How do i make my cat streetwise?

Wanderer2010

I have a lovely male cat, neutered, 1 and a half years old, well loved and looked after. But, he likes to wander around outside for a few hours a day which is perfectly normal. At first, we were very nervous about leaving him out because he was completely new to cars, wind, traffic, sudden noises etc (he had been indoors up until 8 months as a cat until his curiosity could not be ignored), and any visits outside were strictly supervised but he used to just dash out the door and hide in bushes until we just left him out alone evry day and hoped for the best.

He always came back (we havent a big garden but there is a very busy road just outside our house) but the fear of him dashing across the road was always there and in the past 2 weeks he has crossed the road to explore other gardens, the second time he would have been killed had I not noticed him and waved at the car to stop! Now im worried he is not streetwise and will just get himself killed and I really love this cat, so are there any tips on how to approach this common problem?? Any advice welcome.

Nody

There's only one approach possible; don't let him have unlimited access or he will die (no you can't teach a cat to dodge cars on a busy road and out door cats average lifespan is in the 1 to 5 years range vs. 12 to 20 for indoor cats). That means if you still want him to have outside time (and as he really likes it you should give it if possible) you should consider to build a suitable fenced in area for him to be outside in and/or walking on a leash.

fathead82

The only way to keep him safe is to keep him inside,cats have no road sense & will get knocked down sooner or later if allowed on the road.
I let my 18 month old cat out to go to the toilet last night, went out to bring her in 15 minutes later & found her dead on the road. I live in the country, on a quiet road & loads of land behind the house for her to explore. Everyone in the house is in tears all day & the place feels so empty without her.

peasant

We have a fairly large area in front of the house (the back is fenced in for dogs) where our cats like to be during the day.
At the top of the garden is a thick hedge and behind that a fairly busy country road, access to which can be had through our driveway.

All of our three cats have been through the following ordeal which I believe helped them (even though I have been heavily criticized on here before for doing it)

We have a cat carrier which is basically just a cage, no solid walls, just wire mesh.
At a young age all of our cats have been put into there and deposited right by the roadside under my supervision at a busy time.
Cars and trucks would drive right past their noses and the poor things would be very frightened. After a few minutes you could see that they would get a sense when a car would be approaching and they'd try to run away.
At that time I would take them back inside.

Observations later showed that while the cats still get curious every now and then and venture up the driveway, as soon as they sense the cars going by they do not go any further and keep a safe distance of several meters.
I don't think any of our cats has ventured out into the road ever.

They are now 15, 13 and 12 years old and outside almost every day (when they want to)

Irish Stones

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

Now im worried he is not streetwise and will just get himself killed and I really love this cat, so are there any tips on how to approach this common problem?? Any advice welcome.

There's no way to teach your cat to be careful on the road.
Even cats who survived car accidents don't get any smarter, and sooner or later they can face another car for good.
A cat who is free to roam has a shorter life.

VonVix

My boyfriend has had many cats through his life, probably four of them died by a car, and they were the wanderers. The cats he has now do go outside but they never cross the road or go any further than one or two houses down and they are surviving fine.

Really, if your cat is a wanderer the best thing you could do to ensure their safety is keep them inside, as much as that may annoy you or you feel like your cat's life isn't as enriched.

Irish Stones

VonVix wrote: »

My boyfriend has had many cats through his life, probably four of them died by a car, and they were the wanderers. The cats he has now do go outside but they never cross the road or go any further than one or two houses down and they are surviving fine.

When my cat died by a car several years ago my neighbour told me that it happened because my cat wasn't a real expert of the "road life", her cat had always been outside and knew how to survive the external world.
Her cat woudl go always to the same places, and though she used to cross the road everytime, my neighbour said that her cat knew how to do that.
My cat died at 11 months of age, her cat was 3 yo when this happened.
One year later I found her cat dead, killed by a car less than 5 minutes before I found her. She was killed right where she used to cross the road!

Some years later she got another cat which was killed in the same spot where the previous cat was killed.

I think that no matter how cats are used to the external world, roads are too dangerous for a roaming cat.

The Masculinist

Unfortunately cats like to wander. It is part of their nature. By neutering him you have taken the first step to preventing him disappearing for long periods of time.

I think you need to balance things here. By keeping him in a cage you are keeping him safe, but you are limiting his freedom and enjoyment of life, so also give him a bit of "outside" time. There is a risk he will get knocked down, but he also needs to enjoy himself as a cat. You may also wish to consider a product in the link below.

http://www.freedom-fence.co.uk/

Hope it goes well, sounds like a nice cat.

Nody

The Masculinist wrote: »

You may also wish to consider a product in the link below.

http://www.freedom-fence.co.uk/

Hope it goes well, sounds like a nice cat.

