outdoor cat

[axlryder]

So my cat is driving me and my fiance crazy at night. We love her, but she meows and makes a ton of noise at all hours of the night. She'll nibble at us and knock things off of my desk and the nightstands. We've had her about 5 months and, while bad the first week, she's been good for the last few months, but these last couple of weeks have been very bad. Like, newborn baby bad (and I've taken care of a few).

Locking her out of the room causes her to meow at the door and scratch the shit out of the carpet. She also turns on the washing machine and knocks things off of the counters. Locking her in another room obviously doesn't keep her from meowing and she'll still scratch the shit out of the carpet and the door. I'm obviously also concerned for her psychological well-being. For the record, we play with her a few hours a day, keep her litter box clean, feed her and show her affection and she has her own space. Despite her acting out at night, she likes to sleep in our bed between us an acts normally when we are paying attention to her (aside from the usual suite of bizarre feline idiosyncrasies), so I'm thinking she's just lonely.

I'm basically left with two options in the short term:

turn the two car garage into a playroom for the cat at night
or
transition her to an outdoor cat at night

We don't often use the garage and it's both clean and has shelves. A little work and it could be made into a suitable area for her to hang out in, but I'm concerned that she'll still just be lonely and feel isolated in there.

The other option is to put her outdoors at night, which I really don't know much about other than "people do it". I also don't know if you need a cat door or if they're typically content with being outside from like 11 p.m.-6 a.m. I know they have their "territory", but what keeps them from running away? How do I know if she catches and eats a bird or something? Do I account for that in feeding her? If I do install a cat-door, will she still just come in at all hours of the night and meow incessantly when she gets bored?

I know she has a higher risk of parasites and sickness, but I'm not sure what other factors I'd need to consider. I also don't really know how that all works in the winter time. I know cats can be outside in relatively cold weather, but how cold is appropriate?

 

[twistedmic]

Making her an overnight outdoor cat strikes me as a bad idea. Not only would it drastically increase the chances parasites and disease, but also nocturnal predators and cars (my niece had an outside cat that got run over at night). I don't know how cold is too cold for cats (or dogs for that matter) so I can't help you there.
However, I will say that you might want to play with your cat some more or play with her shortly before bedtime to try ant tire her out so she won't be as active during the night.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Outdoor cats die. Pure and simple. I grew up around outdoor cats, and they simply die. Fall of cliffs, killed by wild animals, disappear only to be found weeks later, dead from snakebites. Had one run over by a car, another by a tractor. One died from a pot falling on him, another from a closing garage door.

You set your cat outside, it'll die. Thems the brakes.

 

[Catnip1024]

Ignore the naysayers above. Unless you are in the city, outdoors is where cats belong. I've had 4 cats, and not one has been harmed as a result of being outdoors. We lived next to a farm, so there were all sorts of heavy machinery and things going by. (Where I live we don't have any predators bigger than a fox, mind you). I will caveat that and say we let ours out through the day, rather than at night.

What keeps the cat from running away is that it knows where food is provided, it knows where home is. The only real issue would crop up shortly after moving house. Although that said, one of our cats would occasionally disappear for 2 or 3 days at a time, and come back fine as though nothing had happened.

If she catches a bird or whatever, a) you will know about it - cats like to leave you wonderful little presents (dead, if you are lucky), and b) don't try and account for it food wise, it would be impossible to do accurately. Just consider it her little bonus.

Cat door wise, is it possible to segregate off a bit of the house / garage, so she can be sheltered but not get right to your door?

Cold wise, I usually let the cat decide. Some days I would open the door and they would take one sniff of the air and turn back inside. Cats aren't that stupid. But they are happy for short periods below freezing - they were originally wild creatures, remember.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Actually, ignore the pro outdoors above. Every single outdoor cat I have had growing up has been killed, and I live in the country and grew up with literally 30 or more outdoor cats over the years. They are usually killed by Coyotes and stray dogs but others have also died from disease and cars. Even when cats are raised outdoors from birth, there are still so many risks that greatly reduce their lifespan.

