 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / December 2004Help desperately needed
This morning I received a phone call from a woman who is desperately in need of help, I did what I could do to try and solve her problem and then said I would go to my ng to see if I could get further advice - I just know that someone will have the answer. Here is the problem the woman has a 3 year old Siamese cat which is going over the back fence and upsetting an 18 year old cat, the owners of the 18 year old are understandably getting very annoyed, I don't think that the 3yr old is actually beating up the old cat but is terrorising it to such an extent that it has started soiling inside the house. I did point out to the lady that the soiling could have something to do with the cats age and could have a medical condition - but I also think that the old cat should be able to live out the rest of it's life in peace. This lady wants any tips on how to keep her cat on her side of the fence - I did suggest leaving the hose sprinkler on (the 3yr old doesn't like water) Keeping the 3yr old confined to the house during the day is not am option (she is locked in at night) Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance. Lois  Signaturehttp://zeotropeburmese.kiwiwebhost.net.nz -- Burmese are like potato chips, you can't just have one. Can the cat simply be kept inside the house? Letting cats roam unsupervised outside is dangerous to their well-being anyway, regardless of the neighbors. Cats can live a perfectly happy life indoors; mine does, and so do those of many people here! -Z > This morning I received a phone call from a woman who is desperately in need > of help, I did what I could do to try and solve her problem and then said I [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Lois > Can the cat simply be kept inside the house? Letting cats roam > unsupervised outside is dangerous to their well-being anyway, regardless > of the neighbors. > > Cats can live a perfectly happy life indoors; mine does, and so do those > of many people here! Mine goes berserk and we tried for his first eighteen months to keep him in. *most* cats can do it and our second one can. Otis pawed at the door until his paws bled. He yowled constantly. He developed a stress-related bladder condition. He started squatting in the middle of the carpet and peeing like a dog. *most* cats can but I'm afraid that there are outliers and Siamese are often in the group. Otis is half Siamese. Susan M Otis and CHester >> Can the cat simply be kept inside the house? Letting cats roam >> unsupervised outside is dangerous to their well-being anyway, regardless [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > peeing like a dog. *most* cats can but I'm afraid that there are outliers > and Siamese are often in the group. Otis is half Siamese. I'm certain that if we had tried for much longer to keep Molly in, she would have managed to escape and never return. She has made it clear that one condition of sharing her precious self with us is being allowed out. We gave in when it was clear she was getting to the point of declaring all out war. Being feral and knowing she could feed herself just made her more determined. Now that she knows out is allowed she is quite happy to stay in quite a bit. Especially as the weather has gone nasty. And she stays pretty close. Jo >Any help would be very much appreciated. > >Thanks in advance. > >Lois I don't know, Lois, unless she can afford that cat-proof fencing. There's a website for it I used to have the link but can't find it. It's going to be hard, especially since the young cat is making a habit out of annoying the older one. Anyway, good luck to your friend. Sherry >>Any help would be very much appreciated. >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >hard, especially since the young cat is making a habit out of annoying the >older one. Anyway, good luck to your friend. Does anyone know if those "invisible fence" systems work with cats? Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com >>>Any help would be very much appreciated. >>> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Does anyone know if those "invisible fence" systems work with cats? I don't have a whole hour unfortunately, to tell the story. One day I will, because its pretty d*rn funny, if you don't count the fact that we threw away $1100 on the thing. You get your money back for one year after installation. Otis, with the aid of prozac, stayed in for one year and one week, then started running away. A young male Siamese is not likely to be helped by the fence. There are scads of people who have the fence for female and older male or just calm male cats, that love it. Training is really hard and that's the funny and, in Chester's case, the upsetting part of the story. You have to leash the cats to train them. They run in the direction that they are facing when they get the shock so you have to have them on a leash to teach them to run back into the yard. There are flags as visual markers and there are audible warnings so that they just don't get a shock for no visible reason. Sounds cruel, but Otis quickly figured out what the visual cues and auditory cues meant and had fewer than five shocks. I figured it was betting that not "having him put down" but, to be honest "killing him" because my neighbours didn't like him hanging our in their yard. I had no other option because he is an insane cat. It worked