An indoor cat is a safe cat
Looking over the news about cats can be really depressing because a huge percentage of stories are about cats being hurt. There's apparently a certain segment of the population who truly, inexplicably enjoys hurting, torturing and killing cats, including a few sociopathic boys in Liverpool who recently found it so amusing to have their dog tear apart a little girl's cat that they took video of it on a cell phone while laughing. And as upset as I am about this behavior, I'm just as upset by owners who think it's OK to let their cats roam the neighborhood freely knowing that all manner of dangers lurk outside waiting for them. If this cat had been kept indoors it would still be alive. Period. End of story. And, no, I don't want to hear about how unfair you think it is to keep cats locked up inside. If you want to let your cat out, modify the fence in your backyard or build an enclosure so they can hang out there without getting loose or get a leash and take your cat for a walk. They even have cat strollers, for pity's sake! The point is outdoor cats, even if they avoid crazy people, have to avoid cars, dogs, coyotes, cat fights, gopher poison, and the list goes on.
We have rescued two strays from our neighborhood in the last two weeks alone. (The pictures here are of them.) Both of them were obviously indoor cats at some point then put outside. One of them was a neutered declawed adult and lucky to have survived an attack by a dog or coyote. (The vet bill was about $300!) We found him a good home, then turned around and found a lost or abandoned kitten. The bottom line is that indoor cats live about 15 years, while outdoor cats if they are lucky live about 5 years. You do the math, and tell me if your cat's worth keeping around longer. Oh, well, I'm probably preaching to the choir. I'll get off my soap box now.
posted by Jackie at 8:57 AM
40 Comments:
Couldn't agree with you more. Thanks, again, for reminding those cat parents who mistakenly believe it's ok to let their cats outside.
I'm about one of the biggest cat lovers as they come, I have 4 cats and 2 strays that I care for (and I mean, they really do live in cat heaven at my place).
I know dangers are everywhere, but that goes for humans too. I wouldn't want to be locked up inside a small house, so my cats can go out anytime they want too.
I would remind people of the quality of a cat's life. If it means for my cats to live a few years shorter because of the CHANCE of accidents, so be it. I believe it's worse for THEM to be kept locked up inside, as their nature is to roam the yard.
When I lived in center part of my city, I let my cats out only when I was there, and they kept close to me. Now, I live in a quiet part of town where I trust the neighbourhood enough to let them out unattended, and I've never regretted it. Opinions can be divided, but don't think it's uncaring to let cats outside. Keep an eye out if you dont trust outside, but let them do what nature wants them to do :)
Tigers in zoo's also live longer than in the wild. Doesn't mean they enjoy life in captivity though.
that's true aunt kitty i love cats and yours are the best behaved i have ever seen. Speasily around this time of year Halloweeen pepole think it's funny to spray paint cats, lite the on fire, thow them in the watter and other means stuff like that.
My cat lived to 19 1/2 and was let outside whenever she wanted to. The owner has to judge the area that they live in, and decide whether the risk is acceptable compared to the joy their cat will receive from being outside.
i love the picher and i agree with you.
I agree with you on keeping cats inside. However, I allow my cat outside escorted by me or my husband only during daylight hours and we stick with him. I had my heart broken twice, and I can't go through that again. When I had 3 cats, one time when a friend came over, one of them got out the door. It was dark outside. By the time I found him, 15 minutes later, he was dead.......run over with his head crushed in the middle of the street. Several years ago, before my cats became indoor cats, one of my Manx cats went out for his usual midday stroll. I never saw him again. We got him as a kitten and had him for 7 years. We live in a small community. He was wearing an ID collar and all our neighbors knew our cats. We have no idea what happened to him and that's almost worst than knowing.
A friend of mine got a Maine Coon kitten, which he allowed outside on his second story deck. I warned him repeatedly that one day the kitty would jump off. He didn't believe me. His kitten disappeared the day he was scheduled to go on a vacation to Hawaii. He cancelled his trip, looking everywhere for the kitty. He found her the next day in a daze, with black marks on her face and a bloody ear. The vet said the kitten had climbed into the motor of a car and when the person started it, the fan belt caught her. My friend was very fortunate that his cat survived, but she suffered some neurological damage and was never the same after that.
