was a neighborhood
    stray for a couple of years before I took him in.
    Sarah

    Some former stray cats are so delighted to finally have a home with
    someone who loves and cares for them that they never want to set foot
    outdoors again!
    
    Others will be grateful for a place to call home, but still insist on
    having their cake and eating it too.  My TK and Nikki are like this. 
    They love knowing they have a restaurant to dine at, and a warm place
    to sleep, but prefer to think of our home as their hotel where they can
    check in and out at their leisure.
    
    In my experiences, I have found that it is easier to raise an
    indoor-only housecat from kittenhood; that is, what they don't know
    they won't miss.  Sometimes, all it takes is a change of environment
    for a formally indoor/outdoor adult cat to easily covert it to strictly
    indoors.  It really depends on the cat, so I don't want to generalize.
    
    I prefer mine indoors only or with limited access to the outdoors, such
    as in an enclosed area attached to the house.  My fears lie with the
    unknown, like if a cat disappears without a trace or is the unfortunate
    statistic of a hit and run (the not knowing who did it REALLY eats away
    at me; this happened with one of our cats a few years back).  I just
    can't deal with those feelings and prefer to have my cats as housepets
    where I know they are safe and loved all the time.
    
    So, Sarah, if your former stray is happy being a housecat I say enjoy
    it!!  At least you won't be faced with the astronomical veterinary
    expenses were he allowed to remain an outdoor cat.
    
    --Roberta
    

    I have a problem with Chief and going outdoors.  We only let him
    outside when we are home, and not for very long.  We are lucky that
    the people across the street have a cat the Chief adores (another 
    male!?) and with our permission they let Chief in to play every so
    often.  At least when he goes out I know where he is heading.  He also
    likes the woods behind their house and the pasture behind our home.
    I am not too keen that he considers their home the "fun" home, 
    but they will not let their cat out at all, even to our house, and 
    they love to play so much with each other.
    	Here is where the problem starts.  Chief will come home because he
    is hungry, cold, etc.  A bit later all he does is meow by the door. 
    As if to say "out, out, out....".  He also does this in the morning,
    and during the week we do not let him out until we come home.  This
    is real annoying.  We try to ignore him, but it is hard.  He is also
    a general whiner/talker.  My husband insists that he is allowed out
    when we are home, and that we not make him an indoor cat.  I am worried
    that if we make him more of an outdoor cat, he wont be as fun and
    affectionate, or even run away.  Of the course being hit by a car 
    always worries me.  He is even starting to jump on the door handles as
    if to turn it!  I want him to be happy, but I dont know what I should
    do.  Should I let him out more often since he is already a part out
    door cat?  Should I wait until he gets older (he is still a kitten) and
    calms down?  Should I continue to try to ignore him when he whines?
    Also I am going to cause problems later by allowing the neighbors to
    let him in to play with their cat? (note they never give him food,
    etc, he only plays there).  I just want the boy to be happy.
    
    					Thanks
    					Sandy

    Sandy,
    
    The questions you pose in your note can really only be answered by you. 
    Only you know Chief best.  However, I am going to relay an experience
    of mine that might help you make your decision.
    
    Four years ago, I lived in an apartment complex where people frequently
    left their cats behind after they moved.  In one particular instance a
    woman left her boyfriend and 2 cats, then he moved and *left the cats
    in the apartment after he was gone*.  Enough said there.  These were
    completely indoor cats but once the cleaning people came in weeks later
    the cats were so petrified they literally jumped off the second floor
    balcony and from then on, lived as totally outdoor cats.  I had seen
    the cats around the complex for several months before learning about
    their plight (people felt sorry for them and fed them), and decided to
    adopt them into my home.  One of them, Chauncey, had become so
    transfixed on the outdoors he was impossible to keep inside.  I let him
    come and go as he pleased but not without continuous worry.  When my
    fiance and I bought a condo a year later I decided to try to make
    Chauncey a completely indoor cat.  Well, this cat would have none of
    that.  I kept him indoors after we moved for two weeks so he would get
    used to his new home, the scents, etc., and those two weeks were pure
    hell.  He displayed much of the same characteristics as Chief, and
    became very nasty.  At the end of two weeks I opened the door one day
    and Chauncey went flying out.  He was in his glory and quickly learned
    where home was, then proceeded to charm his way into everyone elses. 
    Even people who disliked cats loved Chauncey.  He would be gone for
    days at a time, only to come home looking like he had never left.  When
    I would grab him and fuss over him he'd give me one of those, "get out
    of my face" looks and be off on his merry way again.  I finally
    accepted the fact that Chauncey didn't want to be a one family cat --
    he wanted it all, and he got it all.  I made sure to keep a collar and
    tags on him so people would know he had a home where he was well loved
    and cared for.
    
