missing cat

I'm sorry about you're not being able to find your kitty, I will pray that he
turns up.

But PLEASE DONOT allow your cats to roam outdoors (unless you put them on a
"cat harness") and "walk them", or let them wander around outdoors W/YOU!

This is the very reason why I will NEVER condone cats being "let out"to wander
alone. Too many times I have picked up dead cats whose owners claimed "my cat
is so street savvy,he/she would NEVER go near traffic, other people etc".
Meanwhile their cats WERE found dead from either a "hit & run", cruel people,
or were killed by another animal! I want to keep my cats for as long as
possible, I want them to lead a happy, & healthy & joy filled life W/me! My
cats are my CHILDREN! If I had a (human) 2 year old child, I wouldn't allow her
to "wander" around on her own, and "HOPE" that she will return home ok! Please
take this to heart, and I really don't mean to come down on any of you cat
people out there, but PLEASE keep your cats indoors, (or at least if you must
let them out, make sure they are SAFE, go w/them, or keep them attached to a
leash/harness, and BE w/them). Better you be "safe" with their precious lives
now, then "crying" over them later!

(Tailwags1988) wrote in message ...
I'm sorry about you're not being able to find your kitty, I will pray that he
turns up.
But PLEASE DONOT allow your cats to roam outdoors (unless you put them on a
"cat harness") and "walk them", or let them wander around outdoors W/YOU!
This is the very reason why I will NEVER condone cats being "let out"to wander
alone. ...

This cat hated to be confined indoors, as he had to be during most of the time
of his first year and a half, when I lived in the city (Atlanta). During that
time I would take him and my other cat, who didn't mind being indoors, out
for a couple of hours on weekend days, supervised. And about twice a month
we spent weekends at my present home away from the city, where I let them be
out all day, but not at night.

But ever since I retired to our home away from the city, nearly three years
ago, the cats have been totally free. The older cat still stays near the house,
in and out, but the one who hates being indoors, except on cold days, usually
hangs out in the wooded areas, except at meal time. I call this 'quality of
life'. I know that those who want cats to be kept indoors don't like for the
outdoors to be referred to as 'quality of life', but I still insist on calling
it that, for my cat who hates the indoors.

I don't expect those who don't believe in the outdoors for cats to sympathize
for my loss. They are entitled to say 'I told you so', but I still think my
cat would have rather had his last three years of freedom, than a longer life
indoors.

Calvin Rice

(Tailwags1988) wrote in message ...
I'm sorry about you're not being able to find your kitty, I will pray that he
turns up.
But PLEASE DONOT allow your cats to roam outdoors (unless you put them on a
"cat harness") and "walk them", or let them wander around outdoors W/YOU!
This is the very reason why I will NEVER condone cats being "let out"to wander
alone. ...

This cat hated to be confined indoors, as he had to be during most of the time
of his first year and a half, when I lived in the city (Atlanta). During that
time I would take him and my other cat, who didn't mind being indoors, out
for a couple of hours on weekend days, supervised. And about twice a month
we spent weekends at my present home away from the city, where I let them be
out all day, but not at night.

But ever since I retired to our home away from the city, nearly three years
ago, the cats have been totally free. The older cat still stays near the house,
in and out, but the one who hates being indoors, except on cold days, usually
hangs out in the wooded areas, except at meal time. I call this 'quality of
life'. I know that those who want cats to be kept indoors don't like for the
outdoors to be referred to as 'quality of life', but I still insist on calling
it that, for my cat who hates the indoors.

I don't expect those who don't believe in the outdoors for cats to sympathize
for my loss. They are entitled to say 'I told you so', but I still think my
cat would have rather had his last three years of freedom, than a longer life
indoors.

Calvin Rice

In article , Woof B wrote:

I can see both points of view. Cats *can* be very adaptable (in one cat
book I read there was an anecdote about a cat which managed to be a) a
feral, b) a farm cat, and c) an apartment cat in succession without
noticeable problems), but there are some cats which may never be suited
to an indoor lifestyle. Many US websites imply an in/out cat can be
changed to an indoor-only cat in a few weeks without problems, and I'm
not sure if that's always true.

You can convert an indoor/outdoor cat to an indoor cat by simply doing
it. I decided to keep a cat that had developed health problems indoors
and didn't have much difficulty except that the cat complained several
nights running about having to stay inside. The cat already was litter
trained so it was a case of reinforcing the training. The drawback was
that the cat was a big one (13 lb. of shaggy brown tabby) who had a lot
of output, which made for a lot of litter cleanup. I think cats
appreciate a warm place to use the bathroom as much as people do.

In article , Woof B wrote:

I can see both points of view. Cats *can* be very adaptable (in one cat
book I read there was an anecdote about a cat which managed to be a) a
feral, b) a farm cat, and c) an apartment cat in succession without
noticeable problems), but there are some cats which may never be suited
to an indoor lifestyle. Many US websites imply an in/out cat can be
changed to an indoor-only cat in a few weeks without problems, and I'm
not sure if that's always true.

You can convert an indoor/outdoor cat to an indoor cat by simply doing
it. I decided to keep a cat that had developed health problems indoors
and didn't have much difficulty except that the cat complained several
nights running about having to stay inside. The cat already was litter
trained so it was a case of reinforcing the training. The drawback was
that the cat was a big one (13 lb. of shaggy brown tabby) who had a lot
of output, which made for a lot of litter cleanup. I think cats
appreciate a warm place to use the bathroom as much as people do.

William Hamblen wrote in message link.net...
You can convert an indoor/outdoor cat to an indoor cat by simply doing
it. I decided to keep a cat that had developed health problems indoors
and didn't have much difficulty except that the cat complained several
nights running about having to stay inside. The cat already was litter
trained so it was a case of reinforcing the training. ...

I don't quite get your point. Of course a cat can be forced to stay inside,
and will stop complaining after a while. The same is true of people who are
put in jail.

As for litterbox training, it's been my experience that nothing is easier.
Simply place the cat in the litterbox once, so that it will know that it is
there, and the cat will remember it. The cat doesn't have to need to go to
the bathroom when you do it, it just needs to know there is a patch of 'dirt'
in the house.

-cr

William Hamblen wrote in message link.net...
You can convert an indoor/outdoor cat to an indoor cat by simply doing
it. I decided to keep a cat that had developed health problems indoors
and didn't have much difficulty except that the cat complained several
nights running about having to stay inside. The cat already was litter
trained so it was a case of reinforcing the training. ...

I don't quite get your point. Of course a cat can be forced to stay inside,
and will stop complaining after a while. The same is true of people who are
put in jail.

As for litterbox training, it's been my experience that nothing is easier.
Simply place the cat in the litterbox once, so that it will know that it is
there, and the cat will remember it. The cat doesn't have to need to go to
the bathroom when you do it, it just needs to know there is a patch of 'dirt'
in the house.

-cr