Road too busy to rehome cats?

Ruby_Moon

morg_monster wrote: »

Hiya
DH and I will be moving into our first (bought) home before Christmas, we can't wait!! We are quite keen to have cats as although neither of us have had "big" pets before (just hamsters, rabbits, stick insects, goldfish) etc, we do utterly love our friends' and family's cats and have always said that once we had our own place, we'd get our own. We want to get them from a rescue, and can't have kittens, as we both work during the day. For this reason also we'd like to get 2 so they'd keep each other company.

I'm worrying about the road our house is on, though. It's single carriageway A road with 30mph limit but fairly busy in the rush hours. Has some parking on the road too which i'm guessing isn't great for kitties, but does keep speeds down. Apart from this road the area is quite quiet, and we have quite a big garden, and behind us is a strip of woodland and then a golf course.

Obviously we would just have to have a home check and see when the time came, but how busy is too busy?!! We want cats to be safe of course, but do you ever see "This cat could be homed near a busy road" on the rescue description?!! Are indoor cats the only answer?

Only you know really whether the road is too busy or not.
The parking is good though because it does slow cars down.
A lot of cats do adapt to roads but there again a lot don't. Noone can answer this for you I'm afraid.

sazza42

It would be a good idea to go along to a rescue shelter - Cats Protection or RSPCA. Let them know what your situation is and they will help you choose the most suitable cat for your environment. They'll be doing a home-check anyway, but it would be best to let them know before you get yourself attached to any cat at the shelter.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

tandraig

actually whether a road is busy or not is - i believe - immaterial. my house is on a side street and the main road is VERY busy. but, my first cat never went near the main road and the second cat the FIV one was house cat (with occasional forays into garden with me and he showed no interest in exploring further). unfortunately - next doors kitten was run over and killed in the back lane (which only the householders use as its a dead end).
rescue centres generally know whether the cat should be an indoor or outdoor cat! but as rule of thumb FIV cats are almost always indoor cats due to the risk of them passing on the virus to neighbouring cats (they dont always pass it during sex - it is mostly through biteing or scratching).

ZootHornRollo

could you put a cat flap on the woodland/golf course side of the house? I know there is no way to guarantee a cat would not go round to the road side but surely the woodland is a much bigger draw to a cat than a road? our three cats would not be seen for days if they had some woods to play in!

i personally don't like the idea of house cats. they should be outside.

Fire_Fox

ZootHornRollo wrote: »

could you put a cat flap on the woodland/golf course side of the house? I know there is no way to guarantee a cat would not go round to the road side but surely the woodland is a much bigger draw to a cat than a road? our three cats would not be seen for days if they had some woods to play in!

i personally don't like the idea of house cats. they should be outside.

That is a sensible idea. :T

I never used to like the idea of indoor cats, I think coloured by a neighbour's two indoor kittens who were clearly desperate to escape, plus my two outdoor cats who adored our cottage garden and fields behind! BUT when I started looking to adopt a cat here (city centre flat) I discovered that my local branch of Cats Protection had no less than six cats earmarked for indoor homes - one deaf white male, one partially sighted female, two kittens at high risk of genetic eye problems, my Noah AND an elderly female!! :eek:

Noah was rescued as a stray in mid-February (remember the snow? ) in a dreadful state with infected paws; initially CP thought they would PTS. Due to his condition - pododermatitis - the vet advised he never be allowed out, then it was established he didn't like other cats or dogs, and occasionally bites so can't be around (grand)children - that makes him very hard to place! If I hadn't been allowed to adopt ...

I promise that Noah shows no interest in leaving the flat, and was apparently the same in his foster home not even going downstairs. He loves cuddles, grub and playing in equal measure.

tandraig

when i found my nicki he was definately an outdoor cat! but - as soon as he came home with me, he was happy being an indoor cat. he seemed to find indoors strange at first (tv had him baffled until he realised there was nothing behind it). litter trays - he was very good when he realised they were toilets and not stuff to be scattered! outdoors - well - he wouldnt go out unless i was out out first - then he would join me. he felt the cold so if it was bit chilly would be on my lap or under my fleece! no way would he come out if it rained! i know he loved being indoors, he purred almost constantly - he also loved being on laps (anyones) but one hangover from his street days - he loved chinese food. but it had to be in foil tray! this cat loved being indoor cat! i am convinced of that.

morg_monster

ZootHornRollo wrote: »

could you put a cat flap on the woodland/golf course side of the house? I know there is no way to guarantee a cat would not go round to the road side but surely the woodland is a much bigger draw to a cat than a road? our three cats would not be seen for days if they had some woods to play in!

i personally don't like the idea of house cats. they should be outside.

Hey I just saw there were a few more responses on this thread so wanted to say thanks.

Also I told my husband this particular idea and he thought it was a great plan "how cute would it be if I could train our cats to accompany me on a round of golf?!" Bless!

tandraig

If you are considering an FIV cat or two morg - then you may be interested in this link
http://www.felinecatrescue.org.uk/help.html
if my OH ever agrees to let me have another cat i wouldnt hesitate to take on an FIV cat again. but then again - my animals usually find me not me find them!

hmmm - how to train a cat to go golfing??? rub golf balls with tuna? lol, timmy my first cat used to acommpany me and anni (the staffy) on walks! caused a few raised eyebrows and some comments! no, he wasnt on lead, just trotted alongside anni until we came to quarry - about 500 metres from house then !!!!!!ed off into woods!!!