    One morning, two years later, a man came to the door and spoke to my
    husband.  Chauncey had been hit and killed by a car about a mile from
    the house.  Dana went to retrieve his body and we cried a lot.  I was
    devastated and felt an incredibe amount of guilt for letting him roam
    outdoors.  I even wrote a letter to the local paper expressing my anger
    at the person who could hit and kill my cat without even bothering to
    stop (which was published).  Once the anger subsided, I did a lot of
    soul searching and realized that none of what happened was my fault. 
    Chauncey was a very special cat, and the quantity of his life was cut
    short but while he was here it was filled with quality, and lots and
    lots of love.  I let him do what made him happy.  He was used to being
    an outdoor cat, he loved being outside.  I could have kept him in and
    increased his life by several more years but it wouldn't have been much
    of a life for him.  I know he would have been miserable.
    
    People still talk about the white cat and how wonderful he was.  We
    have a lot of good memories and funny stories to share about Chauncey's
    antics.  He was truly a remarkable cat.
    
    I hope this helps you make your decision.  I'm not saying my way is
    right for everyone, but it was right for me, that that is what really
    matters.
    
    -Roberta
     

For what it's worth, here's my experience with 3 cats, 1 in/out, and
2 indoor only:

Debi (my fiance) and I have a cat which is indoor/outdoor.  She spends
most of her time outdoors when the weather is nice, and will sometimes
spend 3-4 days away from home - no doubt off doing cat stuff somewhere.
She has been indoor/outdoor for her entire 12 years.

Kit seems to be very smart about the road in front of our house.  Despite
our attempts at disciplining her for crossing, I've seen her on both
sides of the road.   One day I sat in the yard and watched her cross the
road.  She came to the edge of the road, and literally looked both ways
before she crossed the street.  I've only seen her being stupid once - 
she wanted to cross as I was driving in, and she got dazzled by my
headlights.  I didn't see her near the road for days after that.

This cat wants to be an outdoor kitty.  When it snows, she goes from 
door to door thinking that the snow is only outside one of them.  She
hisses and snarls at the snow and rain.  She is an absolute drag when
we have to keep her inside.  She *hates* to use the box (although she
does when she can't get out - no problems there), and she doen't take
good care of herself when kept in (she won't groom herself much, ignores
her good, etc).

This cat may be an exception to the rule, though.  She had an abnormal
upbringing, generally dislikes most people, refuses to be picked up and
held most of the time, and prefers to be the one controlling interactions
with people (that is, if she comes looking for you then fine, but if
you go looking for her, watch out!).

My parents have two cats that have been indoor cats since they were 
8 weeks old.  The first few months were difficult, because they were
very curious about the outdoors.  Now, as 8 (I think...) year old cats,
they are quite afraid of going out, and when they have escaped, they
stay near the house and cower until found.  They like to go to the door
when it's open, but they don't venture out.

These cats enjoy being indoor cats, and are the most affectionate and
happy cats I've seen in some time.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.....

/chris

	My cats are indoor/outdoor, and get to/fro via the catflap.
	They have access to the kitchen and dining room when I'm out.

	If I were to keep them indoors, I would need to give them much more room
	to play in, and also many more toys/scratching posts.
	Also, if they're confined in the kitchen/dining room together ( which 
	they have been if I've had to keep one of them indoors) then they 
	fight badly. They return to normal "play mode" when they have free run 
	of the garden.
	They are both castrated toms.

	De-clawing is illegal in the UK, so a cat-tree or a couple of 
	"interesting" scratching posts is a must, talk with your vet, or see
	if there are any local breeders that you can talk to. Pedegree breeders
	are some of the few people in the UK who have experience of keeping 
	cats indoors.
	I'd learn to cut their claws yourself, as you may find that it gets
	expensive taking them to the vets just for this.

	Local Catteries may also help on the initial aspects of short-term 
	issues, as they look after people cats whilst they are on holiday,
	and have to deal with indoor/outdoor cats in confined spaces. Some also
	have runs, so you can ask about construction/cost/suppliers

	I hope this helps,
	Heather