No, just no. It has been shown over and over again that any type of punishing style necklaces (as this is) does not work, full stop. If they get scared/interested enough they WILL go through it and simply not return and / or have more or less complete breakdowns over going out due to the pain they inflicted earlier.

The Masculinist

Nody wrote: »

No, just no. It has been shown over and over again that any type of punishing style necklaces (as this is) does not work, full stop. If they get scared/interested enough they WILL go through it and simply not return and / or have more or less complete breakdowns over going out due to the pain they inflicted earlier.

It's worked for my two cats and two dogs. Kept them alive over the past 5 years and they are always allowed to roam free.

Zapperzy

http://www.purrfectfence.com/

I believe a homemade version of this is fairly easy to put together and much much cheaper.

Letting a cat outside to roam free is a lottery really, they could go years happily avoiding all cars til one day they run out in front of one. My childhood cat lived a few years, about 3 I think, beside a very busy main road until one day he got hit. Following two cats were indoor only, they go outside around the garden on a lead quite happily. Live in a 1st and 2nd floor apartment now so don't even have the option of letting her outside if I wanted to, she's quite happy with two floors to roam, multiple windowsills to people watch from and a big cat tree to climb. It definitely doesn't suit all cats but for a lot it does.

The Masculinist

Why are people getting pets just to keep them indoors all day? Surely this is not natural for an animal? I live in the countryside and have ample space for my animals to roam free. I know this is a luxury not everyone has, but surely if you really cared for your animals you would either give them adequate outdoor space or not get them in the first place? I think it is selfish.

VonVix

The Masculinist wrote: »

Why are people getting pets just to keep them indoors all day? Surely this is not natural for an animal? I live in the countryside and have ample space for my animals to roam free. I know this is a luxury not everyone has, but surely if you really cared for your animals you would either give them adequate outdoor space or not get them in the first place? I think it is selfish.

It's not fair to say it's selfish. You don't know the circumstances where people have to or choose to keep their cat(s) in, there's loads of reasons, blindness, deafness, FIV, other health issues, extreme roaming, if a cat has a natural affinity for putting themselves in danger.

A friend of mine keeps her cat strictly inside (she lives next to a main road), she recently got a kitten and is doing the same with him too. When she moves out in a few months she is building an outdoor space for them to go in and out of the house whenever they choose, but it'll prevent them from roaming or getting into danger.

The Masculinist

VonVix wrote: »

It's not fair to say it's selfish. You don't know the circumstances where people have to or choose to keep their cat(s) in, there's loads of reasons, blindness, deafness, FIV, other health issues, extreme roaming, if a cat has a natural affinity for putting themselves in danger.

A friend of mine keeps her cat strictly inside (she lives next to a main road), she recently got a kitten and is doing the same with him too. When she moves out in a few months she is building an outdoor space for them to go in and out of the house whenever they choose, but it'll prevent them from roaming or getting into danger.

If you don't have adequate space to raise an animal then you are being selfish by keeping one. For the sake of animal welfare pets need adequate space. In most cases this includes the possibility of outdoor roaming. You have listed valid reasons for keeping a cat indoors, however, the average cat needs plenty of outdoor time in my opinion.

I have to say, as a countryside dweller I do have the luxury of plenty of space and I can understand why someone with less space may disagree with me. I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just think that there are too many people who keep cats cooked up in small spaces and it is not fair on the animal.

Irish Stones

The Masculinist wrote: »

If you don't have adequate space to raise an animal then you are being selfish by keeping one.

If only those who have plenty of space to let their pets outside, like you do, could afford a pet, don't you think that several millions of dogs and cats would be homeless? Would this be fairer?
Especially in a city, nobody could experience the joy of sharing their life with a loyal friend.

kylith

The Masculinist wrote: »

Why are people getting pets just to keep them indoors all day? Surely this is not natural for an animal? I live in the countryside and have ample space for my animals to roam free. I know this is a luxury not everyone has, but surely if you really cared for your animals you would either give them adequate outdoor space or not get them in the first place? I think it is selfish.

To keep them safe??! If I leave my dogs out to roam freely people would rightly say I was irresponsible. And living in the country is no guarantee that your pet will not wind up laminated to the road, as one of my family members found out the hard way, not to mention the dangers from other animals and, for dogs, gun-toting farmers. Friends of mine have had to keep cats in after they contracted FIV, and trust me it's a lot easier to keep a kitten in from the start than to keep in an adult cat that's used to going outside.

Keeping your animals on your property, whether indoors or out, greatly increases their chances of a long, healthy life and helps guarantee that they won't be a nuisance to your neighbours.

My dogs much prefer to be inside in the warm with the sofa to lie on than to be in the garden. Especially in this weather.

