Conference misery::feline_v1

	Josh and Becky are strictly apartment kitties, and when they buy
    their  condo,  the will continue to remain indoor kitties. For Becky
    this is no problem. Being somewhat timid in nature, she has shown an
    absolute  minimal  desire  to explore the rest of the world. Josh on
    the  other  hand, could have been named Christopher Columbus!! He is
    forever trying to sneak out the door. Right now they have the run of
    the  apartment,  and  whenever  the  front  door  is opened, we move
    quickly,  lest  he escape. Once we move, they will probably have the
    run of the basement while no one's home. That will lessen the chance
    of  them  having  to  find their way around unfamiliar territory. (I
    just hope itr works!!!)


			    Kathy

    Harli is almost one year old and has been outside, on a leash, twice.
    She is now curious about outside but doesn't try too hard to get
    out. I make sure she has everything she needs inside. She, like
    Josh and Becky, has the run of the house, with free access to windows.
    One of her favorite things is watching birds. She now has her own
    birdfeeder which I'm going to put up this weekend near her favorite
    window. She also gets grass to eat when she wants and she has company
    to keep her occupied when I'm at work, my roommates Golden Retriever.
    
    I think the most important thing is to not let the kitty get bored.
    Then she starts thinking that outside must be better.
    
    kris

    
    Hi!
    
    For most of Heidi's 5 years she's been an indoor cat with strong
    ideas of being an outside cat (in a third floor apartment, she
    had little choice).  She has LOTS of toys.
    
    Now we're in a house surrounded by forest and all kinds of neat
    wild life and she REALLY wants out.  Considering all of her years
    as a house kitty with outside excursions limited to a leash (not
    her idea of fun), I've very reluctant to let her have her way.
    
    She still has her toys, she still plasters herself to windows, 
    sliding door, and screen doors.  We have worked with her so she
    knows the area around the  house, and now let her have access
    to the great outdoors only when we're home and doing yard work.
    She loves this little bit of outdoors we've given her!  She
    comes when called (somewhat reluctantly), appears to be alot
    happier, and even chased a squirrel 20 feet up a tree!  I won't
    take this from her.
    
    You could try this, and see if Bas accepts the "supervision"...
    
    				Caroline
    

    We have three cats named Dem, Puggs, and Tigger.  Dem and Puggs
    are two Persian brothers who since day one have been indoor cats.
    They show little interest in going outside.  They have always been
    content to just lay by the slider and watch the birds near the feeder.
    That makes me happy since grooming them daily is enough of a chore
    as it is.  Tigger was a stray that adopted us one summer afternoon
    as I was cooking hamburgers on the grill.  It did take her sometime
    to get use to the indoor routine, maybe a month or two, but since
    then she is quite use to the arrangement.
    
    While we are at work the cats stay in the laundry room, complete
    with window, food, litter boxes, sleeping boxes, toys, and each
    other.  Each morning before I go to work I simply call them and
    they come down, sometimes they need a little coaxing with a treat.
    We also keep them in the room during the night.  This has saved
    our furniture, rugs, and curtains, as well as allowed us to sleep
    undisturbed.  Also if there ever is an emergency and we must get
    out of the house quick we know just where they are so we load them
    into their carriers and get out, rather than waste time searching
    for a frightened cat.
    
    When we are at home they have the run of the house, upstairs and
    down and they are not at a loss for finding things to keep themselves
    busy with.
    
    One of the best things, we have found, that will keep an indoor
    cat happy is another indoor cat.  My suggestion...
    
    "Try it, you'll like it."
    
    Let us all know how things work out.
    
    Joe
    

    I'm sure you've heard of how effective a spray bottle is for kitty
    behavior modification...well, let's take it one step further...
    
    When Honey the Himmy was a kitten, he, too, had illusions of his
    life outdoors amongst the cars and German Shepards that live next
    door.  The breeders I got him from told me how they got his biological
    Mom not to want to go outdoors.  They turned the sprinkler on in
    front of the door and when Mom tried to go out, she got very wet
    and very displeased.  Because they were consistant in this treatment
    (every time Mom wanted out, the sprinkler went on), Mom lost interest
    after about 2 days.  It also worked for Honey (although now he seems
    interested in plotting his escape again!).  He's always been an
    indoor car, but he also wants to explore the Wild Kingdom.  I tried
    the harness and lead, but he'd have nothing to do with it.  This
    may not work with a cat who knows they don't get wet everytime they
    try to go out, but who knows???
    
    Good luck!
    Mary

    We have two cats at present.  Suti, who is 12 was an indoor cat
    for her first 8 years, and Jasper, a two year old stray I found
    when he was 3 1/2 months.  Jasper had to live in the garage for
    the first month because of fleas, etc. and this has become his 
    favorite place.
    