If some little kid or an ignorant adult just pulls your cat's tail, it can cause severe problems, like incontinence, neurological damage, or the need for an amputation. There's far too many dangers from people, chemicals, cars, and other animals to let cats outside unsupervised. I would feel comfortable letting my cat out in my yard, if I had a cat fence in system, but not to roam freely.
KQ
(I've been nicknamed Kitty Queen)
I beg everyone to please not let your cats roam outside. I've always allowed my cats access to the outdoors during the day, thinking that it was safe. My heart is now broken, the love of my life is gone. Her fate is unknown, which makes it more horrible. I will never allow my cats to roam outside again. I learned the hard way, please do not do the same. No matter where you live it is not safe!
They are known as "housecats" for a reason.Keep them inside.They certainly aren't welcome on my property,making incredibly smelly messes,digging up my garden and slaughtering wild birds.(No,people:
it's not "nature"-housecats evolved in Egypt and our native wildlife is not adapted to their presence here.Several billion songbirds die annually for the sake of "outside cats" sport.
Amen
I agree with the post , i only get my cats outisde when im THERE and with a cord . I know there many kittens has died and cats around ehre because of young teen kill em by pulling off their skin , is bad to make ur cat outside seriously even if he likes it , at least stay with him .
My husband and I have been volunteers with local shelters for many years and we foster and rescue cats/kittens. We also trap, spay/neuter and release cats in feral colonies (some we find homes for). I HAVE seen the ugly side of what people are capable of. For those of you who think your cat has a better quality of life because you let it outside and make comments like "if it's life is shorter, so be it", obviously don't give a rat's a** in a rainstorm about your cat. Evidently you don't care if it gets tortured, mauled, set on fire or taken to the local pound, or sold to laboratories or you would never let it outside. Have you ever been to a local shelter and looked into the eyes of a cat that had been set on fire? Seen the pain, confusion and fear in their eyes? If you had, you would NEVER risk exposing your cat(s) to this. So, I will say again, DON'T LET YOUR CATS OUTSIDE. If you care about them one iota, you will keep them inside always. Mine are very healthy and happy and get plenty of fresh air when I open the windows. They have us to play with and to make sure their lives are full and happy. It is our responsibility to keep this animal safe when we took them into our home. If you don’t want that responsibility, get a goldfish.
Bravo to whoever wrote the last comment. I couldn't have said it better.
Here's an update to the adult male cat we rescued. He was was "adopted" by one of our neighbors, but we're a bit suspicious that the cat was originally her outdoor cat since we've since seen other cats hanging out by her front door. He also showed up one day at our place looking for some love weeks after his adoption. We haven't seen him since. We're hoping that he'd just gotten outside temporarily and is an indoor cat, as she promised he'd be. But our fear is that she didn't learn her lesson when he was almost eaten by a coyote and something bad's happened to him because she let him run loose in the neighborhood.
It was me :) who wrote the previous comment, thanks :) We just recently built a bigger house so our cats would have more room to run around and play. I sure hope nothing happened to that cute kitty; however, I have learned that some people will tell you one thing "oh, sure, we will keep him inside" and immediately do the opposite. If you see him again, I would just take him and find him a home somewhere else. I stole a neighbor's cat a couple of years ago. I didn't like the fact that he was outside always and just a baby so, one day, I just took him. Come to find out he was limping because one of her hoodlum children had kicked him so hard, they shattered his leg. Good thing they had already been evicted from the house or I would have taken care of her "child" ;)
I totaly agree with you,we have had two cats now for 3 years and they are indoor cats,I wouldn't dream of letting them outside unless they are supervised,they are like children,they have to be watched or who knows what will become of them.
i didnt really like cats but my friend gave me one and now i like this cat but i am in college right now and when i go home i cant talk the cat because my moms hates animals i have a maine coon cat, and i heard they are half wild, so i am going to let him go in the wild, he deserves it, would u liked to be locked in a litle apartment your whole life.
