Cat Chat 2

[non]

Thank you!

my cat doesn't like cat trees, it's pretty funny.
i really don't know why, but she never uses scratching posts or cat trees.

[mewbot]

I have an orange Tabby, around three years old, he's used to going outside but then I saw this ad and it said something about outside cats only living for 3-5 years and and inside cats 10-13 and my cat's three, so I decided to make him an inside cat. But he begs to go outside (my window, the door) he sometimes escapes through my window. But how long will it take for him to get used to being an inside cat?
cause he get's into a few fights, there was this mark on his skin with no fur and I don't know what happened to him. :C

[non]

No, outdoor cats won't only live 3-5 years. If you care for your cat properly he'll have a full, happy life while being an outdoor cat.
My own personal opinion is that ads aren't trustworthy. Before you make such a big lifestyle change like that, do a little research.
(Not to be rude, or to dis you, or anything!)
The mark doesn't have exposed flesh, does it? It could get infected.
Maybe if you're going to let him be an outdoor cat again you could have a cat first-aid on the ready. My town has lots of stray/outdoor cats so I keep my cat inside until I get supplies ready.

[mewbot]

Ok, thank you!!

[Flossie]

I have an orange Tabby, around three years old, he's used to going outside but then I saw this ad and it said something about outside cats only living for 3-5 years and and inside cats 10-13 and my cat's three, so I decided to make him an inside cat. But he begs to go outside (my window, the door) he sometimes escapes through my window. But how long will it take for him to get used to being an inside cat?
cause he get's into a few fights, there was this mark on his skin with no fur and I don't know what happened to him. :C

I completely disagree with that. I have a 5 year old cat and she has frequent vet checkups, the vet claims she's one of the most healthiest cats he's seen and he compares her against other outdoor and indoor cats. I know dozens of people who have and had outdoor cats, they've all lived 10-15 years. Sure, it can be more risky leaving them outside, but if the cat is healthy and comes when called, I don't see a reason not to leave them out.

[Lonin]

I have an orange Tabby, around three years old, he's used to going outside but then I saw this ad and it said something about outside cats only living for 3-5 years and and inside cats 10-13 and my cat's three, so I decided to make him an inside cat. But he begs to go outside (my window, the door) he sometimes escapes through my window. But how long will it take for him to get used to being an inside cat?
cause he get's into a few fights, there was this mark on his skin with no fur and I don't know what happened to him. :C

We're on the indoor side but that ad was a bit misleading. The 3-5 years thing is for solely outside cats like strays, not indoor/outdoor ones like pets. Indoor ones do tend to live longer than outdoor ones what with there being less cars etc inside than out.
But if you want to make your cat indoor only that's fine. How long it takes for a cat to get used to it can vary. Have you given him extra toys, perches, tunnels, scratching posts etc? How often are you playing with him? Indoor cats need more exercise and attention than outdoor ones or they'll get bored.
You could also look into ways for him to be outside safely. You have options like harness training, a cat run or cat-proofing your garden.

[Thalassic]

I have an orange Tabby, around three years old, he's used to going outside but then I saw this ad and it said something about outside cats only living for 3-5 years and and inside cats 10-13 and my cat's three, so I decided to make him an inside cat. But he begs to go outside (my window, the door) he sometimes escapes through my window. But how long will it take for him to get used to being an inside cat?
cause he get's into a few fights, there was this mark on his skin with no fur and I don't know what happened to him. :C

You just have to make sure that he has enough interesting stuff inside to play with. While the numbers are an exaggeration, it's true that outside is not safe for cats. Even living in the best of neighborhoods can't completely eliminate the risk of your cat getting hurt or worse, while at home you at least have control over that.

Get him some new toys, snacks, scratching poles, catnip, etc so he has stuff to do. You could even leash train him, and take him out for small walks so he still gets to experience the outside, but safely.

[Nyxeva]

No, outdoor cats won't only live 3-5 years. If you care for your cat properly he'll have a full, happy life while being an outdoor cat.
My own personal opinion is that ads aren't trustworthy. Before you make such a big lifestyle change like that, do a little research.
(Not to be rude, or to dis you, or anything!)
The mark doesn't have exposed flesh, does it? It could get infected.
Maybe if you're going to let him be an outdoor cat again you could have a cat first-aid on the ready. My town has lots of stray/outdoor cats so I keep my cat inside until I get supplies ready.

