My kitty wants outside.. i feel so bad!?

Question

she is 1yr old, spayed, and her front paws are declawed. i let her out once or twice just for the fun of it and watched her. big mistake because now thats all she wants! im concerned because she cant fully protect herself, last year i heard 1 or 2 cat fights outside at night, and i would never know where she is or when she would come home! what can i do to compromise both of us? all she does is cry at the door!

Answer 1

Have you read any of the horror stories in questions posted on the forum from people who have allowed their cats outside only to have them run off?  Or read of the cats that once were indoor cats, and now they dash madly out the door and are never seen again?  Or worse?  If you have then don't feel guilty about not letting your cat roam outside.

You made the decision to have your cat declawed and while I don't totally object to that, I do object to ANY thought that you might have of introducing this cat to the outside world.

Your cat will and can be perfectly happy inside.  At this point though, you will just have to ignore her cries and demands like a human mother would stand firm against a child that wants to do something that could be harmful; until the desire passes.

In our multi-cat, indoor only family we have hung bird-feeders in several places outside windows around our home for the cats to set in windows and watch and enjoy.  And believe me, they do enjoy this.  We also have squirrels that we welcome at the feeders and this always creates much excitement and keeps them entertained for hours.

Do NOT compromise where this cat is concerned. Try to find ways to keep her entertained inside, and be mindful when you open the door for a while and reinforce her behavior with a "no" and walk away.  She's only a year old and she will soon settle back into inside life, but don't risk loosing her because of your guilt.  Be a strong "meowmie" and know that what you are doing is for her own good and she will live a longer and more healthy life because you did care enough to say "no".

Answer 2

Oh gosh, some of these answers.

You got your cats claws removed?

Well, if you go outside WITH it, I assume it shuold be ok. Maybe try a leash, though cats HATE that. Mine would just lay there sulking.

Cats are meant to be outside, it's just their nature. The also will eat grass to help with hairballs. I would suggest just going out with it in the grass and just make sure you keep a window open for it and plant some grass in a small pot or something for it indoors.

good luck!

Just remember, don't deprive your cats. They are very curious and need some exploring time :]

Answer 3

i dont realy know u should just try spending some good time at home playing with it feeding it and not to let it out too much so she might forget that and in a few days it might love staying in.

Answer 4

good for you for not letting her outside, too bad you got her declawed.  never let a cat outside let alone a declawed cat.

make the inside enviornment more stimulating, get some cat trees or some cat furnature.  or some ledges to attach to your window so she can look out the window and have a nice comfy bed to lay on while she watches the world go by.  have some toys scattered around for her to play with.  make sure you spend some special time playing with her every day.

Answer 5

You NEED to stop taking her outside..

That is, just take your kitty to the mail box and back...

That's it!

The more you have her outside , the more she is determined

to go outdoors.

I learned my lesson..

My cat did the very same thing..

Now, I take him outside only went the mailman arrives..

That's it..

Another thing, when there are other cats outdoors,

your cat knows it..

Get rid of the nuisances.....

Keep your cat entertained indoors by giving it plenty of warmth..food..playtime..

Good luck.

Answer 6

If you had a budgie and it wanted to go out - would you let it?

If you had a toddler and it kept whining to go and play on the road - would you let it?

Cats cannot be declawed in the UK - it's illegal because they can no longer defend themselves as well as being a very painful operation (imagine having the first joints of all your fingers removed).

She will be unable to climb a tree to escape from dangers such as a dog.  There was lady writing on here last week who told of her cat being taken by a dog from her drive and having to watch her being shaken to death in the road.

If she cries at the door, I'd be inclined to squirt her with a water spray whenever she does.

Answer 7

let her go outside and just watch her she cant climb if she doesnt have claws, keep a close eye

Answer 8

daytime is safer, she should be ok at that time, but get her in by 8:00 summer, 6:00 winter. She be too tuckered out at the end of the day to cry.

  Putting her in a pen outside is cruel and potentially more dangerous than being free. NOT an option.

  I know how you feel, my kitty is the center of my world. You have to be brave and give them their freedom if you want them to be happy. Its a bit of a risk, but she should be ok as long as you get her in before dark.

