flat cats / indoor cats

[mrsfran]

Where do you find a FIV+ cat?

Several cat rescue services have them, just call. We got our Hoggy from Hounslow Animal Welfare: http://www.haws-animals.org.uk/ (click on the cats and scroll down for the FIV+ cats. Check out Manny, he's a little survivor!). They love it if you ask for an FIV cat as they can be difficult to rehome

Here is our FIV flat-cat. He's not as grumpy as he looks, I promise.

 

[mrs quoad]

My sister's cat fell out of the window as a kitten trying to get outside. She only has 3 legs now

Your sister has three legs?

 

[secretsquirrel]

Until we've had Roger 'done' we've kept both cats in during the day and they have free reign evenings and weekends (although the lack of a cat flap means we're up and down all evening to let them in the back door )

They seem pretty happy snoozing/looking out of the window/chasing each other all day and then pretty happy to go out/not go out in the evening. Sometimes we have to kick 'em out just so they get some fresh air

Roger really doesn't like doing his business outdoors and will often come haring in and launch himself straight into the litter box as he's been 'holding it in' waiting for one of us to open the back door

 

[Cloo]

I find it unfair, unless you have one with a reason that it can't go out. One set of mates had a cat with feline HIV, so it couldn't go out for risk of catching illnesses.

I'm a bit worried by the increasing trend to keep cats indoors, as people tend to in the States - I remember a US cousin of gsv's being incredulous that my cat goes outside 'But won't she catch illnesses?', to which I replied 'Well, children catch illnesses and we let them outside!' I've met a few moggies in the States, and they've all been overweight.

I know cat rehoming places sometimes now get fussy about whether they'll rehome moggies near certain roads, and I have this fear that in 10 years' time they'll be saying 'You can only have a cat if you keep it indoors because if it goes outside it might be run over or get in fights or catch an illness'

So, yes, I think it's unfair to keep a cat if it doesn't have access to outside space.

 

[dodgepot]

our neighbours who live upstairs have two cats who never go out, and they seem perfectly happy in their little flat (i know this as the missus feeds them when the neigbours go away, so i'm not just making it up to mnake a point okay?)

our cat ginge (we don't know what's happened to slash ) spends most of his time indoors now, rarely goes out - but then he's quite an idle little bugger really who likes nothing better (apart from food) than having a nice lie down.

 

[quimcunx]

but then he's quite an idle little bugger really who likes nothing better (apart from food) than having a nice lie down.

TBF there is very little to compare to a nice lie down.

 

[Rollem]

i think we'll get some fish instead

 

[IC3D]

My mate has one of those freakish hairless cats that lives in his tower block flat, he has to keep the heating on constantly otherwise it would die or something, seems fairly happy in its 10th story private sauna though. My old cat Floyd RIP used to come for walks in the park opposite our house, and once attacked an old ladies terrier, proper stalking up to it and everything I had to pull him off pissing myself laughing, awesome cat ahh. Well I would see him in streets half a mile away definitely wouldn't be happy in flat

 

[Tank Girl]

i think we'll get some fish instead

boring and I remember what happened to your last fish

 

[Rollem]

boring and I remember what happened to your last fish

i know, but this thread reminded me about the smell of litter trays <barfs>

that was not my fault!

 

[sojourner]

I also wouldn't like having to clean a litter tray all the time and a boy cat may well spray indoors! Yum cat piss smell!

:vomit:

I have two indoor cats - sisters. They've never been outside, are very happy with what they know, have the whole house to run round in, and we change their litter every few days. Also, if you use the woodbased litter, it absorbs piss much better than other kinds - can't smell it.

 

[Tank Girl]

I've had indoor cats in the past and they've been very happy. re. smelly cat litter, I've started using bob martin anti-bacterial litter crystals and they've cut down the smell loads.

 

[Orang Utan]

You need litter trays for outdoor cats too - if the litter smells, just change it!

 

[zenie]

I have two indoor cats - sisters. They've never been outside, are very happy with what they know, have the whole house to run round in, and we change their litter every few days. Also, if you use the woodbased litter, it absorbs piss much better than other kinds - can't smell it.

I just don't like having a cat toilet indoors. I have had them, kicked them over, or the cat's shat over the side

Girl cats are much better, obviously.

You need litter trays for outdoor cats too - if the litter smells, just change it!

No you don't. Why would you?

You still have to smell it or see it before you change it, I just hate having a tray with piss or shit greeting me. If your cat won't go outside then fair enough.

 

[scifisam]

I find it unfair, unless you have one with a reason that it can't go out. One set of mates had a cat with feline HIV, so it couldn't go out for risk of catching illnesses.

It's more to prevent them transferring FIV to other cats. Cats fight with teeth and claws and lick themselves (and sometimes each other) clean, so the risk of transmission is pretty high.

The other good thing about FIV cats is that some cat charities have a scheme whereby they will pay for all future vet costs - or maybe they have a deal with a sympathetic vet who does it for free or something; either way, you're free from the worry of huge vet bills when the cat gets old.