Google "lifespan of outdoor cat vs indoor cat" and this is what comes up in the box at the top from the SPCA:

The expected lifespan of an indoor-outdoor cat will depend on several factors, including the type of neighborhood you live in and sheer luck. But, on average, cats who are allowed to roam outdoors often don't live to see age five. Cats who are always kept safely confined can live to be 18 to 20 years old.

http://www.mobilespca.org/Portals/0/downloads/documents/Your%20Cat%E2%80%94Indoors%20or%20Out.pdf



Cat's who who are put outdoors that are not raised outdoors do not usually even last a year due to them not being aware of the dangers of the environment, and not knowing how to respond to them. Give her a playroom if you want, but whatever you do, do not throw her out at night if you want her to live very long. It is honestly pretty traumatizing cleaning up your cat's body strewed across the lawn because you did not over and over again as I have been forced to do while growing up in the country. In the city, it is even worse due to the sheer number of dogs roaming the streets.

Here are some suggestions:

http://www.perfectpaws.com/noct.html#.V8qww_krLcs
http://www.petful.com/behaviors/cat-keeping-you-up-all-night/
http://moderncat.com/articles/12-sounds-cats-make-and-what-they-mean/68602
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/nighttime-activity-cats
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/features/when-cats-wake-you-up
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/how-can-i-get-my-cat-to-stop-waking-me-up
http://www.pet-happy.com/how-to-stop-your-cat-waking-you-up-at-night-or-early-in-the-morning/
http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-wakes-you-up-at-night-6-reasons

Changing their play cycle to where they are too tired to go crazy at night by wearing them out and feeding them and then ignoring their attention seeking behavior at night usually makes them stop eventually. It is juts getting through the transitional period that can be rough. None of my cats make much noise at night anymore, but instead have their "crazy running around the house like lunatics" time in the morning instead. I set their schedule from the beginning that way, and since I have had cats so long, the older cats trained the younger cats to let them know when play time was so they are all on the same schedule long as I keep the same cycle with them. I have 3 cats that help keep each other in line. I think it helps for cats to have a friend because they are very social animals and it is good for them to have someone they can relate to. I mean how would you feel never having someone that really understands what you are trying to tell them? Having more than one cat not only means someone to play with and understand them, but also someone to wash behind the other's ears.

http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-care-adoption-tips-two-multiple-cats-better-than-one

But depending on the temperament of your current cat, they may not warm up to a new cat immediately and see them as an invader. While it is better to raise 2 cats together from youth up, you can introduce a new car if they are similar in size to where you do not have to worry as much about the older cat killing the smaller one out of fear and jealousy.

It is not usually advisable to bring a kitten into a home with a grown male tomcat unless you are prepared to protect the kitten at all times.

http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/how-to-introduce-a-new-cat-to-an-old-cat/
http://icatcare.org/advice/how-introduce-kitten-cat
https://www.petfinder.com/cats/bringing-a-cat-home/cat-to-cat-introductions/

 

[Saulkar]

I am just going to ignore every above me (including the OP) because of raisins and thus will say that I have had 2 outdoor cats and one that transitioned to an outdoor cat. Only one died a couple years ago at age 12 from cancer and the one that transitioned to an outdoor cat did so about 5 years ago and is now 16 and still very much (and incredibly annoyingly) alive. The remaining cat is about 3-4 years old (an adopted stray that invaded our house and made us his owners) and still kicking it.

In conclusion, it depends on where you flipping live.

Do some research on the local rates of parasites, animal deaths, and such in order to get a grasp of how safe your pussy being left unguarded on the streets at night will be. XD

 

[Silence]

Get another cat!

Seriously, if she is lonely, another cat might make her less lonely.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

I am just going to ignore every above me (including the OP) because of raisins and thus will say that I have had 2 outdoor cats and one that transitioned to an outdoor cat. Only one died a couple years ago at age 12 from cancer and the one that transitioned to an outdoor cat did so about 5 years ago and is now 16 and still very much (and incredibly annoyingly) alive. The remaining cat is about 3-4 years old (an adopted stray that invaded our house and made us his owners) and still kicking it.

In conclusion, it depends on where you flipping live.