OMG, are you totally insane? Maine Coons are NOT wild cats, they are DOMESTIC cats. If you DUMP that poor cat "in the wild", you are consigning it to a horrible death. SHAME ON YOU! There are Maine Coon rescue groups in every city. I suggest picking up the phone and calling one. This kind of ignorance just makes me furious :(
I strongly disagree with those of you that believe that cats should be kept indoors only.
My cat is a rescue cat and loves being outside and equally inside, but is given a choice. I used to really worry about her being out when we first got her, but she has the intelligence and quick response to not walk out in front of a car or go towards strangers. And perhaps you should work harder on stopping the idiots that drive insanely fast rather then stopping you cat from having the options of being outdoors.
There are more cars on the road in the day, so for the lady that escorts her cat outside, she would probably be better off letting the cat out in the night and then she can do her own things in the day and in the night aswell, without having to chaperone her cat.
Surely it has to be remembered that although I love my cat, she is still a wild animal and they are not ‘normally’ bred to be kept indoors, with no fascinating creatures and places to explore.
And to the lady that works in a shelter and thinks that this means I don’t give a 'rat's a**', I would be mortified if you found my cat because I love her dearly and all I want is for her to be happy and if that involves her walking outside, without me, like a mad women following her around, then so be it. Doesn’t that kind of behaviour class as 'smothering' or 'overprotective'? Perhaps ' Neurotic?!!
CATS ARE NOT WILD ANIMALS, THEY ARE DOMESTIC ANIMALS. Talk about ignorant. Glad you "love" you cat so much that you are willing to let it get hit by a car, killed by a dog, tortured by some sick kid or adult that gets their kicks from hurting animals. Good for you. As for me, my cats stay inside only and I open the windows so they get plenty of fresh air, they don't have fleas, roundworms, hookworms, heartworms, coccidia, or giardia.
Oh Please! I have NEVER heard such piffle! Where on earth do you live? I can totally understand why you keep your cat indoors and my recent comments are obviously due to the fact I live in an area where people drive slowly, the dogs are on leads, the adults and kids are disciplined and don’t get their ‘kicks’ from hurting animals. And the fleas, roundworms, hookworms, heartworms, coccidian and giardia – well, what can I say…….you know your cat diseases – very good!
Finally, as for your ‘CATS ARE NOT WILD ANIMAL…..bla bla’, I last wrote ‘My cat is a rescue cat’ and she is infact a feral cat that was born in the wild and was found by a farmer. Not Wild? She grew up in the wild! Perhaps read EVERYTHING as apposed to writing responses in anger with only half the information.
Am I supposed to feel intimidated by your rant? Sorry, don't! I have been rescuing animals for many years, including at a shelter, so I speak from personal experience and you speak from what? Owning ONE FERAL cat? Well, when you have rescued thousands of cats, them come talk to me. Until then, I stand by my statement, cats DO NOT belong outdoors and they are not WILD ANIMALS. Also, "feral" does not mean it is a wild animal, it means that it does not know human contact and has not been in a domestic environment. Cats are DOMESTIC ANIMALS, hence, the name "domestic cat", not lions, panthers, or tigers. Do whatever you want with your cat; however, those of us in animal rescue will NOT adopt out a cat to a home that lets them go outside. Nuff said.
cats should be free to live they way they choose to - no one forces my cat to go outside - she chooses to do so and some days is quite happy staying in snoozing the day away - while other days she goes off all day having fun! if you were a true pet lover you would do the same instead of forcing your cat to stay in just to suit your own needs and thoughts. It is a cruel world but a human could be knocked down or attacked by another - thats life - you cant stop animals doing things because of what 'might' happen its a very sad way to live a life.