 

[Tank Girl]

You need litter trays for outdoor cats too

No you don't. Why would you?

mine have always had a litter tray even if they go out. if they're in over night then they're pretty likely to need the loo at some point. also saves picking it up from the garden. my cat saves it up for when he gets home

 

[rutabowa]

can't you just get a cat flap? i would think most cats like a little wander outside even if they stay in most of the time.

 

[sojourner]

my cat saves it up for when he gets home

My cats wait until I get home before shitting. Always. They've had alllll day in which to do a huge smelly one, but no, it's almost as if it's their gift to me

 

[zenie]

mine have always had a litter tray even if they go out. if they're in over night then they're pretty likely to need the loo at some point. also saves picking it up from the garden. my cat saves it up for when he gets home

We had a cat flap and before that an open window. (security being a bit more lax than nowadays )

The old cat just used to wee in the bath if she couldn't be arsed to go out

 

[idioteque]

Girl cats are much better, obviously.

My girl cat perches on the side of her litter tray (which she has only started needing lately, and she's only a few years old- I think she's just too lazy to go outside), and poos and wees on the outside onto the floor

She'd be alright as a house cat- she is too scared to spend any length of time in the garden unless someone's with her. My boycat would go mad though. He stays out for hours at a time.

 

[Orang Utan]

No you don't. Why would you?

Cos cat doesn't like cold bum and would rather piss on my bed than go outside

 

[Tank Girl]

yeah, our old cat slash would pee in the bath if the litter tray wasn't to his high standards

i've never lived somewhere with a catflap (or somewhere where I could have fitted one).

 

[T & P]

I agree, I've met plenty of perfectly happy cats indoors. In fact, given your situation Rollem, it's the only way to do it.

I'm sure if someone brought up indoor children from birth and you met them at some point they would seem content to you. That's not the point though.

If you live in a terraced house or multi-occupancy block, then letting your cat out essentially means that you've given it free reign to defectate elsewhere, damage others' property and kill local wildlife.

Change 'defecate' for 'piss' or 'vomit', and again you could be talking about children instead of cats. I guess we best keep them indoors at all times as well. At least you don't see feral cats knifing innocent young boys to death, unlike their human counterparts.

You do come up with the most extraordinary arguments tarannau

 

[TopCat]

If you live in a terraced house or multi-occupancy block, then letting your cat out essentially means that you've given it free reign to defectate elsewhere, damage others' property and kill local wildlife.

Of course, I am very relaxed about al these things. They are what cats live for. Plus fucking and fighting with other cats.

 

[tarannau]

I don't know where you live T&P, but there's generally not a problem of adults letting children out unsupervised around these parts, nor an outbreak of toddlers unable to restrain themselves from shitting in neighbours' flowerbeds.



And you've the cheek to comment on my 'extraordinary arguments'.

 

[ChrisFilter]

yeah, our old cat slash would pee in the bath if the litter tray wasn't to his high standards

Ours does this. A perfect aim down the plughole as well.

 

[T & P]

I don't know where you live T&P, but there's generally not a problem of adults letting children out unsupervised around these parts, nor an outbreak of toddlers unable to restrain themselves from shitting in neighbours' flowerbeds.



And you've the cheek to comment on my 'extraordinary arguments'.

Well I don't know where you live yourself- it certainly sounds nice- but I can assure you there are countless children in London who are allowed to roam the streets unsupervised. They might not piss on neighbours' flowerbeds- they do it on stairwells, lifts and side alleyways. They also graffiti walls and drop litter around. Not all of them of course, but some for sure.

Bottom line: kids will be kids and cats will be cats. And it is every last bit as stupid to suggest cats should be kept indoors because some of them might behave 'antisocially' as it would be to suggest kids should too.

In fact, having kids, whether in cities or not, is a lifestyle choice no different from having cats. Do you support keeping kids indoors, or taking them out on a leash?

 

[beeboo]

If I had to have an indoor cat, I'd get an older one 'second hand' that was already accustomed to the indoor life. I wouldn't take on a young cat if I couldn't provide outside access, and preferably with access to a garden and green space, not just roads and concrete.

However, my cat only has access to the outdoors if we let her out, and then not to anywhere that is cat-friendly. But she chose to live with us after moving on from a couple of other homes on the street, so I don't feel bad about it.

 

[Chz]

It depends. (doesn't it always?)

A kitten raised indoors is going to be perfectly happy with what it knows. Likewise, elderly or otherwise ill cats live perfectly good lives inside.

But what you can't do is take a healthy, adult cat who's lived outdoors most of its life and restrict it inside.

I got rats instead.

 

[panpete]

I also wouldn't like having to clean a litter tray all the time and a boy cat may well spray indoors! Yum cat piss smell!

:vomit:

The males stop spraying when they have been 'done' and their piss loses that rank smell.