how do i choose a kitten that will not want to go outdoors

annie_359

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hi everyone..

hope this msg finds u in the best fo health.

im a new member and i registered after the death of my baby Simba.. he was only 16months old and died exactly 14 months after my first baby Sultan who also died 16months. They both got hit by cars outside our house, on their way home.. im so sad.

the reason we bought simba was cuz after three days of moruning sultan in october 2005 we couldnt take it anymore.. the house felt so empty, we jus had to have a new baby. we vowed to never let simba go out as we never wanted him to suffer the same violent death. for the first 4 months he was fine.. he never tried to run out, never cried etc.

we got him neutered in december, 6 weeks after havin him, when he was 4 months old. then when he was about 5 or 6 months old he went crazy, bouncing off the walls.. ALWAYS crying at the door. we couldnt take his crying anymore.. we felt so cruel.. "cats are animals, they need the outdoors" we told ourselves. and so we let him out. he was very good in that he would come home as soon as we hurd him as long as he was in hearing distance. we never expected him to go to the front of the house where the cars are. but then he did.. and died unfortunately.

i know each cat has their own personality, but simba (classic tabby) was a lot more timid than sultan (short haired street-alley cross breed) sultan was a lot more independant and defiant, yet more social. simba wouldnt like being held yet would run to us if he got scared by a bang.

i really wanna get a new kitten.. i have lots of love to give to kittens and cats and the family is just not the same. but before buying a new one, i wanna see if i can eliminate the chances of experiencing the same violent early death of my babies.
so what i wanted to know is:

- which breeds of cat are usually more social? (like bng held etc etc)

- which ones are more homely? (less likely to cry to go outside)

- are girls more likely to want to stay indoors?

- does having a cat neutered at a particular age (especially if they're young) affect his desire to go out/cry/mood?

- is it better to get a pair of kittens so they can grow up together and play together and stay busy indoors?
- again - are two sisters better to buy than brothers?

pls do reply, if u have any suggestions..

lotsa love,
Annie,
London
 

epona

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I can't answer all of your questions, but I can tackle a couple!

Yes, getting cats neutered/spayed as early as possible will stop them wanting to go outside to find a mate and to defend a large territory. A lot of people here from the US will tell you to get a kitten neutered when it is still very little, but as you're in London you're likely to have trouble finding a vet that will do it before 5 or 6 months, but basically get it done as young as you can, it will stop the cat from wanting to roam.

And yes, it is really good to get a pair of kittens together, great company and they can play together.
 

pami

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Yes get a pair of kittens, they will keep each other company. Spay/neuter as early as you can. Although mine were not spay/neutered until 6 months, they would be curious as to what was on the other side of the door, but I never let them know and havent had any problems with them wanting out. Their Mother wanted out, but I didnt let her and she eventually gave the idea up.

Im not sure as to what breed.

Im very sorry for your loss.
 

snuzy

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I vote get two too! They'll be so busy playing with each other, they won't even know there is an outdoors. I don't know which sex or boy and girl. I had 2 girls, but the boy kitties I've fostered have been sweeties too. We have an early spay/neuter program at our shelter. They can get done at 8 weeks as long as they weigh 2 pounds.

Sorry about your babies.
 

twstychik

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I've never heard of a breed of cat wanting out less than another. It may be hard to hear them cry at the door but isn't that better than the alternative?! I think it has to do with how they live. Wickett was born in a garage but is never allowed outside now that he's with us. He never whines wither. Frankie was an indoor cat then when I lived w/ my parents for a year she found a hole that we didn't know about. I'd see her outside when I got home and couldn't figure out how she got there. Fortunately my parents live in a quiet subdivision and she was relatively safe. Anyway, after a year of free roaming in and out as she pleased I moved into an apartment and she was again an indoor cat. She never cried and only a few times tried to run out. The even fewer times she made it out her surroinding were so unfamiliar that she ran right back in. Now she doesn't even try anymore.
 

urbantigers

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I agree with the getting 2!

