Cat 'netting'. Indoor cats advice needed.

Celli

I'm getting these ones at some point http://www.cataire.co.uk/index.php they can attach with velcro, I know a couple of cat breeders who have had them for years and swear by them.

spartacusthe1st

This is just what I need,my cat had kittens 3 weeks ago and we can't let her out its soooo horrible keeping the doors and windows shut!

pawsies

Can you not try a cat harness and lead? Or alternatively cat proof the garden (no mention of whether you had one in your op though)?

iammumtoone

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

If your cats are not happy at being kept indoors maybe you should consider re-homing them?

The cats are happy, they have a loving home with an owner who puts their welfare first. Cats are naturally curious they would go to look through an open window or door even if they had been house cats all their life.

I suggest you use fly netting it is cheap and the holes are small. I used it when my son was a baby on his window to stop the flys/wasps getting in. Something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stv-STV229-Window-Fly-Screen/dp/B000M49UH8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373227136&sr=8-1&keywords=fly+netting

the only problem I had with it was once I had finished using it (he is old enough now not to need it), it took forever to get the velcro off the window frames

zagfles

senileturtle wrote: »

Who said they were not happy?

They're well loved, regardless. They just used to be ones that could go in and out as they pleased. But circumstances change.

Besides. Animals are for life, through thick and thin. They chose me, and I wouldn't part with them for the world.

Would you re-home a child just because they developed agoraphobia? Or something similar to a lack of ability to step outside?

Honestly, I find your post offensive and assuming.

There's enough animals in need of homes without someone suggesting I add to that number.

But the cats haven't got agrophobia, have they? Would you think it was OK to keep a child locked in the house never to go out because the parents are paranoid about the dangers of the outside?

We live on a busy road and all our cats have learnt to respect the road, we've even seen one of them looking carefully before crossing!

Quiet roads can be as dangerous or even more dangerous than busy roads, because the cats don't get used to the traffic going up and down it and so don't associate it with potential danger.

iammumtoone

zagfles wrote: »

We live on a busy road and all our cats have learnt to respect the road, we've even seen one of them looking carefully before crossing!

I don't live near a busy road, the nearest busy (but not that busy) road to me is down my back garden across a lane past another long back garden past a house and past a long front garden. However when I got my cats from the cats protection they only agreed for me to have them if i kept them as indoor cats as I was too near the road!!

I tried to argue against this but was told they were to be kept indoors otherwise I would not be allowed to house any cats from them. I signed the papers and let the cats out anyway.

The point is that the cat charities agree that cats should not be let near busy roads (or even any roads it seems in my case)

senileturtle

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

You said:

However, we are unable to open the windows due to obvious escape attempts (mogs used to be able to go out when I lived elsewhere).

Why would they want to escape if they were happy? Stress can cause an awful lot of problems in cats.

I know full well what stress can do to any animal, however, as I said, they used to be in and out cats. They only try to escape because they used to go out (plus curiosity as another said). They did escape once, two of them, but came back thankfully - clearly an unhappy cat would not come back? But it put myself and others in a lot of worry, especially as our recent rescue had only been with us for a month or so. Not to mention the busy road + we have allotments near ours so there will be all sorts of nasty chemicals sprayed on the flowers and that to keep bugs off. I do not want to risk my cats ingesting those either. Plus there are other hazards, but really, I shouldn't have to defend my cats situation to someone who doesn't know them. I love them dearly, and if I could, I would allow them outside as I feel bad keeping them in the house, but as I explained earlier, it is dangerous. But they have plenty of space (3 bedroom house), toys, scratching posts, beds, and tlc.

Dumbe wrote: »

Wow ... I am almost speechless..A pet is for life .. Just because the ops circumstances have changed does not mean they get rid of a much loved family member.. I would warrant they would be even less happy in a rescue centre cage.

Would you rehome your children if they became unhappy, rebellious and ran away?

Op I have indoor cats and use fly screens that are made for the windows .. I have them on the doors as well as windows so I can leave the back door open but the cats can't wander out.

Www.flyscreensuk.co.uk

Thanks for the link, will have a look.

pawsies wrote: »

Can you not try a cat harness and lead? Or alternatively cat proof the garden (no mention of whether you had one in your op though)?

We have considered a cat harness for our bengal but not actually gone so far as to get one. I personally think he'll probably loathe it, lol.

Our garden is too big to be fully cat proofed and in dire need of sorting out, however we do want to build an add on to our conservatory where the decking is to make an enclosed outside area (using mesh/trellis/etc) for the cats to go so they do have an outside space eventually. It's just getting round to it and getting the help to do it as it's a big job. We have the materials pretty much.

But for now we would like open windows without worry - especially in this heat.

I will look at all the links and suggestions and have a think about what is best. Thanks for those who gave advice that I sought.

senileturtle

zagfles wrote: »

But the cats haven't got agrophobia, have they? Would you think it was OK to keep a child locked in the house never to go out because the parents are paranoid about the dangers of the outside?

We live on a busy road and all our cats have learnt to respect the road, we've even seen one of them looking carefully before crossing!

Quiet roads can be as dangerous or even more dangerous than busy roads, because the cats don't get used to the traffic going up and down it and so don't associate it with potential danger.

I didn't say they did, I was making a hypothetical similar situation to make the naysayer see how their post came across.

Well done to your cats. I know some cats do figure out the look left and look right thing, but a lot do not. I've had to bury a cat that someone ran over and just chucked in the bushes at the side of the path. I've also had to take a cat to a rescue centre that had been hit by a car, luckily he only had a broken leg.

As it is, it's not paranoia (there are other dangers too), as I know what my cats are like. When I lived on a quiet estate I came home to find my youngest just sunbathing in the middle of the road. So they're not the most road savvy cats, unfortunately.

zagfles

iammumtoone wrote: »

I don't live near a busy road, the nearest busy (but not that busy) road to me is down my back garden across a lane past another long back garden past a house and past a long front garden. However when I got my cats from the cats protection they only agreed for me to have them if i kept them as indoor cats as I was too near the road!!

I tried to argue against this but was told they were to be kept indoors otherwise I would not be allowed to house any cats from them. I signed the papers and let the cats out anyway.

The point is that the cat charities agree that cats should not be let near busy roads (or even any roads it seems in my case)

Some of the cat charities are a bit OTT. Personally I'd put more faith in the RSPCA who are pretty neutral on the issue http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/cats/environment/indoors/-/article/CAD_KeepingCatsIndoors

We inherited a cat who was used to being outdoors and it would have been incredibly cruel to keep him in (and the RSPCA agree).

iammumtoone

zagfles wrote: »

Some of the cat charities are a bit OTT.

Too much so, there are lots of cats that need homes but they are not willing to let them go I had a friend who had three cats and wanted another so she went to a charity, when they did the home visit they noticed her house was for sale so wouldn't give her one as they couldn't be sure she was moving to a safe area. She tried to explain she already had three cats and wouldn't move any where that would put them at risk but they were having none of it. She went out and brought one instead and said she would never try to give a rescue cat a home again as she was made to feel like she was a bad owner when she adored her cats.