Reply to Why is your outdoor cat acceptable?

Forum Index » Pets

Reply to "Why is your outdoor cat acceptable?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I always assume people with outdoor cats don't love their cats like I do, but I'm a crazy cat lady, so I guess it isn't fair to compare.

My girl NEVER goes outside alone because I don't want her to be hit by a car or attacked by a dog.  I pay a teenage girl to walk her on her harness and leash a few times a week, though, because my cat enjoys the sun and wind, and playing in snow (this seems to be less outrageous in Europe where we live, but I would not hesitate to have my cat walked in the US either).  What I don't understand is why people seem to think that the choice is either a. keep the cat indoors all the time, never to feel the sunshine or wind, or b. let the cat roam freely, exposed to cars, dogs, poisons, and other dangers.  My cat doesn't trot along behind her walker on a leash, but she DOES trot along happily as the person follows her, and she comes running when she sees me pick up her harness and carrier to give to the walker.  Why can't people just take their cat outside on a leash, like they do with dogs?

By the way, a cat on a long leash is happy to walk around a yard or park while you follow it for twenty minutes or so, and then lounge on the grass while you read a book.  They aren't exactly active for long periods of time.  It's super easy.[/quote]

My cat hates, hates, hates the harness and leash. She loves being outside, preferably in a bush or up a tree. We moved to an apartment without a balcony even and she's been so sad. I take out the harness and she hides under the bed.[/quote]

We live in an apartment too because it is what we got for our overseas placement.  I had to get my cat used to leash walking, and in the beginning, I would put the harness and leash on her even though it was unfamiliar and she didn't like it then, and then stuff her in her carrier (because it would freak her out to go in the elevator or maybe encounter a dog on the way to the park or green area).  As soon as she was put down outside, her ears are pricked forward and she was so happy, and would immediately start nibbling grass or trotting a little bit to explore.  And now she gets happy when she sees the harness.  Think about it: people have to put time into training dogs to do stuff.  You wouldn't expect a dog to just like an unfamiliar request or routine, and cats are the same in a lot of ways (except people don't work with them to teach them anything).

I would advise you to seize your cat and put on her harness anyway, and put her in the carrier, because when she is outside, she'll be happier, and having been outside for a bit, she won't be sad indoors.  She'll learn to be OK with the harness.  It isn't healthy for her to be indoors all the time, especially since she used to be outside.  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics