Is it possible to teach my next cat road sense?

Kimberley

itsgototstop wrote: »

Honestly, its all just personal opinion, but as a cat lover and owner I wouldn't keep indoor only or let out only to a pen, but thats just me, mine wonder and roam and I do everything in my power apart from confining them to keep them safe, we all love our cats but just have diff ways of letting them be xx

I have Bengals, they are very expensive and very very boisterous and lively, no way would they survive a life out roaming, they have no road sense at all and have no sense of danger. I would not by the grace of god put them at risk by letting them roam amongst the dangers of man made dangers such as the car. I'm sorry but I intend to keep my cats safe at all times and i'm not knocking those who do let their cats out, that is their own personnel choice, but it's not for me.

I understand peoples view on that it's a cat nature to roam and they think keeping cats indoors is cruel, but there are just as many who keep their cats indoors then those who let them out. There is no right or wrong way and we all do what we feel is best for our pets because they depend on us to care for them and by the way, i'm also a cat lover.

MrsE_2

When I lived in a city my boy was an indoor cat, when we moved to a town, he was still an indoor cat.
Only when we moved to a village would I let him out.
BUT he wasn't allowed out after dark, I did my best to get him in BEFORE I left for work.
He was a persian & by nature wanted to be indoors.
He only went out to do his business & come back in.

Maybe DKLS you should think about one of the more "lapcat" breeds, that like being home more.

Kimberley

MrsE wrote: »

When I lived in a city my boy was an indoor cat, when we moved to a town, he was still an indoor cat.
Only when we moved to a village would I let him out.
BUT he wasn't allowed out after dark, I did my best to get him in BEFORE I left for work.
He was a persian & by nature wanted to be indoors.
He only went out to do his business & come back in.

Maybe DKLS you should think about one of the more "lapcat" breeds, that like being home more.

I don't understand why people let their cats out after dark, thats when cats are more in danger of getting hit by a car, cats are more lively and alert after dark.

If i move to a rural part of Kent, then maybe i'll try to let them out, if and I mean if there are no cars about.

Mely

I had a Chocolate Havana...just like the one in the pic that Lowis posted. I fully intended on keeping him as an indoor cat. But he absolutely hated being indoors all the time. He liked to 'hang out' with the dogs and used to hate it when they could go out and he couldnt go with them. He tried every opportunity to get out. He had never been out as we had him from a kitten. I let him outside occasionally and then suddenly when he was 18 months old he was killed on the road. I think a lot depends on the cats own personality, as well as the breed as to whether they can settle to being an indoor cat. My first cat before him lived happily going outside but, was killed on the road at aged 16.

Kimberley

Mely wrote: »

I had a Chocolate Havana...just like the one in the pic that Lowis posted. I fully intended on keeping him as an indoor cat. But he absolutely hated being indoors all the time. He liked to 'hang out' with the dogs and used to hate it when they could go out and he couldnt go with them. He tried every opportunity to get out. He had never been out as we had him from a kitten. I let him outside occasionally and then suddenly when he was 18 months old he was killed on the road. I think a lot depends on the cats own personality, as well as the breed as to whether they can settle to being an indoor cat. My first cat before him lived happily going outside but, was killed on the road at aged 16.

Sorry to hear about your cats Mely, the Havana is a lovely cat.

tankgirl1

tankgirl1 wrote: »

I believe (but might well be wrong) that cats are exempt from laws like that, because it is acknowledged that they are by nature 'roaming' animals, and it would not right for every pet cat to be confined to a small area - some are fine with being a house cat/ having access only to garden etc, some aren't and it would cause behavioural issues.

As I said I am not 100% on this, and can't remember where I read it - does anyone know any more?

anyone know any more about this?

Notsosharp

Not without doing research and I don't have time atm!!

LouBlue

Kimberley wrote: »

I have Bengals, they are very expensive and very very boisterous and lively, no way would they survive a life out roaming, they have no road sense at all and have no sense of danger. I would not by the grace of god put them at risk by letting them roam amongst the dangers of man made dangers such as the car. I'm sorry but I intend to keep my cats safe at all times and i'm not knocking those who do let their cats out, that is their own personnel choice, but it's not for me.

I understand peoples view on that it's a cat nature to roam and they think keeping cats indoors is cruel, but there are just as many who keep their cats indoors then those who let them out. There is no right or wrong way and we all do what we feel is best for our pets because they depend on us to care for them and by the way, i'm also a cat lover.

I'm with you Kimberley. My [strike]baby[/strike] cat is a pedigree, I bought her at 3 months, she had never been outside when I bought her, and her owner told me not to let her outside..the usual.....she would be stolen and also I live on a very busy road. She is happy as Larry...whoever Larry is.....:D..she is 6 now, its so nice not to have that worry of where she is, or that something might have happened to her. I would be heartbroken if anything happened to her. She is very happy, she has never shown any desire at all to go outside. We have never had any behavioural problems with her and she has always been completely house-trained. When we move and get a garden, hope to build a lovely pen like you have. And I love the idea of a lead so she can go round the garden if she so wishes.

moomin5

I think cats in america are often kept as house cats because if they stray, its not just cars they have to worry about as they are also prey for some wild animals.

Kimberley

LouBlue wrote: »

I'm with you Kimberley. My [strike]baby[/strike] cat is a pedigree, I bought her at 3 months, she had never been outside when I bought her, and her owner told me not to let her outside..the usual.....she would be stolen and also I live on a very busy road. She is happy as Larry...whoever Larry is.....:D..she is 6 now, its so nice not to have that worry of where she is, or that something might have happened to her. I would be heartbroken if anything happened to her. She is very happy, she has never shown any desire at all to go outside. We have never had any behavioural problems with her and she has always been completely house-trained. When we move and get a garden, hope to build a lovely pen like you have. And I love the idea of a lead so she can go round the garden if she so wishes.

Thank you Loublue for this, i'm glad i'm not the only one who chooses to keep their cat safe indoors.

In the pen I'm adding allsorts, climbing frames, two huge wooden cat trees, hanging baskets and swings so they will have plenty of things in the pen to keep them active.

I had a Bengal kitten go missing about three weeks ago and I think someone picked her up, that is another danger of having pedigree cats.