Cat question

ReneeJacob

The only cats I have are the ones at my parents house (family pets) which I visit weekly. I move in with FI when we get married in 12 days. We want to get 2 cats...BUT...there is a doggy door which cats quickly learn how to use. Any suggestions on how to keep them from jumping over the back fence? Its a 6 foot brick wall. If we cant find a solution then I cant have kitties

ETA: I just realized its actually 11 days

betrothed123

I've had a number of cats and one thing I've learned is that you can't keep a cat from doing anything it wants to do.  If the cats absolutely cannot leave your yard you'll either have to find a way to keep them indoors, or not get them at all.  Sorry.

kd.joseph

There is a piece that fits over the cat door to keep anything from going out or coming in. I had one on my garage door where the cats boxes were, but if I didn't want them in the garage I pulled the panel that came with it down.

But you are never going to keep a cat in a yard. Find a way to block the doggy door.

ETA: I'm with Duds, block the door and let the dog out another way.

mrscarter052011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-question-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:45bbad24-2b3d-4cd3-af19-8880273e8e9bPost:24671105-bd2a-4ec5-9eae-eb9f9c5fa562">Re: Cat question</a>:
[QUOTE]I've had a number of cats and one thing I've learned is that you can't keep a cat from doing anything it wants to do.  If the cats absolutely cannot leave your yard you'll either have to find a way to keep them indoors, or not get them at all.  Sorry.
Posted by betrothed123[/QUOTE]

Ditto this.

ReneeJacob

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-question-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:45bbad24-2b3d-4cd3-af19-8880273e8e9bPost:24671105-bd2a-4ec5-9eae-eb9f9c5fa562">Re: Cat question</a>:
[QUOTE]I've had a number of cats and one thing I've learned is that you can't keep a cat from doing anything it wants to do.  If the cats absolutely cannot leave your yard you'll either have to find a way to keep them indoors, or not get them at all.  Sorry.
Posted by betrothed123[/QUOTE]

Ya thats what I've experienced too. I just dont want them leaving the yard because its so dangerous for them. Any experience with the things you can put on top of a fence to keep them in? Of course HOA will probably scream. UGH. I want kitties!!!!!!!

AllAboutTheBenjamin

If you have a doggie door and don't want to seal it, then there isn't much you can do.  But I grew up having cats, they are not stupid animals.  They don't get lost.  If they go outside and jump the fence, they will come back.

shaydenise

Is it one of the doors that you can lock?  We don't have doggy doors but one of our garage doors has a cat door that locks.  I've never owned a cat though so I'm not really sure if they could figure out how to unlock it?

ReneeJacob

There is no way we can block the doggy door because the dogs are 9 years old and very accustomed to going in and out. But...well, maybe I will just have to get comfortable with letting them outside. We never had problems with that growing up except for 1 getting hit by a car (she survived) and Tommy was attacked by a pit bull (he is the fatty in my sig pic) but he was fine...$3,000 later.

shaydenise

btw our newest neighbor has a beautiful Persian that is an outside cat (i don't know why they let a Persian be an outside cat but whatever) and it just roams the neighborhood and always goes back to their porch so I'm thinking that you'd be fine with cats outside.  Aren't you supposed to wait a few weeks before letting them out though when you bring them to a new home?  Did I make that up?  FI told me that but he could have just said it to make me think he was a smarty pants ;-)

mocha beans

If you put something on the top of the fence, it will make them more interested, and possibly hurt them while they're trying to jump the fence.  I've had cats jump to things 7+ feet high from a standstill on the floor, the fence won't stop them.  Or they'd try to get under the fence, they can squish pretty smal.

Either the doggie door has to stay permanently closed, or you have to be okay with the cats being indoor/outdoor.  But many city's aren't cool with that, so I'd close up the doggie door.  Cats are smart and curious, sometimes annoyingly so.

mrscarter052011

When I was growing up our cats were indoor/outdoor because we couldn't keep them in.  But they did always come home.  Now we have a kitten that we are trying to keep indoors but I'm not so sure that's going to last because she seems to want out.

PSA- Just make sure that they are fixed before they go out.  It really only takes one time.  FFIL's cat escaped once and came back a few days later KU.   

ReneeJacob

shaydenise - I would just assume that you should wait a few weeks before letting them outside too. But who knows, maybe I'm making that up too.

mocha - good point, never thought about the possibility of them getting hurt. Okay, nix that idea.

Thanks everyone for the advice - I just emailed FI to see if he would be okay with having indoor/outdoor cats. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he says yes.

[Deleted User]

Either block the door or don't get cats. Cats are smart, they wll find a way to do waht they want. If they don't have collars, or even if they do, some people may not like them in their yard and might hurt them. This happened to my cat, she was shot in the back leg by a neighbor. 