like a dream until he decided just to run through anyway. Like I said, it was one week after the money back guarantee. Susan M Otis and Chester > I figured it was betting that not "having him put down" but, to be honest Yikes - that Baileys really affected me. It should say, it was better than not "having him put down" ... I should explain that - we have a cat by-law here. Otis, who is my little kitty soulmate and wild cat, *had* to go outside. I had a neighbour that complained so that put me in the wrong. Because of his bladder issues and desperate primal need to go outside, I didn't feel that I could re-home him. I couldn't keep him in because he got so sick and peed everywhere out of pain and frustration. My only other option, rather than taking him to a farm with an expected 2 week life expectancy, was this darn fence combined with Prozac. Of course I didn't make the choice to have him expercience some shocks with warning lightly or with a happy heart - I really felt that it was a life or death situation for him. And it was. I guess that I get a little upset about this. It's sort of like when we had our first child, who screamed 24/7 for 18 months, never napped, and only slept if latched onto me. I had a friend tell me that, if I just relaxed a little bit, my daughter would stop screaming. I was wondering which came first, me being a little tense or my daughter screaming 24/7 - let alone nursing while chewing with teeth to calm herself. It was hell and we had a outlier child. I know this because my son, for whom we did nothing different, is a total sleep angel who is always happy and would tell us when he was tired and needed to go to bed. My daughter is still a Siamese-type outlier on scale of hard to easy kids. My son remains Persian on the scale. Sleep training worked with my son but we gave up after three hours of crying and barfing for my daughter. She was really upset and *really* needed to be with us. She has been diagnosed with anxiety issues now (social anxiety and selective mutism - from which is she making a stunning recovery) that were likely the cause of her behaviour then. So, much as I chaffed at hearing that all kids respond to sleep training (meaning letting them cry until they go to sleep) and could sleep on their own then, I chaff I hearing that all cats can stay inside. So, I'm off topic. I've kept my mouth firmly sealed on this lovely ng since I'm so hyper conscious of the gracious way in which this ng has avoided flame wars on the topic. So, I'm hear to say, don't hate me because I let my cat out. My vet told me that I had gone further in trying to deal with Otis' elimination issues than any of his other clients would have. He said that most people would have asked that their cat be put down. I die a thousand deaths every time I let them out. I am ridiculously responsible about the times that he is out because we *do* live near a natural area, albeit accross a big high fence, where there are coyotes at night. Otis and I talked about it, I told him to be safe, and I feel that its what I must do for him. No more bloody paws, no more Prozac, no more food supplements, no more ruined carpets. As you can see, I specialise in outliers - my daughter and my cat - and I can relate to them because I am one myself. Kind of quirky but ultimately, I think, pretty sensitive and thoughtful :-) Susan M Otis and Chester ... who will likely have a tiney hangover tomorrow AM > > I figured it was betting that not "having him put down" but, to be honest > [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] > Otis and Chester > ... who will likely have a tiney hangover tomorrow AM Susan, I didn't take offense - I hope you didn't take offense at what I said. You've changed my opinion, I guess I've always just had cats who were able to be kept inside 24/7. Also, all of mine, except Jessie, have been with us since they were wee kittens and haven't known anything else. So pass the salt and I'll eat my words! ;> BTW, my first, a daughter, cried 24/7 - she had colic that was relentless. We had to move out of our apartment because of it. My pediatrician said that most babies who have that combination of problems are usually very intelligent - I think she was right in my daughter's case, of course ;>, but she could have just been trying to make me feel better. Then my son came along and he didn't cry, but he was also hyperactive. Thankfully I too have ADHD so I could keep up with them, but they were 13 months apart in age and only slept an average of 3 - 4 hours a night and *never* took a nap during the day, so I can relate! AT 31 and 32 they are now happy, healthy adults with happy, healthily families of their own, so everything worked out in the end. Hugs, CatNipped Susan, you are doing a super job with your two outliers. I am so impressed with your patience and perseverance. I am glad to hear that your daughter is recovering and things are improving with Otis. Hang in there! Hugs and purrs, -- Britta Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered in fur! Check out pictures of Vino at: http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album > > I figured it was betting that not "having him put down" but, to be honest > [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] > Otis and Chester > ... who will likely have a tiney hangover tomorrow AM > This morning I received a phone call from a woman who is desperately in need > of help, I did what I could do to try and solve