Help with cat issue

[krhm]

This may be one of those "duh" questions, but I'm hoping someone with more cat knowledge/experience can give me some advice. We have a spayed 3 year old male cat, whom we "adopted" when he was about a year old. He had been a stray roaming an apartment complex, and we took him in. While we would prefer to keep him indoors entirely, he has other ideas. We try to let him out only in the evening hours; we live in a fairly rural area, so I'm not as worried about him getting hit by a car.

The problem is that he is quite the hunter, and as springtime approaches and we have lots of birds, squirrels, and chipmunks on our deck and outside, he is becoming more and more restless, to the point of crying loudly all day, every day. If a door is opened, he runs straight for it, and my kids are in and out all day. We obviously aren't going to be able to keep him inside as much as we want to.

I realize it's a cat's nature to hunt, but he isn't killing animals for food...he just tortures them and doesn't even eat them. And my two small kids don't really understand when a baby rabbit is screaming in pain on the deck. :( We want to keep him happy, but keep the wildlife safe as well. He does wear a collar with a small bell.

Any suggestions? Is there something we can do? DD1 suggested we spray perfume on him so the animals can smell him coming, which I thought was a cute idea! :D

Kari

[ChristyMarie]

Keep the cat indoors. Yes he will yowl but eventually he'll stop.

[AZLorena]

I agree....keep him inside. There are other dangers involved with outside besides cars. Speaking specifically of the little animals that he is torturing....it is in their nature to hunt. The problem with that is that they can pick up diseases/infections from the animals that he is hunting. It will suck for a while, but I would keep him in.

Lorena

[DmOrtega]

You can try to keep him in but he will escape the first chance he gets. We have two cats and one of them is very much like your cat. Figgy is an outdoor cat, always has been. As soon as he sees his cat door getting closed, he gets this trapped look in his eyes and starts looking for a way out. So, we let him come and go as much as possible. He would bring mice and birds into the house, alive. We have many times chased these animals around the house and every time, I'd tell him NO. Still, I think he got pleasure in watching us running around. One morning, after I woke up, I stepped onto a dead rat. Yuck. I picked it up and put right in his face and very firmly told him NO. He understood. From that moment on he never brought another thing into the house. He still catches things, but keeps them outside. He was mad at me for a long, long time and we have never had the same relationship since. We just can't make something or someone be what we want them to be. Your cat may never be fully domesticated and as for telling your kids what's happening... tell them the truth. It is the nature of cats to hunt to survive. Your cat took care of himself for a very long time and he will probably always be that way. As he ages, he will slow down and may eventualy stop hunting. Good luck.

[AZLorena]

DmOrtega....

Its gross, but when kitty brings the animal to you...it is the ultimate compliment to you as his owner. It is a gift. That may be why your relationship hasn't been the same. You didn't accept his "gift"......Cats are really complex creatures......One is hard enough to figure out...imagine my house...we have 6 of our own and 8 foster kitties (at the moment).

Lorena

[momqat]

I just have to reiterate what the others have said about keeping your kitty inside. It will not be easy at first, and he will try like the dickens to get outside, but you just have to be extra diligent and be ready to race outside and bring him back if he does manage to get out.

I used to let my cats out many years ago. Although we live in the suburbs, there are a lot of wooded areas nearby and we have had all sorts of interesting "visitors", including a coyote or two :eek: along with the ubiquitous skunk, raccoon, fox, etc. I always had my cats innoculated for rabies, but when the larger carnivores appeared, I decided "better safe than sorry" and started keeping my cats indoors all the time. They were definitely NOT happy campers at first, and I spent a lot of energy trying to keep them in and/or running after them to bring them back in when they were able to escape. I also had young children at the time this was going on, so they had to be very careful, too. But it worked. After a lot of months, the cats finally didn't try to get out as much as they used to, and now the ones I still have (and by the way, all their life spans have increased unbelievably! :) ) don't even try to get out anymore. It WILL happen; you just have to have a LOT of patience. :D ;) :D

Good luck!

