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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / April 2004Training a cat n=to be afraid of cars
Hi guys, Well I am a senior poster on usenet and I know this post may cause some arguments but pls understand that I have no option but to resort to this. My QT got run over 5 yrs ago. My cats are indoor since and I have written many posts and have many arguments in cat newsgroups as to why cats should be indoor cats. So that is to clear what I am about. However I rescued a cat (Sparky) from someone few months ago and my neighbors adopted him. For one reason or the other he has been staying with me and is due to go there any day now. My neighbors are wonderful people who adore their cats, and have helped and took in many cats over the last 30 years. Their current 4 cats are outdoor and have a cat flap. For Sparkie to be indoor only will be impossible. We tried, keeping the cat flap locked, but Barney(the biggest one) headbutted it so much not being used to locked cat flap, that he eventually broke it. So that's not gonna work. I can;t keep Sparkie, so the only other option is for me to train him how to NOT go on the road, or run like hell when he sees the car. I wondered if anybody has done similar training. I know that Guide Dogs get training like this but cannot remember how it's done. Please if you have any ideas of how to train him, or any web links let me know. And please refrain from hate/argumentative posts, I wish I could keep him, or keep him indoors, but it's simply impossible. So I just wanna do my best for the little one. He is about a year old and a sweetheart. Thanks Gee > And please refrain from hate/argumentative posts, I wish I could keep him, > or keep him indoors, but it's simply impossible. So I just wanna do my best > for the little one. He is about a year old and a sweetheart. There is no 100% way to keep him out of the road if he is allowed outside. Some cats are naturally wary of cars and others are oblivious. Since he was an indoor cat, he will probably have a healthy fear of cars to begin with. Probably. (note: guide dogs, as mentioned, are not *afraid* of cars. They are trained to notice the cars and to keep their handlers from walking in front of moving vehicles. Dogs are trained much differently than cats, and the technique I know of certainly wouldn't do much for the cat. In fact, smart as they are, not all dogs can do guide work. Much less cats.) No training is 100%. If the animal is distracted enough, it will forget the training and chase things, run from dogs/aggressors, or whatever. If he gets hit and lives, he probably won't go back in the road, though. Probably. Want to do your best for him? Find him a different home not so close to a road. Or better, one that will keep him safe inside the home. If you're in the UK, find someone with an enclosed garden or cat-proofed fencing for outdoor meanderings. (I know the UKers tend to really, really want their cats to go out.)  Signature-- ~kaeli~ The more ridiculous a belief system, the higher probability of its success. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace > > And please refrain from hate/argumentative posts, I wish I could keep him, > > or keep him indoors, but it's simply impossible. So I just wanna do my best [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Want to do your best for him? Find him a different home not so close to > a road. I tried finding him a home. The only people who were happy to take him were my neighbours. And they are fab with cats, so I know they will love him as much as I do. >Or better, one that will keep him safe inside the home. If > you're in the UK, find someone with an enclosed garden or cat-proofed > fencing for outdoor meanderings. Couldn't. Most people I know have outdoor cats, and are in London, so not being close to the road is not easy. (I know the UKers tend to really, really want their cats to go out.) Yeah we are in UK, and me and my indoor cats with harnesses and leash walkies are very rare. Only today some woman passed by me and Sparkie on a leash and stated "now I have seen everything" ARGH! People here do tend to consider outgoing cats a normality. Garden fancing is pretty much non existant, as well as garden cat-runs. Sadly. Gee <snip> > I rescued a cat (Sparky) from someone few months ago and my neighbors > adopted him. For one reason or the other he has been staying with me and is [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > or keep him indoors, but it's simply impossible. So I just wanna do my best > for the little one. He is about a year old and a sweetheart. OK, what I don't understand is, WHY is adopting Sparkie to this indoor/outdoor home the only option? I could kind of understand your post if you took in Sparkie and he was already an indoor/outdoor cat, and you were having a hard time keeping him in. Why take an already happy-to-be-inside cat and turn him into an indoor/outdoor cat? Can't you find an indoor-only home for this guy? If you need help, contact an animal rescue league. Are you anywhere near Southern New Hampshire? If so, I can help you out. Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net Check out www.snittens.com "KellyH" <Kelly@whatever.com> wrote in message news:54wjc.51339 > OK, what I don't understand is, WHY is adopting Sparkie to this > indoor/outdoor home the only option? I could kind of understand your post > if you took in Sparkie and he was already an indoor/outdoor cat, and you > were having a hard time keeping him in. Why take an already > happy-to-be-inside cat and turn him into an indoor/outdoor cat? Cos new owners have outdoor cats. > Can't you find an indoor-only home for this guy? I tried, but had no luck. These are the only people who wanted him, and they are absolutely fab with cats, so he cannot find better humans. <<Are you anywhere near Southern New Hampshire? No, I'm in London Gee < -Kelly There is no way to train a cat out of the instinctive need to run when pursued, which is how most cats are killed by cars. There are worse things than death, for cats. Being run over by a car is one of them; others include dying of an infection from a wound inflicted by another animal (really painful), being killed by another animal (really really painful), dying of an incurable disease (maybe not so painful, but also not as likely as the painful outcomes), being killed by people who like torturing cats (beyond painful), taken into a lab as a test animal (you get the idea). You *do* have other options, you just aren't willing to do the work to make them happen, and Sparkie is the one who will pay for your laziness -- M9 > Hi guys, > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > Thanks > Gee > There is no way to train a cat out of the instinctive need to run when > pursued, which is how most cats are killed by cars. There are worse things [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > *do* have other options, you just aren't willing to