Do some research on the local rates of parasites, animal deaths, and such in order to get a grasp of how safe your pussy being left unguarded on the streets at night will be. XD

Most animal deaths are not reported, but the best way to determine how safe the area is for your cat is how many dogs you see walking around, whether or not other predators such as coyotes, wolves or mountain lions are in your area, and how fast and frequent traffic is in the area ( not just your street, cats roam much further). Of course it depends on where you live, but the idea that being out of the city means it is safe is terribly wrong depending on the other factors. Here being in the country means: 60-80 mph cars, packs of coyotes, wild dogs, wild boars, Mountain lions, skunks, raccoons, possums, armadillos, rattlesnakes, and people who let their domestic pit bulls, rottweilers, boxers, german shepards dalmatians and Dobermans run around freely unfenced and unleashed. So yea, all the cats that go outside die.

 

[Terminal Blue]

Okay, so be careful about introducing another cat. Cats are not social animals in the way dogs are, and they're extremely territorial. While some cats can live with unrelated cats and get on together, often having another cat around will just be a scary and tense experience for a cat which isn't used to it. Also, bear in mind that while two cats might keep each other active, they might still run around and make a lot of noise at night. Personally, I'd look more into why your cat isn't sleeping at night.. cats don't have a "sleep cycle" like humans do, but they normally learn to sleep at night.

Firstly, if you haven't then take your cat to the vet. Not sleeping properly and being unusually noisy can be a sign of pain or discomfort, so it may be that your cat actually has something wrong with her. Check that out first and get the possibility ruled out.

Maybe schedule a long playtime in the evening. Play with her and keep her physically active until she seems tired or disinterested. Cats sleep a lot, so it may be that if you're playing with her too early she's fully recovered by night time and wants to play with you again. Make sure when she plays that she's physically active and moving around a lot throughout the day.

Start feeding her later at night. Cats sleep more immediately after eating.

If she does wake you up at night, do not respond to her, even negatively. If she is bored and wants someone to play with, then you've effectively rewarded her for misbehaving.

Worse case scenario, you might have to start training her to sleep somewhere else. If she's scratching the door and making a lot of noise, then you could try getting a scat mat. Some cat owners don't like using them, but they definately work and the voltage isn't really high enough to be painful so it's not a painful punishment so much as an unpleasant surprise. I wouldn't recommend using an aromatic deterrent as that actually seems less humane. You want her to be able to roam wherever she wants during the day, just not at night.

Although, on the subject of aromatics, if you think your cats behaviour might be due to stress, you could try a pheremone diffuser to help her relax at night, although if that's the case you should probably think about what might be causing stress. Remember, cats are very territorial and they like to scent mark everything, so if you're doing lots of cleaning or moving furniture around it could be disruptive to her.

How safe it is to let your cat outside depends very much on where you live, but for obvious reasons it is always less safe than simply keeping them as housecats. My parents always kept outdoor cats because they felt keeping cats indoors was cruel, and with one exception (who got hit by a car but survived and seemed to have learned his lesson) their life expectancy was just a few years. Personally, I always thought my parents were full of shit on that one.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

SNIP

Yeah, but apparently you and I are just negative nancies when we talk about how outdoor cats die very quickly, very often. Like you I grew up in the country, on 5 acers, and we had probably a dozen outdoor cats over the years. Our longest lived one was Ashes, who lost a leg in the fist 6 months, then stayed close to the house until he was hit by a car at 2.

Coyotes, raccoons, wild dogs, snakes, drops, falling things, getting stuck somewhere no one knows, cars, tractors...

 

[Just Ebola]

There's a reason cats domesticated themselves: they need someone to take care of them. I'm throwing my hat in with the 'no bueno' crowd. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard about outdoor cats dying, crawling into car engines and getting stuck, run over, scooped up by owls, it never ends. I don't ever let mine outside and that's fine, he doesn't want to go outside. Every time he's slipped out, he turns around and bolts right back in.

Not to mention they'll be more likely to catch feline leukemia, ear mites, fleas, worms etc. And honestly it just sounds like your cat wants more attention than you can give her. Maybe another cat would be good for all of you.

