My brother and his cats

Some of you may remember that my brother and his partner were all set to adopt my stray ginger tom at Christmas, but sadly he died of FIP before being ready to travel. They then adopted a kitten in England, a six month old ginger and white, who settled in well except for one thing. They have a walled garden but he would not stay in it and they had to keep going to pick him up from places up to a mile away. Then the inevitable happened and they got a call from a lady who had run him over four streets away.

I told them that they should have got an older cat, calmer in character, and maybe a female who would not be so inclined to wander. They will not consider an inside cat, which is unusual anyway in England. Their neighbours on both sides have cats who have survived over 15 years in their street, so it is possible. I can only hope they will have better luck next time, whenever they feel they are ready.

Originally Posted by jennyranson

They will not consider an inside cat

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Same here. It feels sad (for me) to see them confined.

Anyway, sending get-the-right-cat to your brother.

Originally Posted by yayi

Same here. It feels sad (for me) to see them confined.

Anyway, sending get-the-right-cat to your brother.

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Indoor cats live longer. They are safe from dogs, coyotes, hawks, owls, cars, and many diseases. Furthermore, roaming cats decimate local wildlife, especially songbirds.

Originally Posted by Zane's Pal

Indoor cats live longer. They are safe from dogs, coyotes, hawks, owls, cars, and many diseases. Furthermore, roaming cats decimate local wildlife, especially songbirds.

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Exactly! I would never,ever let my cats go out. Too many dangers involved here to mention. Your brother should reconsider an indoor cat. They're wonderful company, and fun to watch them go about their activities. Mine are quite happy indoors. They know they are safe.

When I first got my late cat Ashley, she had been living on the outside. Fending for herself as a small kitten, she seemed to have been injured since she had a limp on her right hind leg. Once we brought her in, she never even attempted to go out. She was quite happy inside as are my other two, Little Bit and Cassie.

It IS very unsual in England to have an indoor-only cat. Unheard of, really, unless you live right on a busy highway. A lot of English rescue agencies WON'T adopt to an indoor-only home. Kind of the opposite of the way it is here in the U.S.

Anyway, was their cat neutered? That should cut down on wandering, but of course some cats are just natural wanderers. Maybe they could put up some kind of barrier on their garden wall to prevent the cat from jumping over. Or, they could start putting cat food out and see if any strays show up . A stray that's been living in the area for a while already would be more likely to know the dangers and how to avoid them. And, like you said, a female would be less likely to wander. Or an older male, who wouldn't have that young-cat wanderlust anymore. I hope they can find the right cat for them!

Yes, he was neutered. They are visiting local shelters to see if they can find the right cat for them. I have advised an older female, but as we all know, the cat will adopt them!