[TwinMom]

I completely agree with keeping your kitty inside. We have 6 adopted cats, all of which are indoors only. They do love to go on the screen porch and feel like they are outside! One of our cats adopted us - she was an outside cat and we brought her in. She hasn't been outside since. She didn't like it at first and you can still tell that she would love to be outside hunting, but has accepted that life indoors is better than the outside life. We still have one of our cats sneeks out whenever she can (she must have been an indoor/outdoor cat prior to us). But she'll run out the door and walk around with her tail held high until we catch her (within a minute or two) and then be happy again. She's funny - I think she just loves the idea of being outside, even if for 30 seconds.

As the other poster mentioned, cats bring things to their house/owner as an act of love. Yes - most house cats do not eat their prey, they are fed by their owners and don't need the food. It's the hunt that is fun and helps build up their predatory skills, in the event that they ever do need the food they know how to get it efficiently.

Again though, I would really just teach him that he cannot go outside. Yes - it's a pain during the transition. But there are enough natural predators of the mice, etc, but as far as the song birds go - cats are killing them to the point of being threatened. If not to do it for your cat, please do it for the songbirds. We are losing them so quickly in this country, every cat kept inside helps!

Good luck and start preparing yourself for the cat howling to get out! And remember this too will pass! :)

[donleyk]

I wanted to agree with the advise so far and remind you that giving them plenty of toys help. I got ours (she spent her first year outdoors) a toy gray mouse that she dearly loves. Cats are very smart. I would suggest that you give him things that look life-like. Plus, Cleo likes those kick bags filled with catnip. Sometimes she just needs to thrash something and these are perfect.

[Sarah45]

I have inside cats who think they want to be outside cats too! We actually didn't have a problem until we got a dog - they saw her going in and out all day and now they think they should get to also. :)

Anyway, I would suggest keeping a spray bottle near the door that he tries to go out. Spray him when he "cries" as well as when he is trying to sneak out. He will learn.

[krhm]

I appreciate the advice, everyone! I guess we will just have to deal with him crying until he gets used to it. Just out of curiousity, how long can we expect it to take?

The idea about toys is a good one...I'll make sure we play with him more too. Maybe we can wear him out and then he'll sleep! :D

We've never tried a spray bottle, just because I was a little worried about DD2 taking "advantage" of the opportunity, but if the crying gets too bad we will definitly try it out.

TwinMom, I especially agree about the songbirds. We have two woodpeckers that have been visiting, and I can't even identify them as regular Georgia species. I think they have a nest in one of the trees nearby, and I would be devastated if our cat got them!

[mcgee]

We moved two weeks ago and our outdoor cat has remained indoors since. Originally, it was to get him used to his new surroundings but he's been a real trooper - no loud howling to get out - and so now we would like to keep him indoors if possible. We have lots of toys and catnip for him but he seems to be getting really bored and has been sleeping a lot. What do you all suggest for stimulation? He's been looking so sad lately that we were tempted to let him out this weekend and I really don't want to do that.

Thanks.

[donleyk]

Mcgee,

He may be dealing with the change in his enviroment. I wouldn't let him out. He'll bounce back and if not (in a couple of weeks) maybe a trip to the vet would be in order.

[leebee]

My two cats (both apayed & about 10-12 years old) have been indoor cats all the years I've had them (approx 10 years), but I'm not sure about their lives before. Both will try to escape given the chance, and both still have periods of time when they sit at a window & yowl. The house we now live in has a "cat run"--a little enclosed structure w/ some ledges to climb on. It's constructed of 2x4s & chicken wire,and there is a little kitty door cut into the wall of our entry-way so they can get to it. It has grass & catnip growing in it, too. They LOVE it. They can spend the day outside, but are safe and can't chase other critters. We still have the occasional mole or mouse that ventures inside the run, and those are promptly killed and brought all the way upstairs as a little "gift" for me. I have caught them playing "fling the mouse" with some poor, half-dead creature, but it's pretty rare (the late fall is worst, when they all seem to be trying to find a place to spend the winter). Even so, if the door is open too long, they will try to run outside.

[Kristilyn1]

Yes, the advice is that all cats should be kept inside. My cat after two years of DAILY yowling and constant escapes (he jumped off a third floor balcony at one point) he became an indoor/outdoor cat. I kept him in at night and let him out for short periods during the day.

So, I think you should certainly try hard to see if he "gets over it", but I can assure you some cats DON'T.

