Trying to bring in an outdoor cat

[stewball]

I'm so glad he came home. I wouldn't cope with an inside/outside cat. I'd worry all the time.
I'mean like that with people. I worry myself sick if somebody is late. I'm a real pain to my middle aged children. But I digress. I worry if I can'tb find

 

[pi-pi]

I'm so glad he came home. I wouldn't cope with an inside/outside cat. I'd worry all the time.
I'mean like that with people. I worry myself sick if somebody is late. I'm a real pain to my middle aged children. But I digress. I worry if I can'tb find

I'm a worrier too Stewball! Right now I'm worried about Pi because he is in his "sleeping quarters" in the vestibule between my kitchen and attached garage. He was inside the kitchen with me getting a nice tummy rub and petting and warm when all of a sudden he decided he was going to go and get a wink of sleep out in the vestibule. Its very cold here in Westchester County, NY tonight. We are 23 miles north east of NYC. Its below freezing right now at 8 PM but he is happier out in the vestibule on his comforter with SnuggleSafe warming disks between the folds than here in my warm kitchen it would seem. I keep checking on him and he looks at me and yawns. He is VERY comfortable it would seem. LOL! I will rewarm the disks before I go up to bed around 10 to 10:30 and hope he stays warm throughout the night. Can't do anything else as he won't yet let me close the back door when he is in the kitchen.

 

[linda carella]

It is so cold here too. Instead of bell going in to his warm igloo he prefers to sleep out side on his heated mat with a snuggle heated disk . Plus I took one of he blankets and put it in the dryer just to warm it up for him. He had a bad night last night. The wind made him so frightened. He came in and stayed for a while. He did not want to go out but I had to make him go out and than he was cuddled by the door. He finally went in his house. I am going to let the two cats meet soon. But I am afraid that they will have a big fight. Tonite it is suppose to get windy again. I bought a litter box in case he says all night. Maybe I can kept him in my room while gwen sleeps with my husband in another room. I also bought another snuggle disk. I wish I had a garage.

 

[pi-pi]

They are frustrating aren't they when they just won't use the wonderful amenities we provide them but prefer to go outside!

Weather report says it will be 9 degrees F here tonight and that is way too cold to leave the pet door propped open. After Pi gets home and is in for the evening (praying he comes home) I plan to close the pet door and slide in the panel that blocks it off. He won't be able to get outside with it closed like that and will more than likely not be happy about it but he won't have that cold air coming in and blowing over him. I'll open it in the morning and pray that he isn't so mad at me he doesn't return. While it still won't be warm in the vestibule and garage he will have his comforter and blankets, insulated bed box (if he uses it) and 4 SnuggleSafe disks. God bless the inventor of SnuggleSafe. I think they come from Great Britain. If he wants to come in and stay in the gated off area of my kitchen for the night he is more than welcome but I highly doubt he will allow me to close the back door and if I manage to do it I think he would make a racket during the night. I could be wrong BUT I don't think so. He does have a litter box in the garage which he often uses so I can bring that into his gated kitchen area if need be. Good luck during this cold spell with Bell Linda. Maybe he WILL sleep in your bedroom. Did the Frontline get rid of the fleas yet? My order doesn't arrive until Saturday and the new pet door is supposed to arrive this afternoon but I have a doctor appointment this afternoon and so won't be able to put it in until tomorrow. Hope it fits as promised and pray he will be able to operate it so I don't have to keep it propped open like the current one.

 

[linda carella]

Yes front line worked. My bell is sleeping out side on his heated bench all day. And now it is 5:30 and he is still on the bench. I kept warming up the snuggle disks and also warming up the blankets. As long as it is not windy he is ok. But the wind is coming. Hope you are able to keep pipi in the kitchen tonite.

 

[pi-pi]

I doubt I will be able to keep him in the kitchen. He has spent some time in the kitchen even while I ate dinner and my dog was in the kitchen too. Of course Pi was on his side of the gate and Happy was on mine. I gave them each a little treat at the same time and they were good with that. BUT, he now keeps going out to the vestibule and his sleeping quarters there. He was meowing at me from out there a few minutes ago and when I went to check on him he was by the pet door which has the panel slid into it so he can't go out tonight. He doesn't understand and I'm so afraid that he will run away and not come back again when I do let him out. I'm wary about letting him out tomorrow too because they say it is going to be super cold and very windy. If he doesn't stay in the kitchen tonight at least he will be out of the wind in the vestibule and garage but not the cold. It gets cold there too even though not quite as cold as if he was outside. I am so worried about this whole thing. I hope I can sleep tonight.

