Outside cats

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Curlytopp
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Outside cats

Post by Curlytopp »

We recently moved. My cat was an outside cat at our old house. We lived in a small town and were on the eedge of a small forest like area.
We have been at the new house for almost three months. Spring is here and my cat (Jazzy Girl) sits at the door meowing and wants to go outside. We moved to an area that is a little more city like. We have a fenced in back yard , but she is a cat and if she wants to get out she can. There are a lot of cats and dogs in the neighborhood. Dogs seem to be all chained or fenced but have seen a few cats in our yard.
My question is, should i let her out?
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Kay
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Re: Outside cats

Post by Kay »

it's hard on a cat to have her freedom taken away from her though living on a main road myself your worry is totally understandable

could you make your yard escape proof? it would keep your girl safe and stop other cats invading her space
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Janey
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Re: Outside cats

Post by Janey »

It will be upsetting her not being able to go out when she’s been used to that, I would imagine how I would feel if I could never go out again. I wouldn’t let my cat out on a road either. As Kay suggests, can you catproof the garden? you have to think of the best for her at the end of the day.
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MarySkater
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Re: Outside cats

Post by MarySkater »

If it's not practicable to catproof your whole garden, could you make part of it into an enclosure that she can use? That's what I did. I made a rectangle which uses the house wall (including kitchen door with cat flap) and the existing garden fence. I had to build two straight sides of netting fence, and stretch netting across the top. I have my rubbish bin and log store inside the enclosure, so I don't have to worry if the cats follow me out when I go to either of those.
Curlytopp
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Re: Outside cats

Post by Curlytopp »

well first ..I dont think that I can make the backyard inescapable. there is a wooden fence and trees that cross over to the other side of said fence. If I make an enclosure I feel that that is almost worse than keeping her inside. she can actually see and feel the outside but cannot do her exploring and hunting.
She isd fourteen years old and was always an outside cat from youth on. I suppose she will probably talk me into letting her out. Shes not all that interested when its cold and rainy, and we have had nothing but rubbish weather all spring. When it gets nicer out and I am outside I know she will ask..Thank you for the opinions
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