    We lost Yoric, a lovely large male tabby, when he was three.  Yoric
    was an indoor cat for two years and then he found the outdoors!
    The joy he experienced in the larger world was not something I could
    ever have denied him.
    
    Pandora, another tabby, was also lost to us when she was three.
    She was a little bit of an outside cat - going out when we were
    sitting outside and following us back in when it was time.
    
    Libby is still a bit guilty about letting Yoric and Pandora go outside
    (both their deaths were the direct result of altercations with dogs)
    and gets nervous when Japser refuses to come in at night.  I respect
    Libby's concerns but can't accept confining any animal.  I might
    sleep sounder when Jasper is asleep on my feet and Suti is snoring
    away snuggled against my side but Jasper is too sad when he is denied
    the outdoors.
    
    Our cats have always had the complete run of our home (which has
    more than a few antiques, silk covered furnishings, etc.) and while
    they have left their respective marks here and there they have done
    much less damage than our neices and nephews.

        On the subject of indoor vs. outdoor cats...and how to keep
     them happy indoors...we have 2 purely indoor cats (a 9 year old
     male named Woof and a 6 year old female named Tweetie.)  They both
     have had their front claws removed and and have been happy indoors
     all their lives!  The older cat has lived with us in 4 states, and
     the younger has lived in 3 states.  (They are both "fixed" also.)

        With all the moving we've done, there's no doubt in my mind that
     our cats would have been long gone by now if we had let them roam
     outdoors.  After all these years, they don't even attempt to get
     out (they barely notice if the front door is open.)  Woof will go
     to it and sniff a bit, but has no real desire to go anywhere.

        Woof has good reason to feel that way, tho!  When he was little
     (and we hadn't decided about the indoor/outdoor thing yet) we used
     to take him outside and sit with him on the grass (but not let him
     wander off.)  One day, a very nice Doberman decided to check us out
     while we sat outside.  Woof had no idea what "it" was (the creature
     smelling his nose) but he decided not to make "it" mad by moving
     and just FROZE.  We carefully carried Woof back to our house (with
     a full Doberman-escort smelling Woof's tail all the way.)

        Since then, we've shown Woof and Tweetie what it's like outside
     when it rains AND snows.  They've also seen nice weather (and they
     like to chew on grass lawns) -- but we always stay with them and
     hold them.  Woof has "escaped" three times in 9 years, but each time
     he stayed within 10 feet of the house (usually just stood "grazing"
     on the lawn til we found him.)

        The clincher (the thing that will keep them both indoors FOREVER)
     was last summer when they (and I) saw hail for the first time!  After
     a total of 5 years in Colorado, I finally saw golfball-sized hail 
     coming down on our house.  The cats thought the world was ending --
     the hail makes a terrifying noise when it's that big!  I took Woof
     out on the porch to look closer and he LEAPED out of my arms to get
     back into the house!!!  

        I think they've decided that if the outside world is THAT WIERD,
     then they are better off INSIDE!!

        Really, tho, they've been quite happy together all these years...
     they chase each other (and stalk each other) and then cuddle up to
     sleep.  I may not have kept Woof alone inside for 9 years, but with
     his "little friend," he's been a very happy cat!  Tweetie is a happy
     and very affectionate cat, too!  I believe very much in keeping kitties
     safe indoors!

                                                            Suzanne...
                                                              (CAT LOVER!)

    I have two indoor cats, Brewster a big grey angora, and July my
    Calico Cat.  They have lived indoors with full run of the house
    since I brought them home as kittens.  They are curious about the
    outside, but are very fearful of venturing outside the house.  Brewster
    is a little more curious about the garage only because when I have
    had to 'bomb' the house for fleas that's where he ends up!
    
    Having watched my neighbor's lose two outdoor cats, one to the traffic
    and one to the neighbor's doberman, I'd rather have my two safe
    at home.  They seem to be purrfectly happy 'owning' the house.

    Rickie and Stosh are indoor cats, too. They own the entire house,
    so how much more could they want? We do, however, put them in
    figure-eight harnesses and attach them to long leads on the lawn
    once in a while. Rickie lets his "tom cat" side out then, and really
    goes bonkers. Stosh, however, does not like being confined by the
    harness and lead, and pretty much lies quietly. For the most part,
    we do not keep them out without being out, also. However, a couple
    weeks ago, we both went in for just a moment to do some K.P., and
    when we looked out the window, Rickie was beating the c**p out of
    some friendly,curious dog that had made the mistake of wanting to
    play. He strutted around like "the great white hunter" all day...