Kristi

[VictoriaL]

Originally posted by mcgee
We moved two weeks ago and our outdoor cat has remained indoors since. He's been looking so sad lately that we were tempted to let him out this weekend and I really don't want to do that.

Thanks.

Quell that urge to let your cat outside!!! My mom's friend (and neighbor) moved across town several years ago and, after keeping her indoor/outdoor cat inside for a month, let him out. He promptly disappeared. Almost three months later, my Mom noticed him around their former home but he wouldn't come to anyone, not to the new owners of the house or even to her friend. He disappeared that winter. It was so sad! :(

[Kerri]

We have an indoor/outdoor cat and a house with a cat door. Unfortuately, my cat brings his "presents" inside the house to play with, so I feel your pain. He was with my parents and was a indoor/outdoor cat there. We tried to convert him to an indoor cat when we were in apartment, but he was unbearable to live with. Everyone is much happier now.

I have talked to the vet about the critters, and the only thing he really suggested is trying to get him to wear a collar with a bell. That didn't go over well at all. My cat also has food issues. When he first moved into the apartment he gained a lot of weight since he was used to getting lots of excercise. We started using an automatic feeder because of the food issues, but I think that also has helped with the critters. He knows he is going to get fed, so he doesn't have to hunt. He still hunts, but not as much.

[rosie_one]

Boy, this is a tough one. I have issues with this too.

We have two kitties. One strictly indoor and she shows no interest in wanting to go out (in fact she FREAKS if she manages to get out the door). The other is an indoor/outdoor. I have tried to keep her indoors but unfortunately, when we do that she starts to beat up on her sister who is smaller. It's not good. I feel badly about it, but I guess she will just be shorter lived as I'm not willing to make the other cat pay the price of her frustrations. :( I just don't see an alternative in this situaiton aside from giving away one of the cats. Fortunately, the outdoor cat doesn't bring presents into the house and from what I see she has kept her prey to rodents. I don't think she is quick enough for the songbirds. We also live in a fairly wooded area without large predators, so hopefully she'll be o.k. It's not ideal though.

[Grace]

I agree with leebee - why not get an outdoor cat run? Here's a picture:

http://www.catsplay.com/kittywalk1.jpg

They can be safe and happy at the same time. That's what I'd do for sure.

[imloulou]

We have an inside/outside cat that we "adopted". There is NO WAY to keep her inside...she is an outside cat...really...no way. We have 2 kids, a dog and a bunch of "kids friends". The doors are always being left open. Not to mention the fact that she was an outside cat before we "adopted" her. We have a doggy door and she used it...she spends a lot of time inside...her own choice...LOL!

Cats hunt...it is there job. We are always finding half of a lizard in our home. But on the good side...she runs rats and possums off (yes there are rats in our neighborhood)

We are bird people too! We love all our birds. We place feeders where it is very hard for cats to get to. Also...the mockingbirds and blue jays attack the cat...so what comes around goes around...lol! (I dont mean to say that the wildlife is not worth anything...just that our cat does not think she "rules the hood"...she has been put in her place many times...lol)

We also tried the bell...we found the bell hanging on a fence with the collar it was attached to. (I'm glad it was the stretchy collar or we would have had a hung cat)

While an inside cat is the ideal for a pet...sometimes it is just IMPOSSIBLE! Some of us get a cat by default.

I am going to try the perfume thing! That is a good idea!

This was not a solution to your question but more a supportive response...dont feel too bad about your cat...it is normal;)

[rosie_one]

Grace, I've never seen such a thing as that cat run, boy people come up with stuff for every problem! I'm confused by it though. How do you open and close the door if it has that thing attached to it? Or do you have to put a hole in the side of your house?? Is it just mesh or is that wire? Do you have one and has it worked well for you?

Leebee, your cat run sounds like a great idea, I wish we could do something like that. I'll have to think more about it, our house and yard isn't very condusive, but maybe we can get creative.

[Grace]

Rosie, I don't have one - we don't have cats - although I grew up with cats my whole life - but DH is allergic so we have dogs. Anyway, if you do a google search for "cat run", they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes - the one I posted is just an example. There are much bigger ones. And yes, you cut a hole in the side of the house I guess - if you look at the little inset picture it shows a cat coming out of a small door in the side of the house. It's made of wire and mesh, and you can buy sets kind of like a habitrail and put them together to make them as long as you want.