her problem and then said I [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > -- > Burmese are like potato chips, you can't just have one. I don't see why the cat can't be kept inside - all four of mine do and are perfectly happy, and Victor has *SEVEN* that all stay inside happily. As long as they have enough toys, scratching posts, and litter boxes, there's really no reason for them to be outside with all the dangers they encounter (not to mention the dangers they sometimes cause as is the case here). Hugs, CatNipped >I don't see why the cat can't be kept inside - all four of mine do and are >perfectly happy, and Victor has *SEVEN* that all stay inside happily. As Natasha is *17* and stays inside happily, 24/7/365 >long as they have enough toys, scratching posts, and litter boxes, there's >really no reason for them to be outside with all the dangers they encounter >(not to mention the dangers they sometimes cause as is the case here). Not to mention the dangers they get themselves into as well (hello Clyde....) Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com > > This morning I received a phone call from a woman who is desperately in > need [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > really no reason for them to be outside with all the dangers they encounter > (not to mention the dangers they sometimes cause as is the case here). Its a cultural thing - in the USA there are predators that will eat a cat, plus large, wide roads with fast cars and "weird" neighbours. Culturally, cats are considered indoor pets. In Commonwealth countries (England, New Zealand and Australia), cats are generally considered indoor/ourdoor pets, there are no predators, and most of our streets tend to be suburbanised. The outside cat can live a good and failry safe life in those places. And once a cat starts to consider the outside as part of his or territory (particularly if its a boy cat) then the cat will do all it can to patrol and protect that territory, whether the owner wants it to stay inside or not. Yes, you can get a formerly outside cat used to being indoors only, but that depends on the cat, and the amount of time and patience the owner has. Even Shmogg, whose only outdoor experience has been his mad escape attempts, still sits and howls at the door, begging to go out. Making a cat that has outside territory into an inside only cat is can be exceptionally hard ask, and I can imagine that with a Siamese, it would be just about impossible. The best I can suggest is a water squirt gun with a dash of vinegar added to the water, installing a smooth, inward sloping, high fence, and trying to negotiate with the neighbour a schedule of "safe" outside times for both the young and the old cat. Yowie . > I don't see why the cat can't be kept inside - all four of mine do and are > perfectly happy, and Victor has *SEVEN* that all stay inside happily. As [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > CatNipped Thanks for the replies so far. Keeping the young cat inside is not an option for this lady, the cat is used to being outdoors during the day. I do agree that keeping the Siamese inside would probably solve one problem but create another, in that she is used to being outdoors. My own cats are not free to roam outside and I am always happy when people who buy my kitties want them to be inside cats. But I do recognise that there are some who love their cats to be free to get out in the yard (it's a pity that they want to go further) The slaves of outdoor kitties do have to realizes that accidents and misfortunes can happen, which is often very traumatic for all concerned, as we all know just by reading about the lost and missing cats on this group. Lois > I don't see why the cat can't be kept inside - all four of mine do and are > perfectly happy, and Victor has *SEVEN* that all stay inside happily. As > long as they have enough toys, scratching posts, and litter boxes, there's > really no reason for them to be outside with all the dangers they > encounter > (not to mention the dangers they sometimes cause as is the case here). Please see my post above. Not *all* cats can do it. Susan M Otis and CHester >> This morning I received a phone call from a woman who is desperately >> in [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > > CatNipped I have *eight* that stay in 24/7, I would say 365, but there are occasions when they have to go to TED, and that means that they get to go outside, even if it is in a carrier. --? The ONE and ONLY lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)? email me at nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep > This morning I received a phone call from a woman who is desperately in > need [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Lois That is a tough one. We had a Siamese that got into fights with the neighbor cats. Fortunately we all took full responsibility for our cats being out and for cats being cats. We all paid our own vet bill for the abscesses. And didn't much worry about it. First, they need to check with their own vets to make sure this is safe. The way I've kept unwelcome dogs out of my yard. (The big ones that seem to want to take a dump here daily and no where else and the little one that kept coming into the garage and peeing on the car tires) is to load a squirt gun with mostly water and a little ammonia. I avoid their eyes. They don't come back. Desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures. Jo