Cat & fast road

catkins

It's a difficult one and I sympathise with you. I have had several cats killed on roads over the years (different locations but none really busy). Last year I had 3 cats killed and it was awful. They weren't even killed on the road outside my house but the service road which only has the garages and back gardens of neighbours (about 40 houses). Vehicles hurtle up and down and, to be honest, I am surprised a person has never been injured. Not one of the people who killed my cats bothered to stop. They could have had the decency to look at the collar and come and knock and tell me but no.


I have an indoor cat - she was already an indoor when I got her aged 14 three years ago. She could go out if she wanted (we have a cat flap) but she doesn't want to. Once she dies that will be it, no more cats as I just cannot take the upset.


If I were you I would look at either making the back garden impossible for your cat to get out of. It's supposed to be not that difficult to do but not sure how much it would cost. Other than that I would look into an outside run, maybe with a cat flap leading into it so she can go outside. Again, not sure what it would cost and, of course, I don't know the size of your garden.


It may be possible to make her a happy indoor cat. She is young and although she has been going out she will probably forget about that in time. You would have to give her lots of things to do/interest her though. Things like something to climb, some scratching posts, toys etc. You could have a big branch of a tree that would provide something to climb and scratch. I know someone that has that for their cat. Also play with her as much as you can.


I have mixed feelings about indoor cats. Most cats like going out and often spend a lot of time outside. On the other hand unless you live in the middle of nowhere there is so much risk of a cat being injured or killed. There are so many cars on the roads now and far too many of them go too fast. Also of course there is all the killing of wildlife most cats do even with collars and bells

snowscreamer

Thank you for your reply catkins and I absolutely sympathise. It was so naïve of us to think that because there are other cats we see regularly in our garden that ours would be safe. Now that I've seen my beautiful little girl cat running across the road I will never be able to let her roam free in this area. I don't think she is that adventurous - just loves hunting. I believe she hadn't been across the road until recently.

I think we may have to go for a cat run on our patio. It might be ugly but I don't think there will be a way of fully cat-proofing our whole garden due to a couple of trees she has climbed quite high on before and lack of fence on the back (just bushes), lack of fence between our garage and next door's. Our patio is probably 10ft x 25ft and we could dedicate half of it to a cat run. Would be good if that meant we could get the litter tray outside as well. We'll have to save up and maybe delay some other projects for this but is probably the way forward.

beanielou

Another vote from me for an outside cat run.
Apart from anything else your wee girl will be enjoying herself basking in the heat which is why she will like to go out.

Shrike

My cat loves to hunt too, but she gets a lot of fun hunting spiders, flies, moths and grasshoppers. I'm sure you could set up the cat run with plenty of plants that encourage these insects. Make sure it has multi level climbing posts too.

chez22

Lots of ideas and info on cat proofing and cat runs here http://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/cat-runs-cat-proofed-gardens.211361/

Lilyjade

We built our own cat pen from timber and chicken wire. Originally we only put strawberry netting at the top, but after a few months our boy worked out he could rip it and escape, so now it has a wire roof as well. It cost us under £300 (and it's over 10ft by7ft ).

Our 4 love the pen as they can go in it as they please from the cat flap. We also placed it so I can throw open windows that face into the pen. When the windows are all open it becomes a giant race circuit in and out!

We also made a frame to put inside our bedroom windows, this means I can have windows open in the bedroom without escapes.

We do also take ours out in the garden for supervised play time at weekends and warmer evenings.

Unless I am out in the garden, or it's a Saturday afternoon (how do they know the days of the week?) they don't really ask to go out.

Although mine gave been indoor from kittens, I do think most cats adapt to an indoor life. It does just require more work to keep them entertained and excersised though.

With the number of cats in rescue, and with the danger of the road, I think you have made a sensible decision to keep her indoors. When you build her a pen she will be even happier (and if it really doesn't work at least you will have given it a chance).

Beckyy

Have you thought about a reflective collar if she doesn't already have one?

http://www.kittycollars.co.uk/reflective-cat-collars.htm

Has a good selection which have safety catches.

Would it be possible for you to let her out at times which are quieter and keep her in at peak times? Maybe getting some cat toys for inside might help keep her occupied, something like this maybe?:

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_toys/miscellaneous/treat_toys/132801

or an interactive toy/treat ball?

snowscreamer

An update: luckily she's doing pretty well inside. As I think I said, the whole winter she was only going out for about 20 mins twice a day (toilet and a bit of hunting?) and it was only recently in the nice weather that this had increased to up to an hour twice a day. This was with unrestricted access to a cat flap, so only twice a day by choice. She hates all the other cats and I think they were bullying her - lots of being chased back inside and othe cats thwarted by microchip cat flap. Her brother was out most of the time so quite different.

We have a cat tree and various toys arriving on Monday - today we are planning to go out to Pets At Home and get a boxed-in litter tray and other bits.

My parents have offered to have her if we decide she goes need to go outside but OH is firmly against! She would get outside time there, and they have a very gentle dog who hopefully she could play with when people aren't around, but I don't think she's get the human attention she loves. I don't rate my parents as cat owners: previously they've always left them to their own devices and not played with them or had many cuddles whereas we do spoil our cat when we're in. She's on our laps all evening.

So far, so good...

catkins

snowscreamer wrote: »

An update: luckily she's doing pretty well inside. As I think I said, the whole winter she was only going out for about 20 mins twice a day (toilet and a bit of hunting?) and it was only recently in the nice weather that this had increased to up to an hour twice a day. This was with unrestricted access to a cat flap, so only twice a day by choice. She hates all the other cats and I think they were bullying her - lots of being chased back inside and othe cats thwarted by microchip cat flap. Her brother was out most of the time so quite different.

We have a cat tree and various toys arriving on Monday - today we are planning to go out to Pets At Home and get a boxed-in litter tray and other bits.

My parents have offered to have her if we decide she goes need to go outside but OH is firmly against! She would get outside time there, and they have a very gentle dog who hopefully she could play with when people aren't around, but I don't think she's get the human attention she loves. I don't rate my parents as cat owners: previously they've always left them to their own devices and not played with them or had many cuddles whereas we do spoil our cat when we're in. She's on our laps all evening.

So far, so good...

Pleased to hear things are working out so far. Early days but hopefully she will be happy to be an indoor cat. Some cats just don't seem bothered about going out. As I said, my cat can go out if she chooses to but she never does and hasn't in the 3 years I have had her and didn't with her previous owner either.

HB58

There are various window screens that you can get so that windows can be left open in the summer (whatever that is!). This is just one option - http://www.streme.co.uk/pet-screens/