General Chat

From the Cat Care Handbook Prepared for the Partnership for Animal Welfare, Inc. by Ginnie R. Maurer - 1998 The average life expectancy of an outdoor cat is two to five years; of an indoor cat, twelve to fifteen years. Yes, yes, you had an outdoor cat who lived to be twenty. Of course, there will always be exceptions. However, many who adopt cats for the second time do so because their first kitty was killed by a car or simply disappeared. With that second adoption, they are firmly committed to keeping kitty indoors and making the indoors so attractive, warm, friendly, and loving that kitty may never want to venture outside. If you are still unconvinced about the indoor/outdoor controversy, consider your wallet as well as your kitty. Veterinarian bills mount up when kitty comes home dragging a broken leg, with open wounds, chewed-off ears, lost teeth, and flea-related problems. Veterinarian bills mount up when kitty picks up feline diseases. Keep kitty from having to experience any of these horrors and your wallet from having to pay for them. Keep kitty indoors.

we have had a cat for 14 years, i must have been really lucky as ours doesnt cost a fortune to keep, just the cat food and the injections.....anyway the company they give far out ways the cost...enjoy your kittens.. Anita.. Oh, i used to live next door to a girl who had 2 house cats, i thought this was strange, but she said it was quite common for people to do this, I can understand if you live in a flat, but she had a huge back garden with trees etc..hey ho each to there own. :))

A suggestion, OK not ideal I know, but there are lots of people who do this, so I'm told: what about buying harnesses and leads for them, to take them outside several times a day? Years ago I would have laughed at that suggestion, but people who live in flats and people who purely show their cats do it. Years ago when I was made homeless (not through my doing), our two cats had to go to a cattery for about 6 months. I used to take them out for walks during this time, and they liked it (though they hated being taken back to the pen). I still have the harnesses and leads now, even though both cats have now passed on, as they do come in useful sometimes. Our friends have borrowed them recently, for their new cats. Just a thought. x

Glenys, there's an elderly lady at the bottom of our lane who takes her cat for a walk on a lead.....i presume he is elderly too, as he is the biggest fastest ginger cat ever to be seen bless him..my son thinks its a giggle when we see her and her cat :)

My cat is an indoor cat.She doesnt even bother trying to get outside. We got her from the rescue place,she had been a stray and they said they didnt know how she had survived outside for so long as she is deaf. I was initailly worried about her being indoors all the time,but the vet said it was NOT unhealthy for her to be kept indoors all the time. It doesnt cost lots to feed her.A 3k bag of Iams lasts roughly 2 months(i think) and only costs us £10.99. Cat litter costs us £3.50 once a month and thats it. Maybe 70p for a box of cat treats which last about a week. I hope you enjoy looking after your new kittens :-)) Anna :-)

Will your friend be able to stay over at yours and look after the kittens if you're hospitalized again BB? Glad to see you're picking up btw. xx

Awww, Neeta, just for that I think your son should have a big sloppy kiss from me as a punishment! lol. x

My concern is the cats are being given, Someone else is going to pay for the food , litter and all the etc's. Granted, these little mites, sweets as though i guess they are, are going to be home alone all day, shut in and with only themselves for company - and stimulation - BB plans to return to work next week and presumably works full time so isn't even going to be able to provide that. A little old lady at home all day with her 'house cat' is one thing... i just wonder 'Why have a cat? ..or two' Jess

Donna - lots of pros and cons here. I have had cats who were allowed outside but spent a lot of time inside, but I don't think yours will suffer if you keep them inside as long as there is some fresh air, i.e. windows open a weeny bit, not enough to let them escape or get stuck. To save money for the mo, get a very large cardboard fruit or veg tray from the greengrocers or supermarket, one about 5 inches deep. Put it inside a black bin bag, then put layers of newspaper down inside it, and sprinkle cat litter on top. Get a cat litter scoop or a cheap draining spoon to take out solid matter, and the litter should last a little longer. You can buy a litter tray later when you can afford it, but I still used to put mine inside a cardboard tray to save it being scrapped all over the floor. Cats love to play in paper sacks or bags - one of mine used to get in and the other would sit on the opening so it couldn't get out again till there was a scuffle - they were so funny. Just watch out for the furnishings if your flat is furnished with landlady's things -- you might end up losing your damage deposit I used to take one of mine on a lead to my mother's house - used to get some funny looks but she was safe and loved coming out with me. I also had them on leads when I was a passenger in my friend's car visiting another town - my cat sitter had let me down at the last minute. So you certainly could try that if you have a garden you could take them to. Good luck with them - they might help you feel less stressed and then your ibs might not flare up so much. You will just have to economise as much as poss. Try to start them on dried food like Iams you can leave a bowl down for them to snack at and it won't go smelly like tinned food. Don't give them milk or if you do, only a little watered down when you are at home so it doesn't stay down and go off. Teach them to enjoy being brushed well and watch out for fleas and worms - kittens often pick things up easily from their mother. (no offence to your friends) I used to gently bath mine from a young age and they loved it also one of them used to come to me when I had the cylinder vac. cleaner on till I brushed him with it gently. Have a look in the £shops around -they have lots of pet stuff in stock at present, even little cat baskets and blankets. Liz