As to breed - a lot of pedigree breeders prefer their cats to go to indoor homes anyway (or to homes with enclosed gardens/runs) - I think most breeds do ok as indoor cats so it's pretty much down to what breed you like the looks and personality of. I also believe that most moggies, with rare exceptions, can be kept indoors if they are kept as indoor cats from the outset. I had 2 moggies and they were fine as indoor cats. Sometimes they go through a phase of seeming to want to be outdoors but often it's just a response to seeing something outside that they want to get to or a result of boredom and will pass provided the indoor environment is stimulating enough. Sometimes Mosi seems desperate to get out but usually he's just seen something outside that's got him all excited and he can be distracted with a toy. Having 2 will help prevent that as they'll have a playmate.

An alternative is to look for a rescue cat that needs to be kept indoors, eg an FIV + cat

Do you have a garden you could enclose with cat proof fencing so that they could have some safe outdoor access?
 

cairo

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- which breeds of cat are usually more social? (like bng held etc etc) For most mixed-breed (shelter) cats, affection has a lot to do with the kitten's early socialization. A safe route to go is to get full breed kittens from a reputable breeder. A good breeder should be able to select a pair that will be a good match for you. Or you can get one full breed, and adopt a shelter kitten as a companion.

You can try to find a good breed that matches what you are looking for through Animal Planet's breed selector: http://animal.discovery.com/breedsel...catselector.do

- which ones are more homely? (less likely to cry to go outside) From my experience with kittens is that most of them go through a pretty long phase where outside looks sooooooo cool, and they always try to escape. Eventually this subsides and they submit to life indoors. Some will always try to escape just to see what it's like.

My girls try it every now and then. They love the idea of outside. During the spring and fall when temperatures are moderate, I open all the windows (screened) and balcony doors, and they just love the fresh air, breeze etc. Everything has screens on it though, so there is no escaping. But when the windows and doors are open the girls just sit there and enjoy there air, and do not try to escape.

Paris made a successful escape twice. The first time when she was only 6 months old. She snuck into the garage when we were taking the garbage out, and escaped the garage when I had to take the dog out at 2 AM. After a frantic 12 hour search up to 8 blocks away from the house, we found she had been seen hanging out at the pool all day and took some time to visit and terrorize the neighbor's dog.
The second time, a careless visitor left the door open after going out for a smoke. She went out and laid on the doorstep in the sun and trotted back in a couple hours later.

- are girls more likely to want to stay indoors?
From my days of caring for a population of feral cats, I'm inclined to say yes. This was many years ago, but I found that males liked to go on journeys even when they were neutered. They would travel far away and for long periods of time. Females - once spayed - stayed in the area for the most part. I might be wrong on this one and it's hard to tell as the majority of the cats didn't actually get to be indoors, so I'm going off of territory. Males left the general territory often and for longer periods of time, while females stayed in the same territory.

- does having a cat neutered at a particular age (especially if they're young) affect his desire to go out/cry/mood? YES YES YES! Neutering a cat won't guarantee it will lose all interest in the outdoors, but leaving it intact will almost guarantee it will want to go outdoors. An intact animal has an urge to do what nature intended, so they will need to satisfy that urge by going outdoors. So no matter what kitten you get, nueter it!

- is it better to get a pair of kittens so they can grow up together and play together and stay busy indoors? Yes, absolutely! For a number of reasons too long to list, the advantages of having two kittens far outweigh the tiny amount of additional work (2 litterboxes to maintain, and 2 mouths to feed). Two kittens occupied with eachother I think can stay distracted enough to be happy indoors.

- again - are two sisters better to buy than brothers? I don't think this matters so much and depends more on the individual cats themselves. You might try a brother/sister combination or brothers or sisters. I think the bond between siblings is what matters in them getting along and if you go through a good breeder or a rescue organization, they should be able to give you a pair that are close.