Also, is your cat spayed? Even when not in heat, that can lead to them making a bunch of racket.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Okay, so be careful about introducing another cat. Cats are not social animals in the way dogs are, and they're extremely territorial. While some cats can live with unrelated cats and get on together, often having another cat around will just be a scary and tense experience for a cat which isn't used to it. Also, bear in mind that while two cats might keep each other active, they might still run around and make a lot of noise at night. Personally, I'd look more into why your cat isn't sleeping at night.. cats don't have a "sleep cycle" like humans do, but they normally learn to sleep at night.

Firstly, if you haven't then take your cat to the vet. Not sleeping properly and being unusually noisy can be a sign of pain or discomfort, so it may be that your cat actually has something wrong with her. Check that out first and get the possibility ruled out.

Maybe schedule a long playtime in the evening. Play with her and keep her physically active until she seems tired or disinterested. Cats sleep a lot, so it may be that if you're playing with her too early she's fully recovered by night time and wants to play with you again. Make sure when she plays that she's physically active and moving around a lot throughout the day.

Start feeding her later at night. Cats sleep more immediately after eating.

If she does wake you up at night, do not respond to her, even negatively. If she is bored and wants someone to play with, then you've effectively rewarded her for misbehaving.

Worse case scenario, you might have to start training her to sleep somewhere else. If she's scratching the door and making a lot of noise, then you could try getting a scat mat. Some cat owners don't like using them, but they definately work and the voltage isn't really high enough to be painful so it's not a painful punishment so much as an unpleasant surprise. I wouldn't recommend using an aromatic deterrent as that actually seems less humane. You want her to be able to roam wherever she wants during the day, just not at night.

Although, on the subject of aromatics, if you think your cats behaviour might be due to stress, you could try a pheremone diffuser to help her relax at night, although if that's the case you should probably think about what might be causing stress. Remember, cats are very territorial and they like to scent mark everything, so if you're doing lots of cleaning or moving furniture around it could be disruptive to her.

How safe it is to let your cat outside depends very much on where you live, but for obvious reasons it is always less safe than simply keeping them as housecats. My parents always kept outdoor cats because they felt keeping cats indoors was cruel, and with one exception (who got hit by a car but survived and seemed to have learned his lesson) their life expectancy was just a few years. Personally, I always thought my parents were full of shit on that one.

Dissolving Cat Myths: Cats are Aloof and Independent
Cats are constantly called solitary creatures and that's not accurate. Cats are social animals. Their social structure is different than that of dogs. The misconception may come from the fact that because they're small predators they often hunt alone because they go after prey that'll only supply enough food for one.Oct 9, 2012

http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/cat-myth-cats-are-aloof-and-independent/

Cats are actually very social animals, just in a different way than dogs. Cats will clean behind each other's ears and face where a cat has difficulty cleaning. They enjoy playing together, they especially love to play tag. They will all sleep piled up in a giant fur ball, even as adults. While it is better to raise them together from the start, It is not usually that difficult to introduce new cats as long as you take steps to reduce the likelihood of problems and spend the time with them they need, it goes really well.
http://bestfriends.org/resources/introducing-new-cat

 

[Catnip1024]

Actually, ignore the pro outdoors above. Every single outdoor cat I have had growing up has been killed, and I live in the country and grew up with literally 30 or more outdoor cats over the years. They are usually killed by Coyotes and stray dogs but others have also died from disease and cars. Even when cats are raised outdoors from birth, there are still so many risks that greatly reduce their lifespan.

Google "lifespan of outdoor cat vs indoor cat" and this is what comes up in the box at the top from the SPCA:

The expected lifespan of an indoor-outdoor cat will depend on several factors, including the type of neighborhood you live in and sheer luck. But, on average, cats who are allowed to roam outdoors often don't live to see age five. Cats who are always kept safely confined can live to be 18 to 20 years old.

As has been said, depends where you are. We don't have Coyotes, foxes or dogs is about it. But of all of my cats, none ever got killed by being outdoors, and all lived beyond 10. We lived next to fields, so the cats would go that way rather than out onto the main road.

And you have to think of the quality of the cats life. The cats I have seen that have never been allowed outside tend to be far less content and healthy overall than those allowed to do their own thing.

Time for an inappropriate Mussolini quote:

Better to live one day as a lion than a hundred years as a sheep

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Actually, ignore the pro outdoors above. Every single outdoor cat I have had growing up has been killed, and I live in the country and grew up with literally 30 or more outdoor cats over the years. They are usually killed by Coyotes and stray dogs but others have also died from disease and cars. Even when cats are raised outdoors from birth, there are still so many risks that greatly reduce their lifespan.

Google "lifespan of outdoor cat vs indoor cat" and this is what comes up in the box at the top from the SPCA:

The expected lifespan of an indoor-outdoor cat will depend on several factors, including the type of neighborhood you live in and sheer luck. But, on average, cats who are allowed to roam outdoors often don't live to see age five. Cats who are always kept safely confined can live to be 18 to 20 years old.

As has been said, depends where you are. We don't have Coyotes, foxes or dogs is about it. But of all of my cats, none ever got killed by being outdoors, and all lived beyond 10. We lived next to fields, so the cats would go that way rather than out onto the main road.

And you have to think of the quality of the cats life. The cats I have seen that have never been allowed outside tend to be far less content and healthy overall than those allowed to do their own thing.

Time for an inappropriate Mussolini quote:

Better to live one day as a lion than a hundred years as a sheep

If you take good care of your cats and provide them with plenty of things to climb all over the place, toys, people and other cats to play with, cat grass and cat safe plants, sunshine, and healthy raw food, living 20 years as an indoor cat beats the hell out of being dead. Considering the difference in average life expectancy, I would think it would be worth it to live a happy and healthy life. You can also have outdoor areas screened in where they are still safe from predators but get plenty of sunshine and fresh air.

 

[Catnip1024]

If you take good care of your cats and provide them with plenty of things to climb all over the place, toys, people and other cats to play with, cat grass and cat safe plants, sunshine, and healthy raw food, living 20 years as an indoor cat beats the hell out of being dead. Considering the difference in average life expectancy, I would think it would be worth it to live a happy and healthy life. You can also have outdoor areas screened in where they are still safe from predators but get plenty of sunshine and fresh air.

It is very hard to make an outdoor area catproof. You have regular 1.8m fences, some cats will go over them. And if it hasn't been brought up outside, then it's in more danger than before. And they do love to go through doors they shouldn't.

The thing about an indoors life is that there is no stimulation, there is nothing new and exciting. Same reason that it sucks to be a zoo animal. Cats have largeish ranges naturally (which is why there are issues when too many people in a neighbourhood get cats), it would be the equivalent of sticking a human on a submarine indefinitely. Sure, you could give them things to do, but they would be squished in and more uncomfortable than they would be otherwise.

 

[Saelune]

Im going with the everyone think's their an expert, but few are route and say this is the same stuff every animal video has ever.

Ultimately go with evil's recommendation and see a vet, cause atleast a vet has some training. Everything else...I dont know and wont claim to.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Im going with the everyone think's their an expert, but few are route and say this is the same stuff every animal video has ever.

Ultimately go with evil's recommendation and see a vet, cause atleast a vet has some training. Everything else...I dont know and wont claim to.

Veterinarians will tell you to keep your cat indoors.

The consensus among veterinarians and organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is that it?s wiser to keep cats indoors. ?Considering the potential dangers outdoors, an indoor lifestyle is much safer for cats,? Brunt says. ?Indoor cats have a much lower likelihood of becoming hurt or ill from outdoor hazards.?

As evidence, indoor cats live longer than their outdoor counterparts. Cats who are kept indoors can reach the ripe old age of 17 or more years, whereas outdoor cats live an average of just two to five years. Another reason for indoor cats? longevity is that it?s easier for their owners to identify health problems early, before they become life threatening.

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/features/should-you-have-an-indoor-cat-or-an-outdoor-cat

 

[Saelune]

Im going with the everyone think's their an expert, but few are route and say this is the same stuff every animal video has ever.