Plus, if your cats are used to being indoors, they might not be able to defend themselves as well. Whisky, for example, is a big wimp and cowers when something comes after him. He's not tough at all.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-question-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:45bbad24-2b3d-4cd3-af19-8880273e8e9bPost:85a240b4-33c4-43fe-80cc-2c54b3b8269f">Re: Cat question</a>:
[QUOTE]btw our newest neighbor has a beautiful Persian that is an outside cat <strong>(i don't know why they let a Persian be an outside cat but whatever</strong>) and it just roams the neighborhood and always goes back to their porch so I'm thinking that you'd be fine with cats outside.  Aren't you supposed to wait a few weeks before letting them out though when you bring them to a new home?  Did I make that up?  FI told me that but he could have just said it to make me think he was a smarty pants ;-)
Posted by shaydenise[/QUOTE]

Seriously. We have Persians and aside from the fact that I wouldn't let my cats outside, I particularly wouldn't let THEM outside. They'd get ridiculously dirty and I'm afraid someone would steal them. Our neighbor had a gorgeous himalayan that he used to let out, too.

Anyway, there are these sensor things you can get, so the dogs can use the door, but the cats can't. So it's locked, but when the dogs (with a special sensor on their collar) approach, it will open for them. Of course, the cats MIGHT be able to sneak out behind the dog.

Also, could you get an electric fence and install it just in front of the wall? It's sort of the same thing. The cats would wear sensors on their collars and when then get too close to the fence it will emit a sound (that they can hear but you can't) and they'll stay in the yard.

ReneeJacob

Seshat411  - oh wow, I'm sorry to hear that Lol, Whisky definitely doesn't look like an outdoor kitty. That sig pic makes me smile every time btw!

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-question-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:45bbad24-2b3d-4cd3-af19-8880273e8e9bPost:8a63ee07-74a2-4024-9925-0ab497b3a87a">Re: Cat question</a>:
[QUOTE]Either block the door or don't get cats. Cats are smart, they wll find a way to do waht they want. If they don't have collars, or even if they do, some people may not like them in their yard and might hurt them. This happened to my cat, she was shot in the back leg by a neighbor.  <strong>Plus, if your cats are used to being indoors, they might not be able to defend themselves as well.</strong> Whisky, for example, is a big wimp and cowers when something comes after him. He's not tough at all.
Posted by Seshat411[/QUOTE]

Oh, that's a good point. Some shelters won't let you adopt a cat unless you tell them it will be an indoor cat.

I've live don busy streets my whole life, so I've never had a problem having indoor cats. We did have a cat (who's now my mom's cat) escape once, but he came back several hours later, when he was hungry. Other than that, no problems. Always indoor.

allisong23

I am with Sesh. Between cars, other animals and crazy people, outdoor cats don't always have very long lives. I know three people whose indoor/outdoor cats were attacked by dogs and coyotes, and needless to say, they are no longer with us. And if you adopt a cat that has spent their lives indoors, they are just not equipped to live outside. I

ReneeJacob

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-question-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:45bbad24-2b3d-4cd3-af19-8880273e8e9bPost:94211727-666f-4695-a986-6320636607e1">Re: Cat question</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cat question :  Anyway, there are these sensor things you can get, so the dogs can use the door, but the cats can't. So it's locked, but when the dogs (with a special sensor on their collar) approach, it will open for them. Posted by msmerymac[/QUOTE]

AWESOME. I'm gonna look into that right now....that would be perfect.

mrscarter052011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-question-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:45bbad24-2b3d-4cd3-af19-8880273e8e9bPost:94211727-666f-4695-a986-6320636607e1">Re: Cat question</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cat question : Seriously. We have Persians and aside from the fact that I wouldn't let my cats outside, I particularly wouldn't let THEM outside. They'd get ridiculously dirty and I'm afraid someone would steal them. Our neighbor had a gorgeous himalayan that he used to let out, too<strong>. Anyway, there are these sensor things you can get, so the dogs can use the door, but the cats can't. So it's locked, but when the dogs (with a special sensor on their collar) approach, it will open for them.</strong> Of course, the cats MIGHT be able to sneak out behind the dog. Also, could you get an electric fence and install it just in front of the wall? It's sort of the same thing. The cats would wear sensors on their collars and when then get too close to the fence it will emit a sound (that they can hear but you can't) and they'll stay in the yard.
Posted by msmerymac[/QUOTE]

That's right.  Good idea. 

eastunder1

I think its irresponsible to have outdoor cats.   There is disease, parasites, traffic, wild animals that will rip your pet into nine pieces.   Plus, other people don't want your cat in their yard.  They may hurt them, frighten them, poison them, to put an end to it.  At our shelter we really frown upon adopting out cats that people want to have as outdoor.  We try to educate people about why indoor is a better choice. 

If you DO insist on having them outside, please at least make sure they are vaccinated agianst disease (especially rabies) and they have registration tags on their collar, so if someone finds it constantly in their yard and takes it to the humane society, they can contact you to retrieve him.  You would not believe how many cats we get in that clearly belong to someone (by their care and behavior) but were brought in because it was hanging around someones house so much the person thought it was a stray.  And no one ever comes in to claim them.   Its sad.

The fact you said that you dont want them leaving the yard because it was "dangerous" but now want to talk your FI into having an indoor/outdoor one  concerns me.  The pets saftey should be your top concern, not how bad you want one. 

eastunder1

Sorry if that sounded a little harsh, its just something I feel very strongly about.  The cat in your picture is super cute.  He (she?) looks just like one of mine. 

