It's hard to adopt a cat from a shelter in the UK if you're not going to let it out, though. They like to only give cats to people with gardens, so we had to go through an ad in the paper to get the kitten. Unfortunately he has chlamydia and infected his big brother but they're both fine now on antibiotics.
― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 07:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― N_RQ, Tuesday, 4 October 2005 08:06 (eighteen years ago) link
http://static.flickr.com/27/49293752_7db6882198.jpg?v=0
Mr Chang thinks indoor cats are pussies.
― foxy boxer (stevie), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 08:37 (eighteen years ago) link
my vet is HOTT. BUT CHANG HAS FLEAS. ew. i don't think she was impressed.
― foxy boxer (stevie), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 08:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― salexander (salexander), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 08:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 08:50 (eighteen years ago) link
Plus our street is pretty densely populated and if the cats did get out we'd never be able to find them.
― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 10:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 10:37 (eighteen years ago) link
**and we have a lot of foxes.**
A cat will see off a fox.
**we'd never be able to find them**
They will come back.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 10:42 (eighteen years ago) link
This might turn into a discussion of "monkey vs horse" level proportions, I'd be careful...
― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 11:02 (eighteen years ago) link
I've seen a couple of cat/fox confrontations walking home late at night, and it's true that the fox thought better of it and went off, although one time we shooed it away ourselves.
Anyway, as I said above, both cats have chlamydia and therefore weakened immune systems so there's the risk of disease as well. Plus the kitten's still got his bollocks (for the time being).
As for them coming back, how would we know unless we sit outside our building waiting for them? I'm on the 2nd floor!
― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 11:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 11:42 (eighteen years ago) link
Ah well. Thanks. Cat/Spike was tough as nails. I'm sure he died honorably. What's the feline equivalent of the final shootout of Scarface?
― giboyeux (skowly), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:39 (eighteen years ago) link
Also if you are going to let your cat climb into neighbor's yards that's completely inconsiderate and rude. Whether or not you seem to live under some delusion that cats always come back no matter what, I mean if your neighbors wanted eaten plants and dead bugs and rodents and cat shit in their yards, I'm sure they'd put it there themselves. If I lived next door to you lot, I'd buy a German Shepard in 3 minutes.
xpost Dan that is what I think. If you live in a non-rural area you need to keep the kitty on a leash and supervise it if it wants to go out. And not just because it's funny to see a cat on a leash.
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― Laurel (Laurel), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― N_RQ, Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:44 (eighteen years ago) link
My parents' cats:Ginger Andrea Clorox: Outdoor cat, hit by a carPickles: Outdoor cat, hit by a carJane: Indoor cat, went out once and was mauled by neighborhood dogs, never went out again, died at 19 of old age.Igneal: Outdoor cat, shot by a pellet gun, died at 12 of brain thingy from eating poison food.Imor: Outdoor cat, shot by a pellet gun (the pellet it still in his right hind leg), hit by a car, 10 years old and still alive. Keep it real, boy!Gandalf: Outdoor cat, hit by a car.Arwyn: Indoor only, one year old, still alive.Isabella: Indoor only, months old, still alive.
All three of ours are alive and healthy and cuddly and flea-free and don't go outside because we live in Chicago and there are signs all over the alley informing us that the city has set out rat poison, plus cars, plus evil people with pellet guns, plus mean little shit kids you do horrible things to sweet, trusting, lovey cats. I'm comfortable enough with our decision that I'm not even that upset that someone might think I'm a terrible person for it.
Sample DeKuyper does that crazy MEOW MEOW MEOW thing, too. I think she gets lost in the apartment. I just call her and she comes running and jumps on me for attention and that takes care of that.
― pullapartgirl (pullapartgirl), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― Laurel (Laurel), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:52 (eighteen years ago) link
― rw, Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 12:56 (eighteen years ago) link
For excercise. For fresh air. So it can shit out there. So it can climb trees. So it can, you know, do cat stuff.
**Also if you are going to let your cat climb into neighbor's yards that's completely inconsiderate and rude.**
What? Are you totally serious? You think I should sit the cat down and negotiate some ground rules? 'Hey, avoid Mrs. Smith's dahlias, but you should be OK as long as you dump the mice behind the shed'.
**I mean if your neighbors wanted eaten plants and dead bugs and rodents and cat shit in their yards**
Hey, Ally. THEY BURY THEIR SHIT! Well, yours doesn't, obviously, since it's cooped up in a yuppie apartment. But OUTDOOR CATS DO! And DEAD BUGS! Oh fuck no! DEAD BUGS IN THE YARD. CALL THE FUCKING EMERGENCY SERVICES! DEAD BUGS! DEAD BUGS! OH HELP!
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― rw, Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:02 (eighteen years ago) link
And yes, you should "negotiate some rules". My sister manages to keep her cat from rummaging neighbors' yards, as does a former friend of mine. It's not that hard to watch your own pet. I mean don't get one if you find this an impossible task.
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:02 (eighteen years ago) link
A) perfectly happy indoorsB) reticient to go outside
I mean who is anthromorphosizing the cat now?
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Roxymuzak, Mrs. Carbohydrate (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:05 (eighteen years ago) link
I have stolen someone else's outdoor/indoor cat, when I was little!
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― Roxymuzak, Mrs. Carbohydrate (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:08 (eighteen years ago) link
You don't 'watch' them - you let them find their own territory, depending on what other cats live close etc. And guess what, if a big dog moves next door, THEY DON'T GO IN THERE ANY MORE!
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:08 (eighteen years ago) link
Ally! Shame on you.
― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― Roxymuzak, Mrs. Carbohydrate (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― Roxymuzak, Mrs. Carbohydrate (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:14 (eighteen years ago) link
I mean who is anthromorphosizing the cat now? **
She wasn't perfectly happy indoors. She was lethargic and anxious, despite being 2 yrs old. It wasn't through boredom, as she there is usually someone at home for company. The vet could find nothing wrong. She seemed to want to go out, but would run in terrified after a few minutes. She would only go out if someone was in the garden, but clearly enjoyed running around, lying in the sun, exploring etc. I believe that it was the right thing to do to keep encouraging her out. Now she's happy to come and go all the time, looks in much better condition and is a different cat altogether.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:17 (eighteen years ago) link
**So, what we cat owners are *SUPPOSED* to do is let the cats out and just hope they don't get squashed by a car on the city streets. Is that correct O Grate 1? **
No, I didn't say that. My point is that if you live in a suitable place where the cat CAN go out, then it should go out. Ally's busy telling me that it's all wrong because of infringing on neighbours' privacy and leaving DEAD BUGS all over the place.
Personally I wouldn't keep a cat in a place where the traffic was so bad that it was in serious danger of being run over. Or where it couldn't go out for any reason.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:28 (eighteen years ago) link
Note that I stated that and that my 'fuck you' was conditional.
― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― Roxymuzak, Mrs. Carbohydrate (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 13:38 (eighteen years ago) link