Jo Wonder if the two cats need to get to know each other a bit better? Can you arrange a cats and hoomans social som etime? Mind, I've never had the problem, and I'm quite clueless. It's either that or ankle weights for the Siamese. SignatureChristopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org www.mormons.com This morning I received a phone call from a woman who is desperately in need of help, I did what I could do to try and solve her problem and then said I would go to my ng to see if I could get further advice - I just know that someone will have the answer. Here is the problem the woman has a 3 year old Siamese cat which is going over the back fence and upsetting an 18 year old cat, the owners of the 18 year old are understandably getting very annoyed, I don't think that the 3yr old is actually beating up the old cat but is terrorising it to such an extent that it has started soiling inside the house. I did point out to the lady that the soiling could have something to do with the cats age and could have a medical condition - but I also think that the old cat should be able to live out the rest of it's life in peace. This lady wants any tips on how to keep her cat on her side of the fence - I did suggest leaving the hose sprinkler on (the 3yr old doesn't like water) Keeping the 3yr old confined to the house during the day is not am option (she is locked in at night) Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance. Lois Signaturehttp://zeotropeburmese.kiwiwebhost.net.nz -- Burmese are like potato chips, you can't just have one. > This morning I received a phone call from a woman who is desperately > in need of help, I did what I could do to try and solve her problem [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > -- > http://zeotropeburmese.kiwiwebhost.net.nz Okay, the cat is inside at night.... what makes her think it won't make the adjustment to being inside during the day, too? There are plenty of folks on this group who have managed to tame ferals who were never inside at all into being indoor cats. Aside from (as others have said) expensive fencing and the sprinklers or squirt gun things, I don't know what else to suggest. Jill > Okay, the cat is inside at night.... what makes her think it won't make the > adjustment to being inside during the day, too? There are plenty of folks [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Jill Thanks Jill, I will pass on all the information to the lady when she phones me in the morning, it will then be up to her which way she wants to go, and I do agree keeping the Siamese inside would cure the problem. Lois > > Okay, the cat is inside at night.... what makes her think it won't make > the [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Lois Lois, I just did a Yahoo and Google search and came up with these links below regarding possibities re cat enclosures; I sure hope it will help your friend. (the first 4 listed are Australia links) Best wishes, Christine http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-worldenclosures.htm http://www.catnip.com.au/ http://www.flippyscatpage.com/enclosures.html http://www.hotkey.net.au/~harvard/enclosures.htm http://www.corporatevideo.com/klips/secret.htm (this looked interesting to me -- also read the comments people made about the product ; more tips there) http://home.earthlink.net/~geminimarge/id6.html http://jomammatee.no-ip.com/journey//enclosures.html and http://www.animalnetwork.com/cats/enclosure.asp http://petplace.netscape.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=2974 Thanks Christine Signaturehttp://zeotropeburmese.kiwiwebhost.net.nz -- Burmese are like potato chips, you can't just have one. > > > > Okay, the cat is inside at night.... what makes her think it won't make [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > http://petplace.netscape.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=2974 >> Okay, the cat is inside at night.... what makes her think it won't >> make the adjustment to being inside during the day, too? There are [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Lois Lois, as noted in other posts, there are a lot of kitty enclosures which make the cat get the benefits of being outdoors without wandering. Persia has a "kitty walk" and she loves to go out in it. It is probably not big enough to satisfy the wandering Siamese but another type of outdoor enclosure might work for your friend. Jill We have a motion activated sprinkler which we can lend to those who are frustrated by our outside cats bugging inside cats. They're available at most high-end cat stores. We've tried everything to keep them in the yard, including cat proofing the fence and the invisible pet fence system. Our cat is half siamese and unstoppable. I suspect that Siamese is not stoppable. If the owners of the other cat are amenable, the sprinkler solution might help - providing you're not somewhere where its snowing. If its too cold for a sprinkler, I'll think some more. Susan M Otis and Chester > This morning I received a phone call from a woman who is desperately in > need [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Lois > We have a motion activated sprinkler which we can lend to those who are > frustrated by our outside cats bugging inside cats. They're available at > most high-end cat stores. Sorry - I shared a bottle of Bailey's while doing Christmas baking with a friend of mine today. It should be, high end *Garden* stores - not cat stores. Cats are creatures of habit. Once they stop visiting because of the sprinkler, they tend to leave it out of their daily rotation. Boy cats particularly seem to have a route that they travel a couple of times every day out of habit. Add a sprinkler, and the house drops off the route usually for a very long time. Susan M Otis and CHester > > We have a motion activated sprinkler which we can lend to those who are > > frustrated by our outside cats bugging inside cats. They're available at [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Susan M > Otis and CHester Thanks for that Susan, I will pass that onto Jane tomorrow - I think there is a lot of tension between the two neighbours, Jane has given her neighbours permission to put the hose on her cat. Lois > This lady wants any tips on how to keep her cat on her side of the fence - > I [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Lois Here are some sites that show a variety of methods to modify fences to keep cats in (or out) --- Design for do-it-yourself barrier to mount on top of fence (to keep cats in): http://www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/backyard.html Outdoor fence enclosure (several views): http://www.just4cats.com/ http://www.just4cats.com/post1.html http://www.just4cats.com/page7.html A guide to inexpensive do-it-yourself fencing: http://www.feralcat.com/fence.html Cat fence-in containment system: http://www.catfencein.com/ http://www.fabcats.org (includes an information sheet you can download) "Friendly Fence": web site says it is virtually invisible www.friendlyfence.com Other ideas for outdoor fencing for cats: http://www.just4cats.com/page7.html http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-worldenclosures.htm http://www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/backyard.html KittyKlips - addition to existing wood fence to prevent cats from climbing [note: but would not prevent cats on "other" side of fence from getting in]: http://kittyklips.com/details.htm MaryL > Here are some sites that show a variety of methods to modify fences to keep > cats in (or out) --- [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > MaryL Thanks Mary I will ask Jane if she has a computer, if so I will forward the web sites onto her. Lois > Here are some sites that show a variety of methods to modify fences to keep > cats in (or out) --- > > Design for do-it-yourself barrier to mount on top of fence (to keep cats > in): Here is the URL for my Yahoo photo album. Pictures of our enclosure are in the album marked Cat Furniture. http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tanadashoes/my_photos Pam S. >> Here are some sites that show a variety of methods to modify fences >> to keep cats in (or out) --- [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Pam S. Wow, Pam, I do x-stitch too. I have the *exact* same "friends make life purrfect" banner, it's in my mom's kitchen. I have tons of projects, more than I can do! It'll take me years! --? The ONE and ONLY lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)? email me at nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep "Magic Mood Jeep©" <nobody@nowhere.net> had some very interesting things to say about Re: Help desperately needed: >> Here is the URL for my Yahoo photo album. Pictures of our enclosure >> are in the album marked Cat Furniture. >> http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tanadashoes/my_photos >Wow, Pam, I do x-stitch too. I have the *exact* same "friends make life >purrfect" banner, it's in my mom's kitchen. I have tons of projects, more >than I can do! It'll take me years! I have that kit, along with a few zillion others :-). At 35, I think I've already achieved SABLE [Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy]. Interesting how many people in here or in alt.recovery.clutter do needlework [a fair percentage of ARC regulars have cats], how many people in the needlework group have cats and/or clutter problems, etc. Seems to be a cluster of traits. :-) Signature"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding. :-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL Magic Mood Jeep© wrote: > Wow, Pam, I do x-stitch too. I have the *exact* same "friends make life > purrfect" banner, it's in my mom's kitchen. I have tons of projects, more > than I can do! It'll take me years! LOL, that picture is hanging in a place of pride at the owner's TED's waiting room, along with another picture I stitched for them. I don't have a picture of it, but I adapted a kit so that each of the six kitties in the picture was a different shade. Rob picks on me about my stash, but I think I'd go nuts if I didn't have something constructive to do when sitting around. Pam S. who crosstitches and needlepoints a LOT of cat pictures >Rob picks on me about my stash, but I think I'd go nuts if I didn't have >something constructive to do when sitting around. > >Pam S. who crosstitches and needlepoints a LOT of cat pictures I used to love cross-stitch in the winter time. I haven't done it in a while, mostly because Biskit is a thread-chaser. I'd get too frustrated at her. Sherry > This morning I received a phone call from a woman who is desperately in need > of help, I did what I could do to try and solve her problem and then said I [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Lois Lois, I have this thoughts -- if the Siamese owner is willing to try it -- I'd