To flap, or not to flap...

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Mike-UK - 06 Feb 2005 11:22 GMT

It may or may not be time for a catflap.

I say no, and she say yes.

Here's the plot...

Catty is about 3-5yo, domestic, obviously a pet either
abandoned or suffered a loss. Came to us hungry and
skinny-looking, and adopted us PDQ. Now a fully established
member of the household. Vetted, healthy, and seems to be
sometimes torn between the thrill of the outdoors and the
comfort and safety of indoors. Indoors wins most times. ;)

I'm concerned that if we get one of those IDtag catflaps
(where only the correct collar gets through) then IF catty
either brings a pal back, or gets into a spitting argument
with another through the flap, then in they come, and
spraying commences, along with possible damage to catty if
its that big tom from down the road.

She says not to worry, and that cats are far too sensible to
generate this problem.

As he seems to be quite happy safe and warm in the house
(having spent possibly a year or so scavenging) and has been
snipped (vet checkup confirms, along with confirmed dental
work earlier in his life, so must have HAD a home before)
I'd rather just get him used to our routines and let him use
the tray in the backroom if he gets desperate through the
night (which he does use sometimes, being a fastidious
"little prince", but with a certain "distaste" for doing
this within the home at all).

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

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Gary Stone - 06 Feb 2005 14:45 GMT

Well, I thought about getting one of those and I'm still torn on the issue.
One, I hate to put a collar on a cat in a wilderness area like this. And
two, I'd hate to have to deal with the mice, chipmunks, shrews, moles,
rabbits, birds and anything else they could drag in to play with. They've
already snuck a mouse by me and played with it for 4 days before killing it.
I've got MS so I can't be chasing it and traps are out. All I could do was
put feed out in the middle of the basement floor to make it an easier target
for the cats. For some reason, they love that basement. On the plus side,
they could come and go as they please and would save wear and tear on the
sliding doors and there would be much less heat loss in winter. Not a
problem when heating with wood, but when heating with propane it's a bit
pricey. I am certain of one thing though, my thoughts on the issue have been
no help to you whatsoever. :-)

Stone

> It may or may not be time for a catflap.
>
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>
> Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

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Amy Gray - 06 Feb 2005 16:10 GMT

>Well, I thought about getting one of those and I'm still torn on the issue.
>One, I hate to put a collar on a cat in a wilderness area like this. And
>two, I'd hate to have to deal with the mice, chipmunks, shrews, moles,
>rabbits, birds and anything else they could drag in to play with. They've
>already snuck a mouse by me and played with it for 4 days before killing it.

It should be noted that one of my cats was batting around a mouse that
wondered into the house a number of years ago. I also had a
squirrel get into the house a number of years ago. (This is
a suburb of a large city).

>I've got MS so I can't be chasing it and traps are out. All I could do was
>put feed out in the middle of the basement floor to make it an easier target
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>pricey. I am certain of one thing though, my thoughts on the issue have been
>no help to you whatsoever. :-)

I tend to keep my cats out of the basement. They desperately want to
go down there, between the oil tank, the oil heat system, and capped
asbestos i'm nervous about letting the cats go down there.

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Amy Gray - 06 Feb 2005 16:05 GMT

>It may or may not be time for a catflap.

I genearally don't like cat flaps. The way I look at it
if a cat can get in so can a six year old kid. And around
here some of those six year olds carry guns and would just
as soon kill you as look at you.

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