          Sunday I picked up a new kitten.  I have not been able to come up

     with a proper name for her yet, especially since being an orange tabby

     I had been thinking of male names until the vet informed me  he  is  a

     she.   The vets had to triple check also, since 80% of all orange cats

     are male.  It has been some time since my cat Max disappeared, and  to

     make  myself a bit more clear, I hadn't simply planned to replace her,

     so much as I wanted to get more cats  over  time  and  was  trying  to

     convince my husband before Max left as well.  :-)



          To get back to the original subject, I  have  given  considerable

     thought to keeping my cats indoors since Max's disappearance, with the

     help of the responses I have received.  All the responses  sound  like

     good alternatives to the outdoors.  Bas stayed indoors quite a bit for

     a while, but alas, I had  a  sad  cat.   He  and  I  have  come  to  a

     compromise,  he  gets  to  stay out all day, except when it rains, and

     come in by 8 pm every night.  Bas doesn't like the night part so much,

     but soon enough settles on a nice warm lap to watch TV.



          New kitty stays indoors, teasing Bas  occasionally.   My  overall

     decision,  and  believe  me a lot of thought and sleepless nights went

     into this one, is to allow the cats to decide for themselves  if  they

     want  the  outdoors.  I am encouraging kitty to be an indoor cat, lots

     and lots of love and attention, but  when  she  is  a  bit  older  and

     possibly yearning to catch moles and grasshoppers...  I can't bear the

     their sadness and big eyes looking from me  to  the  door,  mew,  mew,

     meow!



          Some day when we have finished off the upstairs in our house  and

     we  have  a  room  where  a  cat can stay while we are working, with a

     window, most importantly, there may be more consideration to keeping a

     kitty indoors.  It is truly difficult to retrain my husband and myself

     to watch doors so often, especially since we  do  go  in  and  out  so

     frequently working on outdoor projects and landscaping.



          I really appreciate all the responses I received.  And who  knows

     maybe "New Kitty" may work out to be an indoor kitty too.!  :-)


     ( I think I will try "New kitty" with the leash and harness and
     see how she reacts also... thanks!!!)
    

    I really feel for you with the problem of being door conscious
    in regard to keeping cats in.
    For encouragement, one of our cats came to us after three years
    of being an apratment cat. For the rest of her life she never wanted
    to go out of doors. After living out here for many years she would
    sometimes creep out into the fenced garden but never any where un-
    protected. I think that if you train a cat early enough it will
    avoid the out o doors.
                                                                      

    	I'm sure our neighbors think we belong to some strange religious
    sect.  You see, we always walk in the door bent over with our hands
    in front of us...  THey must think we worship doors or something.
    
    	Actually, nowadays, our cats don't really run for the door.
     They run to greet us.  Sometimes, if we leave the door open long
    enough, one of them will decide to do some unauthorized exploring,
    but most of the time, we shoo them away to keep from tripping over
    them.  (Ever try to bring in the groceries while 6 furry creatures
    are trying to look out the door/wrap themselves around your
    legs/investigate the bags/climb your legs to get some petting....?)
    
    
    	If you really want to keep a cat in, it can be done.  The important
    thing is to make sure the cat is happy/occupied inside.  Catnip
    toys, regular playing sessions, an interesting environment(interesting
    means lots of hidey-holes and lots of shelves/different levels where
    the cat is allowed), and lots of attention all help to get the cat
    adjusted to the indoor life.  
    
    tlh
    

    We have three (soon to be four, we just bought a Birman kitten)
    indoor cats, all recently converted.  By recently I mean in the
    last two years.  Our cats used to be outdoors before our beloved
    Harrison was hit and killed by a car.  That day the "survivors"
    became indoor cats.
    
    Ours have adapted very well.  Monroe is five now and had been outside
    all his life.  Jesse is 13+ and loves it inside (he was a stray).
    Winston had only been outside a couple of times before Harrison's
    ordeal, so he adapted readily. 
    
    We provide our cats with lots of toys to play with, along with a
    nine foot tall cat tree with shelves and cubby holes to climb all
    over.  They are allowed the run of the house when we are home and
    when we aren't at home they are limited to three bedrooms, the hall
    and two bathrooms.  Our hall has a door so that we can keep them
    out of the living room, dining room, and kitchen if we want to.
    
    Winston is leash trained and we take him on outdoor excursions with
    us.  Sometimes we go for walks in the neighborhood and watch all
    the looks we get from people.  I haven't leash trained the other
    two yet.  I think that will be more difficult since they are older.
    
    I also plant kitty grass for them to eat.
    
    As long as you make it interesting for them you shouldn't have too
    much trouble converting them to the indoors.  We did have to resort
    to" the garden hose outside the door waiting for them" trick to keep
    them from storming us every time we opened the front door, but that
    stage only lasted for a few days.  Another hint is have at least
    two cats if you plan to keep them inside.  That way they can keep
    each other company.
    
    JoAnn