 

[pi-pi]

Well everyone I did manage to keep him in the kitchen with the back door closed. Problem is after I went upstairs and came down again to check on him I couldn't find him. I looked all over and finally I did find him cowering behind the toilet seat in the downstairs bathroom. The bathroom is part of his gated area. I just didn't have the heart to leave him in the gated area overnight he was so scared. So I coaxed him out, opened the back door and let him go into the garage and vestibule. I warmed all the snuggle disks and gave him an extra blanket. However, I left the pet door closed with the panel inserted so he can't open it. It's just too cold out there tonight and there is snow on the ground as well. Early tomorrow morning--usually 6:30 I'll open the pet door so he can go out before or after he eats. His choice. I just pray he will return and not run away because he's mad at me for keeping him closed in tonight. It's supposed to be very cold and windy tomorrow so I hope he remembers there is food and warm shelter here and someone to give him pats and rubs.

 

[catwoman707]

Aww, Pi-Pi.

He also will remember, despite how different and maybe scary for him a bit, nothing hurt or harmed him while there either, so not so traumatic really.

Try that again sometime soon too. First time was the scariest, second wont be as bad, and so on.

Of course he knows where to go when it's cold. Cats are smart cookies

 

[kyrie]

My family has taken in 8 stray cats over the years. Took a bit to get them used to us enough to pick them up & rush them inside but it was worth it. I live in northern Minnesota where are winters are -40+ with windchill so it always breaks my heart to see outdoor cats. One of our cats Hope got frostbite & her ears ended up falling off.

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• kyrie
• Jan 7, 2015

Recently I took in a black cat as well. The first day I couldn't get him to come out from under the bed but he started getting used to the house wanted to explore. I just let him know where food & water was if he wanted plus the litter box. Hes been a happy indoor cat since & I got him back in October. He even purred the first 4 or 5 days he was so happy to be out of the cold! Now he's a super friendly cat always cuddling.

 

[pi-pi]

 
Aww, Pi-Pi.

He also will remember, despite how different and maybe scary for him a bit, nothing hurt or harmed him while there either, so not so traumatic really.

Try that again sometime soon too. First time was the scariest, second wont be as bad, and so on.

Of course he knows where to go when it's cold. Cats are smart cookies

Thank you Catwoman I need the encouragement. When I came down this morning he was nowhere to be seen in the vestibule or garage but I knew he had to be there--no way out. I suspect he was under my car. Just hope he didn't spend the night on the concrete floor under the car when he had the warm place in his vestibule and other spots in the garage. Its possible he heard me coming and ran under the car just when I came downstairs. Anyway I kept talking to him like he was right in front of me telling him I was opening the pet door and getting his breakfast. I got the door propped open in the usual way he likes then came into the kitchen and started to prepare his turkey wet food. He had a bowl of kibble in the garage last night but didn't touch it he was so upset. When I went to bring the food dish out to the garage I noticed the blanket in the vestibule had been disturbed and turned to look outside. There was my Pi-Pi sitting on the outside stoop gazing at his wonderful backyard full of snow. I held the turkey dish out the pet door and he smelled it. I brought it into the kitchen just inside the back door and stepped back. In he came, meowed loudly at me and started to eat. He didn't eat all of it but he had a bit. Then I held out my hand and he came over for a nice pat and rub. Thank you God! Its cold out but not windy yet. I've just rewarmed his SnuggleSafe disks and put them in his bedding. I'm going to leave it there all day and the pet door open. He's gone out again now. I hope he will come home at his usual time today or earlier if the weather turns bad like they say it will. Findgers crossed and praying hard.

 

[pi-pi]

My family has taken in 8 stray cats over the years. Took a bit to get them used to us enough to pick them up & rush them inside but it was worth it. I live in northern Minnesota where are winters are -40+ with windchill so it always breaks my heart to see outdoor cats. One of our cats Hope got frostbite & her ears ended up falling off. Recently I took in a black cat as well. The first day I couldn't get him to come out from under the bed but he started getting used to the house wanted to explore. I just let him know where food & water was if he wanted plus the litter box. Hes been a happy indoor cat since & I got him back in October. He even purred the first 4 or 5 days he was so happy to be out of the cold! Now he's a super friendly cat always cuddling.

Thanks for this Kyrie its VERY encouraging. Having been a dog person all my life except for a lovely little kitty when I was about 8 or 9 I know very little about cats. Little Pi captured my heart and I just love him dearly.