I swear, if some people had their way only people who didn't need to work and who had acres of land could have pets

username000

The Masculinist wrote: »

If you don't have adequate space to raise an animal then you are being selfish by keeping one. For the sake of animal welfare pets need adequate space. In most cases this includes the possibility of outdoor roaming. You have listed valid reasons for keeping a cat indoors, however, the average cat needs plenty of outdoor time in my opinion.

I have to say, as a countryside dweller I do have the luxury of plenty of space and I can understand why someone with less space may disagree with me. I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just think that there are too many people who keep cats cooked up in small spaces and it is not fair on the animal.

What total nonsense. We share a cat with some neighbours and her entire territory stretches from my front door to their front door with the very occasional foray to go to the toilet under a bush. Otherwise she sleeps on the couch all day. In this weather she barely stirs to even go to the loo outside.

We picked our second cat up off the street where she was starving, filthy, in need of medical attention and trying to raise kittens when we picked her up. Now she has her own room, proper food and medical care, and time and play with us every day. She has not once given any indication that she wants to go back outside. Outside was killing her.

aonb

This thread is freaking me out!!!
I have a young female rescue cat, that Ive kept indoors since I found her, because I was waiting til she is old enough to be vaccinated etc and neutered before letting her wander outdoors.
I live in a very rural/quiet area, surrounded by fields, and with a pretty quiet lane with infrequent cars, near-ish my house.
I had planned on letting her outside when shes neutered in a few weeks. To be an indoor/outdoor/on demand cat.
Now Im reading about all these cats who have been killed and I dont know what to do Shes happy enough indoors - makes the odd dash for outside (but we get her back happily enough). I take her outside on a harness sometimes (not very happily, though I could spend time working on that if its an option/solution) and I carry her outside for a wander which she enjoys.
I really love my little cat now, but never having a cat before I dont know what to do for the best.

Keep her indoors and safe vs. let her wander in/out and be happier?!?!?

After spending most of her life as an indoor cat, is there any possibility that she will go outside for a little wander around the property, then tootle back inside, or are ALL cats inclined to wander/roam?!?!

boomerang

aonb it doesn't have to be choice between safer and happier... You just have to work that bit harder with an indoor-only cat to meet all their needs. And for fresh air and a view of the scenery, a little "catio" (enclosure) off the house doesn't cost the earth.

Tranceypoo

The Masculinist wrote: »

It's worked for my two cats and two dogs. Kept them alive over the past 5 years and they are always allowed to roam free.

Your dogs shouldn't be allowed to 'roam free' it's against the law, they are supposed to be 'under your control' at all times!

kylith

aonb, in the 80s people would have said that letting dogs roam meant they would be happier than keeping them on your property, but now we know that that's not the case. There are plenty of things you can do, from cat fencing in your garden to building an enclosure off the house with a window or flap that they can go in and out of, to even just having a cat tree and playing with the cat, that will keep it happy without letting it roam.

aonb

As you know I am not a cat person - Tux is my first ever cat.
Why are cats sort of considered to be a sort of 'disposable' pet in comparison with dogs. Do you know what I mean?? people seem to consider dogs to be more of a responsibility/serious pet/consideration because they are so people dependent maybe , whereas cats are seen as independent/self sufficient animals, which seems to make them "lesser" pets if you again understand what Im trying to convey. I know before I loved Tux so much, I would have said, if we go away we will leave a shed door open for her, and leave a bed and food there for her, whereas I would NEVER have been so casual about one of our dogs. Now that we are Tux-slaves, we will have to have a serious rethink. My husband thinks she should be allowed outdoors when neutered and vaccinated, I am rethinking that policy after this thread

I have to think about keeping her contained safely while outdoors - with a leash/harness/slip-rope on a line/something. But if she cant roam/wander is there any point in letting her out at all...

boomerang

I think it's a misconception that cats roam and wander... They generally patrol the extent of their territory, and that's it. For a neutered, female housecat, that territory can be as small as your back garden and perhaps the next house on either side.

That said, it is still dangerous and having only had dogs up to now during my adult life, I just can't conceive of letting my cats off by themselves - they're no more savvy.

My guys have an enclosure and I take them out on harnesses. I still think fresh air and sunshine are beneficial, and they like to eat some fresh grass.

aonb

boomerang wrote: »

I think it's a misconception that cats roam and wander... They generally patrol the extent of their territory, and that's it. For a neutered, female housecat, that territory can be as small as your back garden and perhaps the next house on either side.

That said, it is still dangerous and having only had dogs up to now during my adult life, I just can't conceive of letting my cats off by themselves - they're no more savvy.

My guys have an enclosure and I take them out on harnesses. I still think fresh air and sunshine are beneficial, and they like to eat some fresh grass.

This would be so great, if it proved to be the case.