Ultimately go with evil's recommendation and see a vet, cause atleast a vet has some training. Everything else...I dont know and wont claim to.

Veterinarians will tell you to keep your cat indoors.

The consensus among veterinarians and organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is that it?s wiser to keep cats indoors. ?Considering the potential dangers outdoors, an indoor lifestyle is much safer for cats,? Brunt says. ?Indoor cats have a much lower likelihood of becoming hurt or ill from outdoor hazards.?

As evidence, indoor cats live longer than their outdoor counterparts. Cats who are kept indoors can reach the ripe old age of 17 or more years, whereas outdoor cats live an average of just two to five years. Another reason for indoor cats? longevity is that it?s easier for their owners to identify health problems early, before they become life threatening.

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/features/should-you-have-an-indoor-cat-or-an-outdoor-cat

I dont have a doubt in my mind that more than a few will say the opposite. Vets are people, and people can disagree, even doctors. Hell, your thing says "the consensus" which suggests that "most but not all" agree.

Ive had two pairs of cats. The first pair we let out regularly. One took to it more than the other. We never forced them mind you, but if one wanted out, we let them. Dont know how long they lived, since we had to give them away when we moved.

The second pair are indoor cats. One is neurotic as hell, but it was orphaned on the street still blind, so maybe thats why.

Ofcourse indoor cats live longer, I dont doubt that, but I wont say I know which makes cats generally happier.

Plus everyone keeps saying this or that, ignoring the places they live. Where I live, outdoor cats seem to be doing just fine, but I live in a comfy suburb, that has plenty of people and nature as opposed to too much of either.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

If you take good care of your cats and provide them with plenty of things to climb all over the place, toys, people and other cats to play with, cat grass and cat safe plants, sunshine, and healthy raw food, living 20 years as an indoor cat beats the hell out of being dead. Considering the difference in average life expectancy, I would think it would be worth it to live a happy and healthy life. You can also have outdoor areas screened in where they are still safe from predators but get plenty of sunshine and fresh air.

It is very hard to make an outdoor area catproof. You have regular 1.8m fences, some cats will go over them. And if it hasn't been brought up outside, then it's in more danger than before. And they do love to go through doors they shouldn't.

The thing about an indoors life is that there is no stimulation, there is nothing new and exciting. Same reason that it sucks to be a zoo animal. Cats have largeish ranges naturally (which is why there are issues when too many people in a neighbourhood get cats), it would be the equivalent of sticking a human on a submarine indefinitely. Sure, you could give them things to do, but they would be squished in and more uncomfortable than they would be otherwise.

It isn't hard at all, I have an area of my patio that connects to the sunroom screened in fine and they love it. People have been making cat jungle gyms for a very long time easily. Of course you have to have the top screened otherwise they will climb out, they are a cat. Some people go crazy with it like this:

Spoiler: crazy cat enclosures

Now most people just screen in a porch or balcony or if you live in apartment without a patio, you can either buy or build a window unit:

Spoiler: Easy outdoor enclosure

There are a wide range of cat window and patio enclosures, and there are options everyone can afford.

There is plenty stimulating indoors, that is why you need more than one cat so they can play tag and run through the house climb the window climber to the ceiling run across the ceiling over the couches jump down and slide across the dining room table, jump from on top the kitchen cabinets to catch an invading yellowjacket that got into the house. In addition to the patio pen where they like to watch birds and rabbits hopping in the yard. It is all about how much you want to invest in making your home a good cat home too. I modified every room for my cats because this is their home too. As long as you make sure your cat gets plenty of exercise, indoor cats will not have a lack of stimulation. They only lack exercise and stimulation if they have lazy owners who do not keep things interesting for them by moving their obstacle courses around or play with them enough. Since my cats use the toilet and flush, instead of cleaning cat boxes, I spend my time and money I would haev spent on changing it and litter on building obstacles and climbers for them instead. Potty training my cats was the best idea ever, I even created a ledge that goes between the tub and the toilet in the hall bath so they have a comfortable ledge and do not have to balance so much.

The reason why Veterinarians will tell you not to let your cat roam freely outdoors is because it is actually better for them not to do so.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Double post please delete