 

[linda carella]

Kylie is beautiful. Aww his ears got frost bite. That is what I am worried about. It is so cold out there but my Bella seems to be doing well. 7 years . He made it with superstorm sandy and all the snow that we had last year. He got stuck one winter under my deck. We had to shovel him out. One time it snowed and it was windy. Well he was gone for 2 weeks. Then I was just about it give up. That morning I went outside and said bell it is my birthday today please come home and all of a sudden he popped up out of no were. I could not believe it. Pipi I am going to bring bell in tonite if it is really windy and try to see if he will stay. I think he might get upset and I don't know how long I can keep. My gwen in the other room. I already got a small litter box for him. Good luck tonite pipi

 

[pi-pi]

Recently I took in a black cat as well. The first day I couldn't get him to come out from under the bed but he started getting used to the house wanted to explore. I just let him know where food & water was if he wanted plus the litter box. Hes been a happy indoor cat since & I got him back in October. He even purred the first 4 or 5 days he was so happy to be out of the cold! Now he's a super friendly cat always cuddling.

Hope is a sweet little cat Kyrie. I'm sorry she got frostbite but she is a cutie even with very short ears!

 

[pi-pi]

Hi everyone. I have one stubborn little guy in Pi. So sweet but so stubborn. HE DID RETURN today! In fact he came home early at 1:15 PM. Usually its about 4 PM. He was cold and meowing at me. I was just on my way out to food shop as luck would have it. Had just put the garage door up and backed out the car. Got out to get something and there he was. How fortunate I didn't hit him with the car. I am ALWAYS careful knowing he could be anywhere even though he is often in the woods during the daytime hours. At any rate he got upset because the garage door had gone up and made a noise. He went up to the evergreen and his Feral Villa insulated house. Thank goodness for that house. Don't think he has used it at night but sometimes during the daytime if I am not home when he comes at the end of the day.

Tonight with wind chill factor it is supposed to be equal to -15 degrees here in lower Westchester County NY. And it IS windy out there. He came into the kitchen while I was making dinner and went to sleep in a little crate liner hand-me-down from my dog Happy. Washed of course before Pi got it. I had left the back door ajar about 4" so he would understand he could go out if he wanted to. I figured I'd let he go out and then close the pet door again tonight after my dinner when he returned. But, he slept for a long time and it got to be 7 PM and I was just about to eat but it was so cold in my kitchen with the door ajar so I closed the pet door and slide in the panel that keeps him from going out and anything from coming in. He came awake immediately and ran to the pet door but saw it was closed and meowed. It told him (gently) that he couldn't go out again tonight but I'd open it for him in the morning. What does he do? Burrows into his sleeping area in the vestibule outside my kitchen door and he won't come in again. He's mad at me I know. But at least he didn't run and hide under the car tonight like he did last night. I am concerned about him because it is cold in the vestibule and garage even with the pet door closed. BUT, at least there is no wind in there for a "wind chill factor."

Here's my question...this is the second night I've had to close the pet door so he wouldn't go out in that awful cold. He still refuses to sleep in the kitchen so he is literally "locked" in the vestibule and garage when I close the back/kitchen door for the night. He came back today but do you think he will continue to come back if I have to keep closing the pet door at night? They say we are going to have bone chilling cold at least until Saturday when it will be a balmy 25 degrees! Clearly he is really ticked off at me tonight as he won't come back in the kitchen and he didn't even eat the treats I put just inside the back door--a first! He ALWAYS eats treats. In fact I'm worried that I've been giving him too many as he seems to prefer them to his nutritious food. I've been cutting back but he still isn't eating as much of his good food as he did when I first started feeding him. He appears to be healthy so maybe he kills and eats birds and mice or chipmunks on his daily wanderings or maybe someone else has been feeding him. I just don't know. I'm getting to be a nervous wreck!

 

[linda carella]

I understand what you are going through going I have been going through this for 7 years . Cats are funny.
I finally let bell and gwen meet . They did fine. I had to have the spray bottle with me just in case because gwen was not so nice. Bell came in at 4:30 he did not want to leave. At 7:00 I had to walk my dog. I live in a condo so I don't have a back yard that I can just let him out. Well bell followed me out. He did his business and than went right in his igloo. I waited until 10:00 to see if he wanted to come back in and he chose to sleep outside instead of the condo. It was so cold last night and the wind was howling. I could not sleep all night. We I opened the door this morning his was there. Waiting for his food.

 

[pi-pi]

I understand what you are going through going I have been going through this for 7 years . Cats are funny.
I finally let bell and gwen meet . They did fine. I had to have the spray bottle with me just in case because gwen was not so nice. Bell came in at 4:30 he did not want to leave. At 7:00 I had to walk my dog. I live in a condo so I don't have a back yard that I can just let him out. Well bell followed me out. He did his business and than went right in his igloo. I waited until 10:00 to see if he wanted to come back in and he chose to sleep outside instead of the condo. It was so cold last night and the wind was howling. I could not sleep all night. We I opened the door this morning his was there. Waiting for his food.