--------
Either way, I'm sure you know this by now that no matter how much the kitten cries, do not let it outdoors. Cats are wonderful companions and as pets they don't need the outdoors. When your kitty cries to go outside, just imagine a child crying for a bucket of candy every day. You know it's bad for him, so don't let him have it.
 

gailuvscats

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I think it is best to get two kittens, both the same gender, related or not.
Get them neutered at 6 months or sooner depending on your vet.

My experience has been, if the cat never goes out, he never wants to go out. That doesn't mean not to be careful when you open the door, cause curiosity might have them step out, but as they get older, they don't have the desire and it is even scary for them. Sometimes mine will stand at the door when I come in, and take a peek out, never a step towards the outdoors. OF course I only allow a peak, I don't open it wide.

Anyway, if you don't take them out, they won't want to go out.
 

goldenkitty45

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Any kitten who has no exposure of outside will be fine inside all its life. Males tend to be more social/loving then females. Either sex will be more willing to stay in if neutered/spayed at a early age before they either go into heat or realize they are a tom.

I'd just adopt young kitten(s) - 3-4 months old and keep it inside all the time - just entertain them with tree houses by the windows and other toys.
 
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annie_359

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hi everyone..

and thank u for all ur responses.. especially cairo, u went thru so much trouble to answer each of my points, i really appreciate it!

we have no problem neutering the babies here in london as long as they are more than 10weeks old.

this is the problem, we dint expect our kittens to be bouncing off the walls once we got them neutered... but now if i DO get a kitten, im NEVER gonna let them out.. i just wish i was stronger the last two times.. our road isnt even thattttt busy with cars but i do blame myself for their deaths..

annie,
london
 

neely

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Any kitten who has no exposure of outside will be fine inside all its life. Males tend to be more social/loving then females. Either sex will be more willing to stay in if neutered/spayed at a early age before they either go into heat or realize they are a tom.

I'd just adopt young kitten(s) - 3-4 months old and keep it inside all the time - just entertain them with tree houses by the windows and other toys.
Ditto to all of the above. All our cats with the exception of one were adopted out from a shelter and ALL of them were young adult strays found outdoors. Yet, they were all fixed and never stepped a foot outdoors again. They would like to look out the window or patio door but the rules in our house are to keep them inside. All of them acclimated to being indoor cats and I can honestly say they never had a problem.

I think one of the more docile breed of cats are Persians. This might be a good choice for a cat/kitten that you describe as wanting to stay at home.
Best of luck, hope you have a new furry friend(s) soon.
 

urbantigers

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Don't blame yourself for Simba and Sultan's deaths. It's a difficult decision whether to let them outdoors over here, as many live long, happy lives as indoor/outdoor cats. I do think it's wise to keep future cats indoors though given that you've lost 2 to RTAs.

5/6 months is often a boisterous period in a kitten's life as they approach adolescence so the behaviour you witnessed in Simba may have been nothing more than high spirits and that "ooh I want to be out there, it looks interesting" approach to life that kittens have. Mosi was seriously hyperactive at that age and needed a lot of time spent in interactive play to tire him out. If you experience that again with another cat try not to give in and the cat will probably settle down again and be happy with an indoor life.
 
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annie_359

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thank u again for ur responses.. by the way urbantigers.. jaffa looks so sweet and innocent!! really cute and dopey like my simba


guys, i did that compatibility test on the discovery website and it says that the best cat for me is either the birman, persian or ragdoll. is the ragdoll a moggie??

also, these cats are expensive, and if i wanna get two, would it be better to just settle for regular cats, i.e tabby or tortoiseshells??

what is the difference in behaviour of normal cats like tabbies/tortoiseshells and the puffy ones like persian cats?
bear in mind im looking to get 2 girls.

thanks ONCE AGAIN!

God bless.
Annie
 
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