I think that I will concentrate a bit on a harness/leash and see how we go on with that too, we have over an acre of garden to wander in, so she could have a 'walk' in safety on the property
Thanks! I feel a bit happier now

The Masculinist

Tranceypoo wrote: »

Your dogs shouldn't be allowed to 'roam free' it's against the law, they are supposed to be 'under your control' at all times!

Perhaps there is some confusion in my posting. What I mean by this is that my animals are free to roam the entire area of my property. At night I lock them in to a large kennel which is inside a shed.

looksee

Just to add a bit of balance, we had one cat reached the age of 20, the next 13, and currently have two cats around 5. The first one lived beside a busyish road, but neither of the first two died on the road. They are all indoor/outdoor cats as they choose. I certainly don't regard cats as 'disposable' pets, but I would not like to have to keep them indoors all the time either.

Kablamo!

I had an indoor outdoor cat who lived to be 16 and died of kidney failure. Conversely, I had the most beautiful little cat who was hit by a car aged just 2.
My current pair are still indoor outdoor, I work shifts and live with my mother and she wouldn't be able to comprehend the idea of leaving them in the house all day. Lola is 7 and Mouse is 1.
Hopefully it's just the luck of the draw and it never darkens our doorstep again because our hearts were shattered the day we had to lift our broken little cat from the road.

Irish Stones

aonb wrote: »

After spending most of her life as an indoor cat, is there any possibility that she will go outside for a little wander around the property, then tootle back inside, or are ALL cats inclined to wander/roam?!?!

There's not a general rule, but you should keep in mind that cats are explorers, their nature says them to do so.
More, you Tux comes from a feral family, sometimes the instinct of wandering and getting back to nature can be still alive, passed on her by her mum someway.
My elder cat was kept indoors, then we thought it could have been good for her to have a short walk every evening around (our) dinner time.
She always stayed out 20-30 minutes, then she would come back and sleep.
After some weeks, day after day, her walk time became longer, 30 min, 35 min, 45 min... 1 hour... until one night I had to look for her past midnight!
From that night on she was never let out again without strict control, and eventually with harness and flexy lead.
So my tip is not to trust her "home habit" blindly, you never know what her mind says her to do

Irish Stones

aonb wrote: »

people seem to consider dogs to be more of a responsibility/serious pet/consideration because they are so people dependent maybe , whereas cats are seen as independent/self sufficient animals, which seems to make them "lesser" pets if you again understand what Im trying to convey.

This is exactly what a young woman in Roscommon town told me last year when I found a dead cat in the middle of Castle Street.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=91025676&postcount=28
Nobody cares too much about cats, they are just cat chasers, nothing more. A dog is a dog.

Graces7

aonb wrote: »

As you know I am not a cat person - Tux is my first ever cat.
Why are cats sort of considered to be a sort of 'disposable' pet in comparison with dogs. Do you know what I mean?? people seem to consider dogs to be more of a responsibility/serious pet/consideration because they are so people dependent maybe , whereas cats are seen as independent/self sufficient animals, which seems to make them "lesser" pets if you again understand what Im trying to convey. I know before I loved Tux so much, I would have said, if we go away we will leave a shed door open for her, and leave a bed and food there for her, whereas I would NEVER have been so casual about one of our dogs. Now that we are Tux-slaves, we will have to have a serious rethink. My husband thinks she should be allowed outdoors when neutered and vaccinated, I am rethinking that policy after this thread

I have to think about keeping her contained safely while outdoors - with a leash/harness/slip-rope on a line/something. But if she cant roam/wander is there any point in letting her out at all...

It is personal choice. When I lived in towns and villages I kept my cats in. Traffic and thefts....When I moved to a rural setting, they had the choice. When I started living almost a top a mountain with no traffic within miles, grand. My current two home cats come and go as they please. My newish feral lives outdoors as he and the other two do not get on. Thee two are strong and happy to come and go .

Graces7

Irish Stones wrote: »

There's not a general rule, but you should keep in mind that cats are explorer, their nature says them to do so.
More, you Tux comes from a feral family, sometimes the instinct of wandering and get back to nature can be still alive, passed on her by her mum someway.
My elder cat was kept indoors, then we thought it could have been good for her to have a short walk every evening around (our) dinner time.
She always stayed out 20-30 minutes, then she would come back and sleep.
After some weeks, day after day, her walk time became longer, 30 min, 35 min, 45 min... 1 hour... until one night I had to look for her past midnight!
From that night on she was never let out again without strict control, and eventually with harness and flexy lead.
So my tip is not to trust her "home habit" blindly, you never know what her mind says her to do

This is not akin to my experience over decades. My three always come home. But then I am home all the time and that matters to them. Feral in summer sometimes stay away a day or two bit back he comes when he is hungry and my home pair never stray far. They all have their freedom. Not lost a cat to the outdoors in three decades.