Yes, they sure are funny. Before I went to bed last night I checked on Pi in his vestibule sleeping quarters. He was snuggled in deeply among the blankets and warming disks. He looked up at me and didn't seem ticked at me anymore. In fact he actually let me put some of the covers over his back. This morning when I opened my back door I wondered if I'd find him frozen stiff it was so cold last night with howling wind. But because I had locked the pet door he wasn't in the howling wind. He stood up from his bed and stretched a big arched back stretch. Then he stepped into the kitchen and began to meow very loudly at me over and over and over! He was demanding I open the pet door I just know it! I did, then propped it open as he usually finds it. He went out and was a bit surprised at how cold it was. He meowed at me some more. I came in and made him a dish of food and when I turned from the counter to put it out in the garage where he normally eats...I almost stepped on him! He had so quietly come back inside to the kitchen. I fed him, he ate about half the wet food and 2 mouthfuls of the kibble then found 2 Greenies he had missed the night before. Then he went to the back door meowed loudly at me and took off. I pray he will return today as it is only 8 degrees F here this morning. He really doesn't seem to mind the cold that much but I'm thinking if he stays out in it too long today he will. So I pray that he will return after 2 nights of being under lockdown in the vestibule and garage.

I'm glad your Bell is starting to come in more Linda and is getting along with Gwen. Maybe that means he will decide to come in forever soon.

 

[pi-pi]

I just read something that has me scared. I've been giving Pi Temptations Treats probably since October. I did it on the suggestion of a friend who has a house cat who loves them. But she only gives her cat about 5 a day. Pi took to them immediately, wanted them all the time and still does. I've used them to try to train him and I'm sad to say he must be eating 25 or so a day between morning and evening. I started to notice that he isn't eating his nutritious food. I give him Wellness and Blue Wilderness both wet and dry food. When he first came into my yard I was feeding him Friskies that I could buy in the supermarket because I didn't know how attached I'd become to him. When it looked like he was going to be in my life long term I switched to the better food. He used to eat a full large can of food a day and about a half a cup of kibble as well. Now he eats about a quarter to a half a large can of wet food and a few mouthfuls of the kibble. BUT, he always wants the treats. He also likes the Greenies which I only started giving him at Christmastime as that same friend gave him a bag as a present.

I've had a nagging feeling that there is something in the Temptations Treats that is addictive and not good for the cats. Today I researched it on the web and there are countless stories of cats eating Temptations and getting sick, violently sick. Many people say their cats stop eating. I am really scared that I have done Pi damage. Other than not eating the same amount of food as he did up until about a month ago and meowing a lot whereas he was very quiet in the first months he came to me I haven't noticed any problems. I have heard him make a coughing sound once or twice recently but thought not too much of it, maybe just the cold weather or something in his throat. But I will watch this to see if it continues. He won't like it but I am not going to feed him any more Temptations. I'll give him the Greenies and see if Wellness or Blue Wilderness has something in a treat he will like. But it is my personal opinion that when an animal gobbles treats like Pi (and apparently most cats) does Temptations, something is not quite right. I pray it is not too late as there are reports of people believing their cats have died from Temptations Treats.

 

[linda carella]

My cat gwen has been eating them for years. She is ok . She sometimes eats them and not her food. Bell does not like them. I think
I will try and buy the greenys. But they said temptations are like crack for cats haha gwen will wake us up in the middle of the night so we can give her treats.

 

[catwoman707]

Recently I took in a black cat as well. The first day I couldn't get him to come out from under the bed but he started getting used to the house wanted to explore. I just let him know where food & water was if he wanted plus the litter box. Hes been a happy indoor cat since & I got him back in October. He even purred the first 4 or 5 days he was so happy to be out of the cold! Now he's a super friendly cat always cuddling.

Just recovering from the flu! So I'm trying to get caught up.

I ADORE her! I actually choked up seeing her picture, just a couple months back I lost my beloved Destiny, who I had rescued over 5 years prior, and she had her ears amputated due to cancer and looked just like Hope does, and learned easily to love those little crescents

 

[pi-pi]

It's 15 degrees F here tonight and look who thought he would like to spend the night...

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• pi-pi
• Jan 8, 2015

I just tucked him in and came upstairs. That's his gated area. I put his litter box in the bathroom and his food and water in his sleeping area. You can see the edge of the gate in the lower left of the photo.