Well aren’t we the Florence Nightinggale of the cat world! So in retrospect are you saying that in order to know what you’re talking about, in order to be a true ‘cat lover’, in order to provide your cat with all it needs, you have to have rescued more than one cat!! You need to push your views on the ‘inside/outside’ debate, without having seen my cat or have any knowledge about me? And who on earth do you speak on behalf of?! The rest of the rescuers?! Well, I am a cat rescuer and I don’t agree with you. And to add to my utter despair that you are in fact the ignorant one here are some ‘non pushy’ facts on why your cat should go outside – so people have a choice when making a decision:
1. Your cat should have access to nature and can keep itself much more occupied than if it is just shut inside all day. Cats derive much pleasure from exploring outside, and outdoor cats are less prone to obesity because they get more exercise and they are less likely than indoor cats to eat out of boredom--indoor cats need a lot of play and stimulation to prevent them from becoming neurotic or bored.
2.Myth: Indoor cats cannot get diseases.
Fact: Cats still are exposed to organisms that are carried through the air or brought in on a cat owner's shoes or clothing. Even the most housebound cat ventures outdoors at some time and can be exposed to diseases and worms through contact with other animals feces.
3. The outdoors is an appropriate environment for a cat to exhibit behaviours such as scratching and spraying to mark territory. If your cat exhibits the same behaviours indoors, they become problems that must be solved to maintain a happy and lovable household.
4.If you adopted a stray or feral cat (one that has never lived with humans), he may be more insistent about continuing to go outside than a cat that has always lived indoors. A stray or feral cat may be more likely to make your life miserable or cause you to reach new heights of creativity to keep him content indoors.
oh my word..... the person who keeps the cats indoors, doesnt let the cats live - talk about cruelty to animals ... think this person should give shabbaz a call from big brother- think they would be ideal friends
Well I guess little Ms. I Am Right just had to get the last word in. Well BRAVO, good for you. I guess we should all let our cats outside now because YOU have spoken. You can do whatever you want with your cats. Mine are staying inside. Hmmm, makes you wonder how horrible my in-laws' cat's life was because she lived to be 23 years old and, well, the neighbor's cat lived to be 3 months old because it got HIT BY A CAR. I guess everyone where you live just LOVES animals and would never think of hurting one. However, in Texas animal cruelty is a big problem, so say what you will but my cats are safer inside than they are outside.
A person can defend themselves against someone wishing to harm them if they are outside. How in the h*ll do you expect an 8 pound cat to defend itself from a 200 pound man who is intent on hurting it? Evidently, none of you people watch the news or there is no animal cruelty in your state. However, here is plenty to go around here. Also, it is against deed restrictions and leash laws to allow your cats to roam. If a cat is caught outside, they can be picked up by animal control and taken to the pound as a stray. Nice way to treat an animal you say you care for.
Too bad I don't have a picture of the cat I removed from a fence once, one of its back legs caught and horribly mangled from trying to fight its way out of the fence - or the kitten that broke its pelvis when it was climbing in a bush and was caught in a couple of branches. Or the feral I scraped up off the street in front of my house a few weeks ago. Not to mention the cats that have gone missing entirely, two of mine and one belonging to neighbor, all of which we both believe went into another neighbor's yard and tangled with his dog.
i live in the united kingdom, the area in which i live is surrounded by fields and trees, my cats love the outdoors, we dont have coyotes etc. in this country, if i lived in an area i knew to be dangerous to my cats they would not go out, even though it is safe and the only other animals they meet while out are hedgehogs, cats, birds and mice etc i only allow them to go out in daylight supervised by me, they are very happy cats and never go far even when outside, i believe cats should be able to enjoy freedom of outdoors, but need to be supervised at all times, especially if they live in an area where there are dangerous animals or busy roads. I love my cats so much, i couldnt risk losing them!
I have a dear friend who lives in the UK and she said it was very strange for her to live in the US and have to keep her cats indoors because there they are safe. Unfortunately, in the US and specifically, in the South, there are horrible horrible people who torture cats, predators, disease, etc. Unfortunately, they can't be allowed to roam about. I know many people who have built safe enclosures in their backyards and this is what we plan to do once we get our deck built. That way, they get the best of both worlds, safely living inside, but being able to go outside and not have to fear owls, hawks, cars, people, dogs :)
I think cats should be kept indoors. I've had several cats that I didn't get fixed, they got out and disappeared. I never knew what happenend. Now I get my cats fixed and they never even try to get out. They are happy, get plenty of exercise by playing with each other and running through the house. None of them are fat or unhappy.
