How long before your cats stopped giving you guilt trips? (re: going outside)

[kittens mom]

My nieces cat got out and had her kittens ( long suffering sigh) and promptly got eaten by a coyote. She was lucky to find someone willing to take on the surviving kittens. She is heartbroken , again over losing a cat she really loved. But didn't fix or keep inside.

I'm used to my cats night noises and they simply don't bother me. Kitten got done with her Helter Skelter early and later Mook will get in her little cloth kitty cube and roll around in it. We are convinced she is part Borg. She walks in it and rolls it from room to room with her inside. Another reason to invest in a cat exercise wheel.

My cats have several of the DVDs of birds made for cats. And I have some cat toys on my tablet that are interactive.

And you are right indoors can't compete with outdoors. Which is why I'm glad both of us agreed that our cats would be 100% indoor.

 

[crazy4strays]

Bummer for your niece's kitty.

That's really what keeps me going at this. I mean, my cat used to go running out into the cornfields. That would leave him nowhere to go. It's not like he could climb a cornstalk if a coyote chased him.

 

[Margret]

And it's so much easier to put your cat outside than it is to close your bedroom door? Ri-i-ight..

Margret

 

[crazy4strays]

And it's so much easier to put your cat outside than it is to close your bedroom door? Ri-i-ight..

Margret

I know, right?

My cat is still indoors. Thanks to the support that I've gotten here, I've stood firm. My husband is on board too, and has quit allowing the cat to get out.

It feels good to have all indoor cats. Like really, really good. So much less stress for me!

When you think about it, it's amazing that outdoor cats are as popular as they are. I mean, how do people deal with losing pets a lot, especially if they have small children?

I ordered a bird feeder and it came today. I can't wait to see how Tiger likes it.

 

[Margret]

When you think about it, it's amazing that outdoor cats are as popular as they are. I mean, how do people deal with losing pets a lot, especially if they have small children?

I ordered a bird feeder and it came today. I can't wait to see how Tiger likes it.

Those aren't really pets. That's why their frequent loss doesn't bother people.

It'll probably take Tiger a while to discover it, after which he will sit and watch it for hours, meowing at you to let him out so he can get those birds! He will be simultaneously fascinated and frustrated. Life is tough for all of us. He'll cope.

Margret

 

[crazy4strays]

That makes a lot of sense. Do you think that people sort of casually acquire cats just to keep the mice away, but don't really care about the cats?

Tiger is irreplaceable to me. I tell him all the time how much I love him, how purr-fect he is, how proud we are of him.

I've decreased my chance of needing grief counseling later on, by not letting him out.

 

[crazy4strays]

I sure wish that I had kept him indoors from the beginning!

He showed up as a stray and I was not as knowledgeable as I am now. Once I studied up on it, it became more and more stressful and I worried a lot about his safety and about losing him to a wild animal attack. Some friends that I consulted with, though, didn't think that it'd be very easy or successful to transition him to indoor only living.

I'm glad that it IS possible and thanks again everyone for the support!

 

[Margret]

That makes a lot of sense. Do you think that people sort of casually acquire cats just to keep the mice away, but don't really care about the cats?

Tiger is irreplaceable to me. I tell him all the time how much I love him, how purr-fect he is, how proud we are of him.

I've decreased my chance of needing grief counseling later on, by not letting him out.

I've no idea why people who don't love cats get them. I don't think it's rodent control, except maybe on farms, and perhaps the inner city; most modern houses aren't that vulnerable to rodents.

As for grief counseling, no, I'm sorry, but the grief will happen eventually, anyway. We all lose our pets; their lives are just so short compared to ours. What you're doing by keeping Tiger in is putting that day off, and keeping the eventual grief from being complicated by guilt. Worthwhile, but not permanent.

Margret

 

[crazy4strays]

Right, that's true.

 

[kittens mom]

I've no idea why people who don't love cats get them. I don't think it's rodent control, except maybe on farms, and perhaps the inner city; most modern houses aren't that vulnerable to rodents.

