Cat Chat (please go to cat chat 2)

[plum]

I had a whole bitter spiel written about outdoor cats but I'll just sum it up:
Cats aren't wild animals. Cats are long domesticated. It's perfectly 'natural' for them to live a life indoors, and it's much safer. You can keep your cat stimulated indoors perfectly well, you can keep their instincts sharp perfectly well, it just takes a little thing called work.
Even captive/tamed wild animals aren't allowed to roam to their heart's content. Even if it's 'natural', it's not responsible and it's not safe for your animal, so why let them out?

[BudgieLover5000]

Hi.. just thought I'd say a few things about the i/o cat topic.

I stand with the opinion that cats should be indoors, with the exception of barn cat.

It's not natural for them to be outside precisely because they are domesticated. The fact that they are domesticated means they don't belong anywhere anymore. Cats no longer have a natural habitat, they no longer fit into any ecosystem and if they did, it sure wouldn't be in North America, Australia, England .etc.. no, it would be in the Middle East because they are domesticated versions of African Wildcats. Which are, by the way, absolutely nothing like tigers.

Keeping a cat indoors is not like stripping a person of their humanity. These animals are in our care, and it is our responsibility to keep them safe. A cat is not like a human adult - they don't have the mental capacity to make logical, well informed decisions. Cats are driven largely by instincts and, so, while it may most definitely be safer for a tomcat to stay home, he's not going to because his instincts are screaming at him to reproduce. And while he'll probably get feline AIDS or something nasty like that, he's a cat, and he doesn't know. Our cats are stripped of their reproductive organs, they have no say in what kind of food they eat and they get shots whether they like it or not, why is it so terrible to keep them inside for their own good as well?

This is a matter that should not be simply left to the owner. These small, domesticated felids do not belong to this ecosystem. Them hunting is not the same as, say, a bobcat or any other natural predator hunting. Native songbirds, amphibians and reptiles did not evolve alongside domestic cats and are not prepared for predation by said cats. Hence why cats have caused a whopping thirty three extinctions. Not only that, but there are many dangers to the cats themselves that have already been discussed.

[Silver Pandorica]

♤ ♢ ♧ ♡

Does anybody have any tips on training cats? I've bell trained my cat for his meals - to help him get into a routine and to train him to come - and I've been trying to teach him to sit. It hasn't been very successful haha.

Arty responds to vocal aids and he is quite food motivated (but if you decide to do the latter, use food/treats sparingly). If you use vocal aids, make sure to keep the same tone and make sure you're clear.

I have no idea but... Clicker training, perhaps? My dogs responded well to clicker training, but I'm not sure if cats will react in the same way?

Conclusion: Vocal aids work a treat!

I have been wanting to train my cats as well. Well, my more cooperative one. I don't think I necessarily have the patience for it. Its hard to train our puppy, let alone a cat. The thing about training cats is that they aren't as easily motivated as dogs are. Clicker training is probably the best route to take. Just look what it can do with a lot of time and patience put into it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4LoXG6 ... 7A592DE131

[Lunarsnow]

Im planning on getting another cat, Its been a couple years since the passing of my cat, and I think im ready to get another. Any breeds I should look into? The only thing I cant do is shedding a lot, I get bad allergies from that.

Good diet and frequent brushing will definitely help manage any shedding issue regardless of breed. Plus brushing will keep the hairs from floating freely around the house!

As for specific allergy friendly breeds, Siberians and Balineses are said to be low producers of the allergen that most people tend to be allergic to. Female cats also produce less of it!

[Kasper]

hello everyone!
i'm cardi and i have a male orange tabby named phineas.

currently, in the house i'm living in, we are renting. the people who own the house are living in saudi arabia for a year, but their program does not allow them to take more than 2 suitcases per person. thereby, they left all furniture - and their cat.

he was originally an indoor cat, but my dad is allergic, so he's since become an outdoor cat. our basement tenant leaves food out for him, and he sleeps inside but wanders during the day.

personally, i'm on the indoor side of the debate. it's healthier for the wildlife, and the cat!

is there a form i need to fill out to start posting normally? i didn't see one.

[plum]

I had two bitter spiels written and my phone ate them. You're welcome, guys.

BUT to add on to things other people said - even owners of tame wild animals don't let them roam free. No matter how 'natural' it might be, it's not responsible and it's not safe. To those with outdoor cats: please reconsider, for the sake of your cats and the native wildlife.

[Dream~]

Hmm... I do believe that while its overall safer for a cat indoors, I don't see anything wrong with outdoor cats as long as they have shelter and sufficient care, if you must. I do know, however, if I ever get a cat in the future and have my own place, that it will be a indoor cat. My family literally own thousands of acres... I know my cats roam, but typically they sleep a lot during the day. And actually, my family doesn't farm, we have a large ranch. As of right now, we are feeding them Meow Mix still, we have a lot of craziness in our lives, but I am hoping to get a better food when things calm down, but we don't want anything too expensive because we are feeding 7 cats and go food super fast. Our cats do shed. A lot. For some reason, literally everyone but me in my family doesn't care for cats much, they are clearly dog people. I personally love both dogs and cats, I don't understand how anyone could dislike them. I know the cats I have are happier outdoors as its where they were raised and spent a lot of there life, but in the future when I get a cat and have my own place I would keep it indoors, as I wish we could our current cats. I have always planned to keep my cats that I have in the future indoors if I can.

So I do agree with keeping cats indoors, though I also don't see anything wrong with cats being outdoors if they have plenty of shelter and all there needs are met.

[Nyxeva]

I've listed the reasons why keeping cats outside is harmful and dangerous repeatedly. If you still see nothing wrong with it, then I give up.

[Thalassic]

It makes me sad that many people seem to not realize that outdoor cats are not only a danger to themselves, but to the local wildlife as well.

Keeping a cat indoors is not only for the good of the cat. It's for the good of the birds and bats and anything else they might kill. And they do kill. Cats only bring home a small percentage of their kills, and often they don't even eat the things they do kill..

[друг]

I agree that keeping a cat indoors is the better option out of the two.
It is really hard to bring an outdoor cat back indoors once it has been as an outdoor cat for a long time though.