For people out there that dislike cats outside because they kill millions of birds, you are mistaken. The only reason there are wild cats/outside cats is because of human mistakes. it is our faults and we should not blame a cat who is just trying to find its next meal. yes i believe everyone should keep there cats indoors but the fact is that there will always be someone letting there cats out or some wild cat roaming the neighborhood, maybe the wild birds should get a clue and adapt to their new environment that humans(again) made for them. Wild birds should adapt to like every other situation they adapt to because it is nature.
I would like to add, that if you have an indoor cat, please be sure they wear a tag and collar, and have a microchip.
A month ago, our dearly loved Galen (aka "Buddha") escaped from our house without anyone seeing him get out. He has a microchip, but was not wearing a tag or collar. We have not seen him since.
We are sadder and wiser now, and our other three cats have collars, and will soon have tags as soon as they arrive. Two of the three will be going in soon to be microchipped.
PLEASE think of your beloved pet and give them a fighting chance to come home to you if they should escape outside, as Galen did. We may never forgive ourselves for our carelessness.
Hi,
I am very allergic to cats so I never thought to have one,until one day,our cat,Millington adopted us. We were camping,had a dog and you couldn't keep him away from us. He was about 8 months old when he found us. He brought joy to our life,but camping we could not get him to come in. After moving into our house, we kept him inside,bought a kitty condo,and many other cat contraptions. I did everything I could do to keep this cat happy. He was fine during the day and slept most of the time. At night he would scratch the metal mini blinds, meow at the top of his lungs and keep us all up all night. It got to the point that we knew, he was not happy inside at night. We let him out and there began a routine. Our family talked about it and we all decided that this is the only choice for us. He was happy going out and we had to leave the situation to fate. After all, it was fate that brought us together. He would come back in the early morning when we got up. At times we tried to keep him in at night,,,he would go room to room to wake each person to let him out. So we had to continue to let him out at night.
We moved to a new home and the same thing happened, I kept him in for a couple of weeks,then once he was comfortable the craziness began at night, we all couldn't sleep. He had to go out. Well, he lasted 6 weeks in our new home and one morning he didn't show up at the door as usual. In my heart I knew something was wrong. He never went in the road before but we did find him in the road right outside the front of our house,he was dead. He was fully intact,not crushed anywhere,it looked like he was hit. He must have been venturing out or who knows what happened. It is very quiet at night here. That was only a week and a half ago. It is very sad but I know that there was no way this cat was going to be happy inside. I read all the posts here and I understand all your thoughts. I look at this as a gift that we had for a while, we can not always control the personalities of these cats and we all must make personal choices for what is best at the time.
Hope I don't get blasted because I never thought I would have a cat in the first place so I feel blessed to have had this special one in our families life.
Nobody has the right to speculate and stereotype other cat owners.
For the people who keep their cats indoors, it is for the owner of the cat to decide. I'm from the uk and it is normal for cats to be let out.
We do not have gangs of "kids" torturing cats, I'm not saying it doesn't happen, just very rare.
I have owned 6 cats in my life, all were allowed out, none went missing or died outside.
But i do live in the country, but if i did live in the city or near a busy road i would not own a cat.
Cats who are kept indoors are more likely to experience anxiety and behavioral problems. Particularly if its just one cat, not so bad if two or more live together.
Their is a growing trend in the UK that vets are giving anti-depression tablets to cats kept in doors because they do not have enough stimulation.
Now I am not saying all cats indoors suffer from anxiety and behavioral problems, if your cat is your life and you are able to offer him/her the time to keep them stimulated then great!
But I have found this is not the case in many cats who live indoors. This is typical for someone who goes to work and leaves their cat alone for 8-10 hours.