As for grief counseling, no, I'm sorry, but the grief will happen eventually, anyway. We all lose our pets; their lives are just so short compared to ours. What you're doing by keeping Tiger in is putting that day off, and keeping the eventual grief from being complicated by guilt. Worthwhile, but not permanent.

Margret

I wish I could give you 100 hearts for that.

 

[kittens mom]

I know, right?

My cat is still indoors. Thanks to the support that I've gotten here, I've stood firm. My husband is on board too, and has quit allowing the cat to get out.

It feels good to have all indoor cats. Like really, really good. So much less stress for me!

When you think about it, it's amazing that outdoor cats are as popular as they are. I mean, how do people deal with losing pets a lot, especially if they have small children?

I ordered a bird feeder and it came today. I can't wait to see how Tiger likes it.

I doubt there is a cat that can resist a bird feeder full of feather snacks. Make sure your screens are sturdy or reinforced. Mine have hit the screen full force superman style. Mine seem to see it as a game at this point. Hassel the birdies. Some of the birds razz them right back. My cats get the bird channel and I have a wonderful variety of birds that skim a lot of insects and pests out of the land around us. When we breakfast at the table we enjoy the antics of the birds ourselves. You may find your children as fascinated with the birds as the cat. There are free bird identifiers online.

 

[Margret]

It's the price we pay for love. And, yes, sometimes it hurts like hell, but the alternative is worse, and we know it. I'm 62 now, and Jasmine is only 4. I'll likely be in my 70s or possibly 80s when she leaves me, and what do I do then? Live catless? Or risk a new cat outliving me, and being left homeless? I don't know and, frankly, it worries me.

Margret

 

[crazy4strays]

It's the price we pay for love. And, yes, sometimes it hurts like hell, but the alternative is worse, and we know it. I'm 62 now, and Jasmine is only 4. I'll likely be in my 70s or possibly 80s when she leaves me, and what do I do then? Live catless? Or risk a new cat outliving me, and being left homeless? I don't know and, frankly, it worries me.

Margret

You could adopt a senior cat! I adopted a 14 year old kitty this year.

 

[juleska]

 
You could adopt a senior cat! I adopted a 14 year old kitty this year.

That's an awesome suggestion. Senior cats are frequently surrendered to shelters because either their owners pass away or families don't want to take care of them anymore. They are frequently euthanized because people prefer to adopt young cats. But senior cats rock. We've had a few senior strays wander into my life. One of them is my resident grandmother. Every kitten we take in goes under her wing. She's happiest when she's surrounded by little darlings to dote on. Otherwise she's a grumpy old woman. We often joke about "her bunions" and the lengths we go through to make sure she's comfortable.

 

[Margret]

Yes, that's probably what I'll end up doing. I know that senior cats can be very hard to place — everybody wants kittens. I'll still need to make some kind of arrangements for her in my will, just in case. I've read that there are pet "retirement homes," where they can live with other elderly pets, cared for by a resident caretaker. Include a bequest to cover the cost of a retirement home, and she'll be safe.

Thanks for the advice.

Margret

 

[crazy4strays]

I heard of a family who adopted an 18 year old kitty--expecting only to make her "last few months" more enjoyable.

The kitty ended up living with the family for 7 years! She passed away at age 25.

 

[crazy4strays]

Pet retirement homes sound neat!

 

[kittens mom]

It's the price we pay for love. And, yes, sometimes it hurts like hell, but the alternative is worse, and we know it. I'm 62 now, and Jasmine is only 4. I'll likely be in my 70s or possibly 80s when she leaves me, and what do I do then? Live catless? Or risk a new cat outliving me, and being left homeless? I don't know and, frankly, it worries me.

Margret

You could always foster.

 

[crazy4strays]

Well, we're almost 2 months into the transition. He would still rather be let outside but we've made huge strides on boredom busting.

He's discovered different places to climb in the house. One of his favorites is in the closet. We also got a bird feeder and put it right outside the window next to the cat tree. He loves to bird watch!

The foster kitten also gave him companionship but she's adopted now.

I never will have another outdoor cat. I am SO done with that!!

 

[Margret]

So, is it time to get a kitten of your own? Become a two-cat home, with occasional fosters?

Margret