suggest building an outside enclosure for Mr. Siamese, with a cat door so he could go in and out of the house but still be outside -- he'd be safe; he'd still get to go outside and sun but he wouldn't be able to harass Ms. Old Lady Kitty. Truly, this would be my ideal choice for my 5 kitties, too, and I'd planned to try and work something out along these lines this past summer but money was tight for me and it didn't happen yet. Maybe the gentleman who built Bev's cat house could come up with some ideas. My idea was more along the idea of a chain link fence enclosure idea although I know for a fact that there are plans for cat enclosures that you can build yourself online. I'll look and see if I bookmarked any of these sites and if so, I'll post them separately to this thread. I sincerely hope this may help your friend. Christine > This lady wants any tips on how to keep her cat on her side of the fence - I > did suggest leaving the hose sprinkler on (the 3yr old doesn't like water) [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Lois Here's what I did to kitty-proof our back yard. We had some gaps a few inches wide between the fince posts and the wall of the house - wide enough for little kittens to get through. I cut some pieces of 2x4 about 4 feet long, stuffed them into the gaps, and fastened them with nylon tie-wraps. I was at a loss as to how to prevent them from climbing over the top. I added a piece of plastic netting about 3 feet wide to the top of the fence, using PVC pipe and elbows so that the netting angled into the yard. That kept Cleo and Amelia from getting out, but Tabitha and Samuel had no problem going right over the netting. The solution I finally arrived at sounds a bit harsh, but it works. I went to Petco and bought a small-animal electric fence. It sends out a charge about once a second, and the charge is enough to sting but not injure. I know, I've touched it several times! Sammy and Tabitha both tried climbing the fence exactly twice after the fence went up. They both got up to the charged wire, touched it with a paw, got "bit", and dropped back to the ground. They learned quickly that the silver wire bites. That was over a year ago. I no longer have to even plug the fence in. The young ones remember their previous experiences, and don't even try to leave the yard now. I know that some folks will think an electric fence, even one specifically made for small animals, is excessively harsh. But I feel that it's a lot less harsh than denying them the outdoors that they love so much, or letting over the fence where they could get lost or killed. Dan > This lady wants any tips on how to keep her cat on her side of the fence - I > did suggest leaving the hose sprinkler on (the 3yr old doesn't like water) [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Thanks in advance. Can the lady have an enclosure built for the cat? Ours is 12 X 16 X 9 and has ramps, shelves, climbing posts, and observation areas to give them a varied outlook and yet keep them safe. The only problem we're currently having is that Speedy, the d-thing, thinks that he's suposed to free them from their confinement. He was caught digging under the edge of the fence; the only place he's tried to dig at in the yard. Said enclosure wasn't cheap ($500 US) but we used expensive storm treated lumber so that it would last longer, and sheep fencing, as it is tougher than regular fencing. Would an enclosure be an option? Other than that, I really have no ideas how she can keep peace between the neighbors, unless they do as someone else suggested and set up a mutually agreed upon schedule for letting each cat out. Pam S. > > This lady wants any tips on how to keep her cat on her side of the fence - I > > did suggest leaving the hose sprinkler on (the 3yr old doesn't like water) [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Pam S. Building a cat house is very expensive (even with Ted our own friendly money-saving builder). With us the shed was already there and all that had to be done was build a run out the front. I think this can be the answer. Remember that the victim cat is old and the chances are that this will not necessarily need to be a long term solution. Also I think the neighbours need to take responsibility too. You have to live with your neighbours for a long time!!!! When Deo terrorized B & C I talked over the situation with Deo's slave. She would keep Deo in sometimes which allowed the kitties a run in the back yard. They were in real danger as Deo could easily have killed them. There are heaps of ways to deter the Siamese and the people could do what we did. Always chase it when they see it, the hose trick, water gun etc. Siamese are smart and he will soon learn it is not welcome. They will need to keep the old fellow in more for his own safety. Old cats sleep a lot so that shouldn't be any problem. Cats will always mark their own territory - in our case it extends to about four houses down. I know that it is not always possible to let kitties out when there are predatory animals around but I let the gang out during the day as it is certainly the thing they enjoy most in life. I know there is risk involved, cars, dogs, being closed in garages (shudder) but humans take their chances in the big wide world - I don't think cats are any different. Life is for living!!! Bev SignatureThe email of the species is more deadly than the mail. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.