Regardless of anything else, my concerns are for Donna's health. Aside from IBS, it is obviously clear to anyone who has communicated with Donna that she has several medical problems, and that her doctor(s) are unclear of the causes or exact diagnosis. Therefore, I would deem it incredibly unwise to bring home kittens - especially with the understanding that Donna will be cleaning out litter boxes for the next 10 to 15 years. IF (and it is a big if) she has any medical problems that may be attacking her immune system (or is being treated with immunosuppressing medicines), she is at serious risk from germs and toxins in the cat faeces. Please don't think I am anti-feline..... quite the opposite - once having owned 18 cats (at the same time), I was called 'the cat lady' for quite a long time :) I still have a cat now... but because I had young children and take steroid medication, Bagpuss has never had a litter tray and has always been an outdoor cat (he is about fourteen years old now... and tough as old boots lol). I have seen the devastating effects toxoplasmosis can have on an unborn child, as well as other illnesses caused by toxoplasmosis. Regardless of how rare some people may think toxoplasmosis effects are, this really needs to be taken into consideration. I will also say that indoor cats have specific health problems that outdoor cats rarely suffer from, or not suffer as acutely. Although they MAY live longer, indoor felines are more likely to be weaker than their outdoor counterparts - old age being much more painful and ill-ridden than an outdoor cat of a similar age. The following are all more likely to happen to indoor cats compared to outdoor cats: Obesity Urinary infections bladder stones immune system suppression diabetes urinary tract infections (more prolific in any cat that uses a litter box compared with cats who always defecate outside). There are advantages also to having your cat remain indoors and use a litterbox. Should the cat be ill, it may show in its litterbox behaviour (defecating outside the box, blood in faeces, etc) and so the pet owner will notice these changes more quickly. However, a good pet owner who knows their animal well, should notice a behavioural change regardless of whether the pet is kept indoors or outside. Petting a cat or dog has been well-known to cause calming effects on the body - of both human and animal :) However, allergies must be taken into consideration. Also, whether the cat (in this case) will have enough human company. To remain a pet, the cat needs a lot of attention and handling. The follwing is all from personal experience... :) Cats kill and bring home their killl to show owners that they are appreciated. If a cat cannot do this 'feral' behaviour, it will try to find another way of showing its owner that the cat misses him/her, or appreciates being fed, etc. This may include: defecating in the bedroom, on favourite clothes or in shoes - if the owner has a particular well-used bath scent, then the bath itself is a favourite place for kitty to leave a little gift of (stinky) love. clawing furniture or carpets to make a 'comfort space'. Mewling outside a closed door to be allowed to share bed space, etc. Or even mewling loudly during favourite programmes or intermittently (at night) to show affinity with owners choices and tastes, and also to keep strangers at bay. Attacking of visitors in a playful/warning way is also to be expected. Cats are the most wonderful pets to have (I own a cat and a dog).... but consideration has to be made on whether one keeps a pet for ones own enjoyment only, or for the animals benefit also. If the animal (or the owner) has problems... then a good owner will understand that a kinder action would be to find the pet another owner where the owner and pet will both be happy and content. Thats just my general opinion... not actually directed at any one person :)

Hey I have a little kitten my partner and i bought her when she was 2 months old she is now 5 months. She loves being around us and always comes and greets us when we come home giving us lots of kisses and rubbing her face on us she is so cute. We play with her all the time she is a bit crazy lol. Dont expect them to play with toys you buy. We bought Nala about 5 toys and she never plays with them instead she plays with bottle lids (kicking them around like she is in a football match lol) ribbons one of my old teddies pans anything basically but her toys lol. Don't be surprised if they like water either. Nala moves the bath; whenever i am taking one she will come and sit on the edge and dip her tail in and her paws then when i let the plug out she will jump in until the water has gone. Then of course she gets wrapped up like baby jesus until she is dry and doesnt move a single bit she is just the cutest. As you can tell we treat her a bit like a real baby lol it will have to do until we have our own children xx

I totally understand everyones point of view,although yes,i work 'full time' a lot of this is when the cats would be sleeping. If i thought keeping them indoors,for really a short amount of time,considering they can live more than a decade,i wouldnt do it. Yes,i have health problems which the doctors are finally getting to root of but everyone gets ill,the illness isnt affecting my mobility at the moment but if it ever started to i would find the cats new and loving homes.

BB - pmsl, you are priceless, lol. Are you going to feed them sleeping tablets?

hi bendy,my friend is providing the food until im back on a full wage in 2 weeks,i may not have a lot of money but people say that then spend £5 on a packet of fags! how u today bendy?

I'm great thanks. I wasn't on about the food - I was referring to you saying they would be asleep when you're out at work. They may have other ideas about that, lol.

oh right sorry,it just that so many people on here are going on about how 'bad' i am keeping to cats indoors! they WILL sleep!lol!i'll train them!and while im at it they can do the washing up while im out!lol

What time do you go out? what time do you get back? How are you going to go to your mums with 2 cats rely on you? Going back to work on Tuesday( or do you said) isn't going to give them time to settle in, let alone feel calm enought to sleep all day. Where are they now?

i go out about 5am ish and am back by 12. im not being funny but my nan has a 15 year old cat who stays in the house for longer periods that that and it has very few health probs(she has had it since a kitten) i have left them for about an hour today.

Hi, BB, Something else that I don't think anyone has mentioned is the fact that cats are such a TIE. If you go away,even for just one night,you have to book them into a Boarding Cattery, that is unless you have an absolutely reliable friend,who will definitely call in to feed and water them, change litter trays, etc. Catteries get booked up weeks beforehand, especially in the summer, so you can't just go away at a moment's notice. Cat ownership isn't something to be entered into lightly, I'm afraid. Bea.

I am sure, BB, that you will look after them in a responsible way, and love them with all your heart :) XX BC