So to summarise, if you live in a what can be perceived as a safe outdoor environment for a cat (no wild animals, no busy roads, few neighbours etc) then their is nothing wrong with letting a cat outside.
If you want to get a cat and keep them indoors then I think it is fine as long as you are able to give them the time and devotion. If they are to be left for long times of the day then this may not be the best option.
If you live in a busy area with many dangers for a cat, and you are away from home alot then don't get a cat.
All my opinions are based on my own cats, and practising as a Animal Behaviourist for the past 11 years.
"Oh, let the moggy CHOOSE if it wants to go outside alone and unsupervised".
Would you let an autistic person, or one otherwise UNAWARE of any dangers roam "as they please"?
Cats may be "cunning hunters", and that has a place, but they are blissfully UNAWARE of their environment on the streets.
I kept 3 cats in a one bedroom apartment, 2 were found outside as tiny kittens, lost and injured. They were TERRIFIED of the door, as well of strangers. The 3rd was never an outdoor cat, from birth, but he would walk on a leash outside. Except he really didn't seem overly excited by it. My 3 cats lived long healthy and happy lives, and did not act deprived in any way. Oh, and they NEVER had fleas or the worms that can go along with that. And the litter box never smelled. The only cleanup I had was the big longhaired boy's hairballs. They all refused to eat the cat grass, but were the healthiest cats around!
Believe me, if a total of 45 pounds of cat came at me with a demand to go outside, I would have been hard pressed to prevent them from leaving. I could leave the door open, and one would run away, one would look at it then go back to playing, and the 3rd would saunter over, sniff, and then plop down happily in a sunbeam.
My friend lived in a much more rural area of our large city, and kept her 5-7 cats as indoor outdoor. Every week she would tell me of some piece of animal that was 'lovingly' gifted to them, including rare birds and lizards. 1 of the cats was struck by a car right in front of their house, and one disappeared with no trace. She now lives on a busy busy street and keeps all the remaining cats inside. They cried at first, but now are quite content indoors.
If cats could have discernment to stay away from things like traffic, sick animals, dogs, coyotes, skunks, roving gangs of nutters, endangered species, fleas, ticks, car engines, antifreeze puddles, traps and enclosed places, well, first off, would we love them as much? Would they even WANT to be with humans?
I know none of our responses will really change anyone's mind on the subject, but hopefully a new pet owner may learn enough to make their own decision.
Well last sunday and today I brought a family of beautiful cats ,parents and 2 children to place in a good hme,their owners moved and couldn't keep them.The pound put down 12 cats in the past two wks.Plus 2 lovely black/white cats brothers their senior owner developed an allergy and Dr ordered cats out yes here they also came to us to avoid death. The adults are all fixed with shots ,next week the mother of kittens will be spayed and given shots sponsored by an agency.
We are trying to find homes for 9 cats and 1 dog. All their stories are heartbreaking
We buy all their food,monthly flea meds., toys , treats , litter although we are contemplating purchasing a catgenie.com ,its like a real toilet,no litter,no handling business[safer-healthier],liquifies everything and it godirectly into toilet directly or washed drain!A Godsent!
Well no bites yet at church hopefully a couple of calls.An ad in the paper is so chancy ,those snake lovers feed kittens & bunnies to them,so I would definitely have to check them out.I try to make sure they'll keep them inside ?!I provide sites to go to on how to care for them and agencies to help with vet. costs .We are so lucky a vet. medical van goes to all pounds ,parks outside and provides spay/neutering for only $65- including rabies & distemper shots also shot for ear mites if needed ,a deal for sure.
But now we are in a dilemma we need to find new housing . Not because of cats.When renting your never sure of really having a roof over your head. Owning is best !
So if anyone knows of a decent house semi-rural/rural on a lake [our dream-hm] I can buy please contact us. It would have to be owner financed ,simple loan,no amortization and a very modest price and in good condition can't afford to rehab. We would very much appreciate it !!I am 60yr,disabled,
arthritis, degenerative joint disease and my legal daughter [biological granddaughter ,I adopted,my son her Dad was murdered yrs ago].