Celles

Well said, East.

My ex-almost-stepdaughter's mother let their declawed cats outside.  She insisted that since the cats were declawed, they couldn't climb over the walls and would be safe.  Um, yeah.  That poor kid found her cat torn to pieces and half eaten in an empty lot a few blocks away.  Coyotes.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-question-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:45bbad24-2b3d-4cd3-af19-8880273e8e9bPost:827a807d-f355-4ebb-a59c-488f5ca5de2c">Re: Cat question</a>:
[QUOTE]Well said, East. My ex-almost-stepdaughter's mother let their declawed cats outside.  She insisted that since the cats were declawed, they couldn't climb over the walls and would be safe.  Um, yeah.  That poor kid found her cat torn to pieces and half eaten in an empty lot a few blocks away.  Coyotes.
Posted by Celles[/QUOTE]

My mom's cat (who escaped once - we joked that he hated us so much and couldn't kill us in our sleep, so that's why he wanted out) was a cat we found wandering around, who came up to our back door. (We had seen him outside on and off for a few weeks.) Yup, he was declawed. WTF.

marissa_claire

Yeah, I've been watching this but biting my tongue but I would highly recommend just keeping the cat indoors.  There are way too many animals that can get to a cat, and that is aside from the fact they can't really be contained.  Aside from that, they eat almost anything so I hate the thought of them eating a diseased bird or rodent or bug. 

I actually leave the windows open (screens on) for my cat every now and then.  That's like a huge treat for her because she can smell everything outside.  She loves it!  

eastunder1

People who declaw their cats then let them outside are assholes.  Period.  They shouldnt be allowed to have pets, because they clearly have no real desire to care for them and keep them safe.  

mrscarter052011

Who  lets a declawed cat out of the house?  People make me mad.

Since we have some cat experts...
East or KW- (or anyone who has done this) - We have a kitten that we adopted from a shelter and they were clipping her nails.  We would like to continue this just to keep them from getting too sharp and from really destroying anything.   Right now, she  has has a scratching post and another scratching pad.  Should we try it or should we get her a scratching pad like those emery cat things? 

marissa_claire

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-question-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:45bbad24-2b3d-4cd3-af19-8880273e8e9bPost:aeda7819-6b17-4442-9c17-2e561be0cdfd">Re: Cat question</a>:
[QUOTE]Who  lets a declawed cat out of the house?  People make me mad. Since we have some cat experts... East or KW- (or anyone who has done this) - We have a kitten that we adopted from a shelter and they were clipping her nails.  We would like to continue this just to keep them from getting too sharp and from really destroying anything.   Right now, she  has has a scratching post and another scratching pad.  Should we try it or should we get her a scratching pad like those emery cat things? 
Posted by mrscarter052011[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>My cat actually totally switched to scratchers.  We got this "cat chaise scratcher" which is sort of hilarious because why would a cat ever need a chaise lounge (needless to say, she does sit on it) but the ones that come with catnip are awesome.  You sprinkle catnip over the scratcher and they just seem to keep going back, even if you don't regularly put catnip on it.  My cat used to be all over the door trim, but she's completely stopped.  </div><div>
</div><div>I also bought this double-sided tape that you can put on things they scratch a lot.  AND we tried this "no scratch" spray that worked pretty well for us, but I've heard works particularly well on younger cats to train them.  It can be done!

</div>

allisong23

If the cat is taught to accept it as a kitten, they won't have a problem as they get older clipping their claws. I clipped both my boys last night with little problem. I also get them really clipped short when they get groomed once a year - they are long haired Maine Coons, so they need a grooming every once in a while.

ReneeJacob

These are all very good points. We have decided that the only way we will be getting cats is if we install an electrical doggy door with sensors for the dogs only. But even those, according to some reviews, still allow the cat to hitch a ride every time it opens for the dog. So we will have to research those a bit more...but I definitely can't let my desire for having cats outweigh my desire for keeping them safe. Until then, I will just have to get my cat fix from my parent's house!

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-question-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:45bbad24-2b3d-4cd3-af19-8880273e8e9bPost:aeda7819-6b17-4442-9c17-2e561be0cdfd">Re: Cat question</a>:
[QUOTE]Who  lets a declawed cat out of the house?  People make me mad. Since we have some cat experts... East or KW- (or anyone who has done this) - We have a kitten that we adopted from a shelter and they were clipping her nails.  We would like to continue this just to keep them from getting too sharp and from really destroying anything.   Right now, she  has has a scratching post and another scratching pad.  Should we try it or should we get her a scratching pad like those emery cat things? 
Posted by mrscarter052011[/QUOTE]

It depends on the cat. I know some cats who can keep their nails filed down with a scratcher. Our persians use the scratchers occassionally, but not enough to keep their nails short, so we still clip them. Just don't cut into the quick (the pink park) because that's the nerve and it will bleed. (I've done that accidentally and feel really bad.) Or you can have the vet or the groomer do it.

Our other cat is declawed (came to us that way) and he pretends to scratch on the arm of the couch. :-)