They're not ads, they're based on studies done of cat populations. It's unusual for an outdoor cat to live past 5 years (stray cats), whereas indoor cats live well into their teens. I can link to some stuff if you'd like!

However, I support keeping cats inside for the sake of the environment as well, not just for the sake of the cats involved. Did you know that cats are singlehandedly responsible for the extinction of over 30 bird species?

Deadlynx, you'll need to make the inside more interesting and fun than the outside! This could mean lots of toys, playtime and cat trees as it did with my three cats. You'll need to figure out if he's an up high or down low cat to determine which types of toys and trees he'd prefer. My cat Naya prefers to be up higher, so all of our trees are tall with a perch at the top for her to use. They also have lower shelves and caves for my cat Loki, who prefers to be lower. They also have countless toys all over my apartment and they get played with daily. Little mice, feather wands, teaser wands and laser pointers all get used with my cats to keep them healthy and happy indoors.

They also get time outside on their leash if they want to! Loki loves to go out with me on her harness and leash! You could consider conditioning him to accept the harness and leash and still let him get the experience of outside dogs.

[Kallisto Moon]

I have a question, don't worry it's not medical.

My grandmothers cat has been increasingly violent over the past few weeks. Today it reached it's peak. He hasn't been using his litter box since september, and will "go" wherever he wants, specifically my room or my reading room. He never did it while I was in there until today, he just waltzed in and went right in front of my bed (which I was in). I got after him and put him in his litter box, but that didn't help since a few hours later he just went in my reading room.
This cat was never aggressive towards other animals, and he always leaves them alone, especially the dogs. Today he viciously attacked my chihuahua for no apparent reason. My chihuahua was just walking to my room, and didn't provoke him in any way. The cat attacked him so viciously he looked like a wild animal. I safely broke up the attack (with a broom so I didn't get hurt as well), and my chihuahua has some scrapes but he is fine. Luckily this cat is declawed (which I am not usually a fan of until now), and it would have been a lot worse if he wasn't. I don't understand why this cat is attacking my dog, and choosing to use my living quarters as a litter box. I have never been mean to this cat, or did anything that I know of to make him aggressive towards me or my dog. He is a healthy 14 year old indoor cat, and he isn't our only cat, we have his sister as well and he has been semi aggressive towards her lately. We haven't changed anything that I can think of, he is still on the same food, same litter, same atmosphere, and nothing in my room or reading room has changed.
I don't understand why he is acting this way, any ideas?

[Nyxeva]

I have a question, don't worry it's not medical.

My grandmothers cat has been increasingly violent over the past few weeks. Today it reached it's peak. He hasn't been using his litter box since september, and will "go" wherever he wants, specifically my room or my reading room. He never did it while I was in there until today, he just waltzed in and went right in front of my bed (which I was in). I got after him and put him in his litter box, but that didn't help since a few hours later he just went in my reading room.
This cat was never aggressive towards other animals, and he always leaves them alone, especially the dogs. Today he viciously attacked my chihuahua for no apparent reason. My chihuahua was just walking to my room, and didn't provoke him in any way. The cat attacked him so viciously he looked like a wild animal. I safely broke up the attack (with a broom so I didn't get hurt as well), and my chihuahua has some scrapes but he is fine. Luckily this cat is declawed (which I am not usually a fan of until now), and it would have been a lot worse if he wasn't. I don't understand why this cat is attacking my dog, and choosing to use my living quarters as a litter box. I have never been mean to this cat, or did anything that I know of to make him aggressive towards me or my dog. He is a healthy 14 year old indoor cat, and he isn't our only cat, we have his sister as well and he has been semi aggressive towards her lately. We haven't changed anything that I can think of, he is still on the same food, same litter, same atmosphere, and nothing in my room or reading room has changed.
I don't understand why he is acting this way, any ideas?

It could actually be a sign of illness or injury! When cats stop using their litterbox, I first want to take them to the vet to cross medical issues off the list.

Aggression could also be a sign of pain as well. I'd recommend taking him to the vet to rule out injury or illness!