Well the whole crew would appreciate having a home of our own 2 dogs and 11 cats ,2 kittens,some still need to be placed in loving ,caring homes!! One dog is ours and 5 cats!! We try to make a difference ,as all of you fellow animal lovers do also!! Together we can make a difference!!
Marilyn
msheldon2@comcast.net
my cat is very happy insekde, in fact he has never tried to get out. I think after you have your cat fixed it settles them down (only my opinion) my cat has lots of toys and he plays all the time and gets plenty of excercise. I live in a apartment building also so that would be tough for him to go in and out. If I had my own home who knows, maybe build a high fense so he couldn't go in the road. My boyfriend found a dead cat in the street last week(I was so sad) I hate seeing that) he even picked him up and put him in a box and buried him (otherwise he most likely would have stayed in the road ) It's a tough world out there! Cats are very curious and bad things can happen out there. My "Bootsie" is very happy and I love him as if he were my child. Pets are part of the family and I can only hope he will live a long and happy life. So all of you do what you think makes your cat happy! Some pets will be indoor cats and some indoor and outdoor cats. I hope nothing bad every happens to any cats when they do venture outside. At night here I have seen 2 huge racoons, actually I saw one of the racoons eating cat food with some of the neighborhood cats. I guess the animals can become friend and they can also fight so I hope they become friend. I hate to see animals fight no matter what kind of animals they are! God bless all of you and your cats! They are so precious! Just give them all the love that you can, that 's what I do!!!!
According to the Audubon Society, human sprawl and development are responsible for the decline of the song bird population in the last 100 years. We are the ones destroying and chopping up what is left of the wilderness, which makes humans the ones to blame for songbird deaths, not housecats.
I got my cat "Bootsie" next door at a abandoned house. (he was a stray) He was about 2 or 3 months when my boyfriend caught him. There are at least 10 cats over there now. At the time we got bootsie he was the only one (coincidence ,I think not)We were meantr to have bootsie! Anyway, I try to feed these cats as much as I can as well as a man who has been feeding the stray cats for a few years now.I wish they could all have a home, they are all so beautiful! Does anyone have any ideas about what I can do for them or who to call about the cats? Maybe they are better off there, they are fed pretty good! I spend at leastr $10 to $15 a week feeding them and the other man comes usually twice a week and put food out too. That is all I can do for them, as long as I live here they will never starve!
I had a scare this weekend. Mt cat Bootsie got sick and had to be hospitalized for over 24 hours. He is an indoor cat so we have no clue how he got sick. He had a 104.9 temperature. It cost $663 for our bootsie to get better. He is on antibiodics for 10 days at home. Those 24 hours plus that he wasn't home were the longest 24 hours of my life. He was hooked up to an IV and a catheter and he was scared. He is home now and he is getting better each day! Thank God! I believe hand washing is very important . We never know what we could give to our pets. Also no smoking in the house. If you are a smoker do it outside away from your pet. I am a smoker and I am trying to quit. I will do whatever it takes to keep my bootsie healthy and safe! I know you pet lovers know exactly how I feel. I can tell someone who doesn't have pets, because when I told someone how much it cost for Bootsie ($663) this person was like I wouldn't of paid that for a pet. I told this person don't get a pet because they are people too and have personalities and you will get attached to your pet. My cat is like my child!
My cat is an inddor cat and he got very sick and had to be hospitalized for 28 hours. He had a temp of 104.9. Also the vet told me it would cost $663 and then 2 days later I get another bill (after paying the $663) for $263 more. I was never told about that and I was told the $663 was the total. The night we picked out cat up no bill was given to us nor was anything mentioned to us. So please be careful when you go to the vet and make sure you ask all the questions you need to about the total cost. Can you believe the total for a 28 hour stay with all the bloodwork and etc... things that had to be done the cost is $926. Holy crap. I don't have the $263, it took everything that I had to pay the $663. I love my cat more than anything in this world, but because your cat is a inside cat just know your cat can get sick.
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