do the work to make them > happen, and Sparkie is the one who will pay for your laziness -- M9 M9, your post is patronizing, unhelpfull and displays you NOT understanding what I am talking about. I have asked specifically for people like you to refrain from hate mails and argumentative posts, as I have clearly stated and explaned all the why's where's and when's. So what did you think you will accomplish by telling me not only stuff I laready (CLEARLY) know (read again my introductory statement) , but also offering abusive end comment! Finally telling me I DO have other options, but not stating which???!!!! So please if you wanna help, help, cos trust me, with this kind of posts, you will get nowhere and gain nothing. And nor will I. I asked for help, not for your abuse. Thank you. Gee I understand your being irritated by my post -- it was a bit over the top, as I shot it off before giving myself a chance to think. My apologies. In a perfect world, all cats would live indoors. However, given that many still live outdoors, perhaps it's best to accept that reality and try to make life better for those that do live outdoors. If I could give one suggestion to Sparky's new owners, it would be to keep him inside at night, as this is when most car accidents tend to happen, due to low visibility and cats being more rambunctious at night (hunting, etc.). I'm afraid there really isn't a way to train cats not to run after things or flee when chased, as I said before, so probably the best thing to do would be to limit their access to the roadway as much as possible at the most dangerous times (night time, rush hour, etc.). I should also mention that it's not difficult to build an outdoor cat run for a nightime "lockdown" for Sparky and his buddies -- essentially it's an extra-strong screened porch. My cats spend whole days happily in mine, and if built correctly they can hold even the most inveterate jailbreaker. In fact, someone posted here recently with some good links to website showing examples, and I bookmarked a few: http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-worldenclosures.htm http://www.just4cats.com/index.html http://www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/backyard.html I dearly hope Sparky lives a long, happy and healthy life. M9 > I understand your being irritated by my post -- it was a bit over the top, > as I shot it off before giving myself a chance to think. My apologies. Thank you for the apology, I certainly accept it. > In a perfect world, all cats would live indoors. However, given that many > still live outdoors, perhaps it's best to accept that reality and try to > make life better for those that do live outdoors. That is so true. I with I could take in every animal I come across. I'd probably have a house full of not only cats, but foxes, birds, even worms :) But when love is bound by money, laws and other people around, one just has to settle to 4 cats household with an additional "guest" cat (Sparkie). So yeah, one does what one can. Life is certainly not fair. > If I could give one suggestion to Sparky's new owners, it would be to keep > him inside at night, as this is when most car accidents tend to happen, due [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > be to limit their access to the roadway as much as possible at the most > dangerous times (night time, rush hour, etc.). I will pass this on to my neighbours, hopefully they will understand and do it, cos they never had to so far. Most of their cats moved themselves in, and were mostly local strays she was feeding, so already streetwise and eager for home, rather then great outdoors. > http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-worldenclosures.htm > http://www.just4cats.com/index.html > http://www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/backyard.html Fab links, I'd love to build soemthing like that. I bookmarked them as well, thanks. The only problem is that we both have communal gardens so we will not be able to do it :~( > I dearly hope Sparky lives a long, happy and healthy life. Thank you, I certanly hope that too. I think the reason he is still with me, is partly cos I am scared to let him go as I grew to love him so much. But I know I have to eventually cos my neighbours are growing a bit intollerant of my excuses :) I just wanna do what I can. Gee > M9 > Hi guys, > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > Thanks > Gee I don't have a lot of ideas on this. If a road was just outside I would not let a cat roam free. One thing that may help is a bright collar with tag, as I believe people are more careful when they see a collar on an animal. Adam "Adam Helberg" <sendspamhere@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:jdSjc.13165 > I don't have a lot of ideas on this. If a road was just outside I would not let a cat roam > free. One thing that may help is a bright collar with tag, as I believe people are more > careful when they see a collar on an animal. > > Adam Thanks Adam. Yeah we bought him a reflective collar straight away. With bells to scare off birds :) Gee I sent an email but did not notice you spooked your address. The latest word in cat "training" appears to be clicker training. Karen Pryor wrote a book on this, Clicker Training Your Cat. She has a web site, clickertraining.com. Wendy Jeffries has a Yahoo Group on training cats with clickers. If you are serious about training, then why not talk to the professionals who train cats, big ones like tigers and little pussy cats. There may not be any solution but that would seem a logical place to start for serious questions - the professionals. They know how to train dogs not to chase cats, so maybe they know how to train cats to be wary of cars. In a hunting situation, that may not be possible. But it's worth a try. A clicker is only $2 USD and easy to operate. That and some food and you are on your way. It's also good for entertaining a cat and perhaps, and this is extremely important, giving the cat something else to do, namely learning tricks, like enjoying a harness. "Tree Line" <treeline12345@yahoo.com> wrote in message > The latest word in cat "training" appears to be clicker training. A clicker is only $2 USD < and easy to operate. That and some food and you are on your way. It's also good > for entertaining a cat and perhaps, and this is extremely important, > giving the cat something else to do, namely learning tricks, like enjoying a harness. These are great ideas and I will certainly explore that site, and see what I can do. Oh BTW, Sparkie is already used to the harness and leash, he is completely happy with it, although of course he'd want to go further then leash gives him, and I have 6 meter dog leashes :) It was so funny, when I put it on him first time, he just lie down and didn;t dare move. If it wasn;t for his curiousity and watching other 4 on a leash, he may have still be just sitting around :) Thanks again Gee
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