   If you want it to be an inside cat, Id recommend getting it a playmate. They will fight at first, but his is normal. You have to decide early or it might start to do naughty things out of spite. Make a decision.

Answer 9

There is a huge debate as to what is better for cats, to be kept indoors at all times, or to be allowed out to roam.  Both have their pros & cons.  While an indoor only cat is kept safe from any dangers outside (cars, other cats or animals), they can go a little stir-crazy.  And while it's good for their mental health to be allowed outdoors, it's hard to keep them safe.

According to my vet, the best strategy is to keep them inside most of the time, but allow them outdoors when you are able to supervise them.  You might want to invest in a harness for her, to which you can attach a long leash or string to keep her from running off.  You will still need to supervise her, as the leash/string could get wrapped around her.  But this way she stays protected from cars and other animals (especially since she is declawed), but gets some time outside which is good for her mental & physical health (indoor cats often tend to become overweight due to lack of activity).

If you're not too worried about looking silly, you might even try to train her to walk on the leash!

Answer 10

There's more to worry about than just cat fights- for instance; fleas, disease, mean/stupid people who can/might do horrible things to an animal, or any number of larger predators that would easily attack a cat.

If you want, put a leash and harness on her and let her out while you supervise, but even then you're still risking flea infestation.  Making her interested in being indoors is an important aspect.  She needs to be interested in staying inside because what's inside is much more interesting.  Set up toys, boxes, blankets, anything to make her want to play and be curious.

Answer 11

I would only let her out while on a leash.

Answer 12

I'm afraid you've made your bed here...time to lie in it!  Cats are meant to go outside, and if you hadn't had your cats front claws removed then I would wholeheartedly recommend you let her out - it's in her nature to prowl, hunt and play outside.

As it is though, your cat no longer has the ability to protect herself if she were to get picked on, so going outside without protection isn't the answer.  

Could you make a pen for her in your garden?  Or could you make your garden secure enough for her not to be able to escape?  You can buy 'cat-proof' fencing that fits over existing fences and supposedly stops them from climbing over.

Other than that, I don't know what to suggest.  Maybe get her a lead?  Obviously that won't sate any of her natural instincts, but it might stop her crying.  You probably need to walk her every day too, otherwise she will be right at that door again, crying to go out!

Answer 13

You can take her out for walks. maybe once every 2 weeks. i'tll be  good enough. Whenever im outside doing yardwork or stuff like that, i let her outside and keep an eye on her. My cat is spayed and declawed in her from paws too.

Answer 14

cats are like people. the more you hold on the more they let go.

Answer 15

My kitty is an indoor kitty too.  In fact the place I adopted him from makes frequent visits to make sure he stays in indoor kitty.  Its part of the contract of adoption.  If you have lots of windows, try opening one that has a screen and propping something near it so she can sit in the window.  My cat loves that.  He use to try to run out the door when you open it but now he pretty much hangs on his window.

Answer 16

well my cats unfortunately do the same thing. so i let them out once a day for like 20 mins..... but i watch them. dont let them out for a long time without watching them.. some people take them in and keep them..... or people will shoot them

Answer 17

Since she's declawed, take her out only when on a leash attached to a harness (never a collar).  Cats can learn to be comfortable on a leash, especially if they learn that they can go outside if they are on one.  Never attach the leash to anything (ie:tie out) or she'll be trapped if something comes by like a dog, clawed cat, hawk, ect.

Answer 18

i don't let my cats out because of the cat hungry pit bulls my super has in the back yard. Also there is cat HIV that can be trasferred to humans.

Answer 19

Try buying a cat harnes and a leash. Your cat will enjoy the outdoors, and you will be able to keep a close eye on her. If you feel she should come in, you can always pick her up and bring her in. Hope this helps!

Answer 20

depends on where you live...I had a large cat that the previous owners had declawed him...

he was in and out... and he climbed trees without front claws...he hugged the tree with the front paws and used his back claws to go up...

would curl up his fist and bunch a dog in the nose...he had no problems and was a holy terror on the block...

if she can deal with it no problem...

or you can get her one of those enclosures that are sort of like a doggie run....