I really would go to the trouble of getting one if I had an animal that was that miserable inside (not every cat is, obviously).

We live in the city basically so everyone here has a fenced yard. Our neighbors have two cats that go outside a lot, but they are contained strictly within the fenced back yard, so the neighbors don't have to worry about them running off or getting hit by a car or being attacked by another animal. So that's another idea as well. Good luck to all of you in figuring out a way to make the poor kitties happy! :D

[DmOrtega]

Originally posted by imloulou
...
We also tried the bell...we found the bell hanging on a fence with the collar it was attached to. (I'm glad it was the stretchy collar or we would have had a hung cat)
...

Figgy chewed his bell until it fell off. He chewed the metel flat so it stopped ringing and it finally came off. We have an idea that his collars (10 of them) are piled up near a log that he uses to get them off. Some things just can't be changed.

[leebee]

Rosie, the run on our house takes up a really small amount of space. Our landlords put it in for their cats when they were living in the house, but I will certainly put one in when we get our own place. They built it themselves, and it doesn't look terribly polished, but I love it! In the summer, it becomes the preferred space for coughing up hairballs, so it's really something close to my heart! The "entry" to the cat run is in a wall of our entry-way, not in our door, and I can lock it shut during the winter to eliminate extra drafts. Our has a little "tunnel" that is maybe a foot square & runs about 3 feet into a larger enclosure that's about a 3 ft square & maybe 6 ft tall. It has 3 staggered wooden ledges for the cats to loll about on. I put in a couple of pieces of wood each spring for them to sharpen their claws on (one side of the tall enclosure opens, so I can get in & clean it out if need be). The whole thing is right up against our house, so it really is out of the way--and the best thing we ever had for the kitties. I love to come home in the afternoon on a sunny day & see them all stretched out in the sunshine. And if they get the midnight yowls, they typically do it out there, away from my bedroom!

[Grace]

leebee, it sounds like yours is a version of a cat run similar to this one:

http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/images/catrun.jpg

Very cool!

[aggie94]

Our friends back in Oregon built a cat run very similar to the one that Grace posted for their two cats. They had converted their garage into an office/workspace, and there was a cat door to the run from the garage's back wall. It was very functional, and the cats loved being able to come and go (without the owners worrying that they would roam or be swept away by an owl or something).

DH & I debated building one for our current house, but it turns out that Sara is not very interested in going outside the confines of our backyard. Besides, she is only allowed to go outside when we're home and we let the dogs out, and she generally wants to come back inside after about 5-10 minutes anyway. FWIW, she was a strictly outdoor cat (and avid hunter) for several years before we got her.

[rosie_one]

Wow, that is something else. Lucky kitties!

Zoning definitely prohibits building anything like that in our area. We do however, have a 3 season sun porch off of our upstairs with a flat roof area beyond it. Hmm... maybe if we made that more kitty friendly it would keep Ollie happy.

[krhm]

I love the idea of a cat run...we're actually going to be enclosing part of a patio and making it a screened-in area. I wonder if that will help to appease VooDoo (the cat)?? We're at around hour 38 of keeping him locked up and so far he is quite unhappy and letting us know it!

He's always worn a collar that glows in the dark and has a little bell, but he must be a really good hunter because it has not stopped him a bit. I wouldn't mind as much if he were bringing home rats or mice, but he seems to prefer birds and cute, baby things, like rabbits and chipmunks. The worst (and final straw) was the baby rabbit, which DH had to put out of its misery. :(

It is tough...I doubt he would still be living if we had left him roaming the apartment complex, but at the same time I don't want him to be depressed and unhappy because he's being locked up. We're going to try this for a few weeks and see what happens.

Thanks again for all the adivce and commiseration!

[momqat]

Originally posted by krhm
He's always worn a collar that glows in the dark and has a little bell, but he must be a really good hunter because it has not stopped him a bit.
My experience with belled collars on outdoor cats is that it teaches them to be even better hunters, since they have to be able to stalk and pounce without making noise. :p
They take it as a challenge. :rolleyes:

I sincerely hope your little guy learns to accept life indoors without giving you too much grief. You will all be happier in the long run. :)