Questions for Cat Owners

Factual Questions
1

MODS, if this belongs in IMHO please feel free to move it.

I have had cats before and I have always believed that they deserve to spend at least some time outdoors doing what cats natually like to do… meeting other cats, catching small animals and then torturing them, and climbing trees.

After my experiences with my last cat (she would catch birds, mice, and lizards outside, drag them alive into the house, and then execute them on my white carpet) and doing some reading I have decided that my next cat will be an indoor only cat. No more CSI suprises in the bedroom! Indoor cats live longer and healthier lives apparently… which makes sense considering the dangers of being outside most of the time.

I’m thinking of getting a fairly young cat (but not a kitten). Here’s some questions I have before I take the leap:

  1. Besides adequate food and water, a clean cat box and some cat toys is there anything else we should leave around the house to entertain the cat?

  2. Should we leave a radio on in the house so that there is some noise/human voices for the cat during the day?

  3. Would a single indoor cat become lonely being in the house alone during the weekday? Is it cruel to only have only one cat in that situation? Would a male or female be any better suited to a solitary life?

  4. Assuming that we adopt a “teenage” cat (4-6 months old) from the local animal shelter, and that it isn’t used to being outside, can we simply restrict it to indoor life by never letting it out? Will the cat instinctily try and escape to the outdoors? Is there something else we can to do to encourage it to stay indoors?

  5. If there are currently no fleas in the house, and the cat never gets to go outside, is a flea collar or flea powder treatment still necessary?

  6. Does it make sense to buy a cat bed or will the cat most likely sleep wherever it darm pleases?

Any help on this topic would be greatly appreciated!

2

…snip…
Bold is mine

  1. Besides adequate food and water, a clean cat box and some cat toys is there anything else we should leave around the house to entertain the cat?
    My wife and I have two attack Siamese cats. They have a home made kitty condo made from 4x4’s carpet, and a couple planks. The first one is in the corner of the house, it rises up the corner, through the stairs, and into the loft above. They love it. I made my own, because I wanted something fun for them, that went with the general theme of the house…that didn’t make our house look like it was owned by the cats. I don’t let them know that, but hey…I need some semblance of control.

  2. Should we leave a radio on in the house so that there is some noise/human voices for the cat during the day?
    No, they don’t care if the radio is on or not. Forget you not, cats sleep 18 hours a day

  3. Would a single indoor cat become lonely being in the house alone during the weekday? Is it cruel to only have only one cat in that situation? Would a male or female be any better suited to a solitary life?
    We have two cats for that reason, we didn’t want one to get lonely.

  4. Assuming that we adopt a “teenage” cat (4-6 months old) from the local animal shelter, and that it isn’t used to being outside, can we simply restrict it to indoor life by never letting it out? Will the cat instinctily try and escape to the outdoors? Is there something else we can to do to encourage it to stay indoors?

Just don’t let it out…make double sure it was an indoor cat to begin with, as an outdoor cat that is never let out after being adopted…may go insane

  1. If there are currently no fleas in the house, and the cat never gets to go outside, is a flea collar or flea powder treatment still necessary?
    No, not in my experience…our cats are naked, nothing on them…
  2. Does it make sense to buy a cat bed or will the cat most likely sleep wherever it darm pleases?
    ** we have a couple cat bed on window sills, but they generally pick places they like…**
    Any help on this topic would be greatly appreciated!
3

Phlosphr, do your cats generally like to hang out in high places? I have a friend who built an elaborate ladder system in his closet so that the cat could hide on the top shelf completely out of sight. I never actually saw the cat while I was there…

I would hope the cat would want to spend at least some time with their pet humans.

4

If your neighbors have pets that go outside, you could act as a source for infestation. I see this all the time in my practice. Homeowner walks through his yard, fleas from neighbor’s pets hop onto homeowner’s pantleg, homeowner thus introduces a problem.

If your pets are 100% indoors I would still advise regular monitoring. It is easier to deal with a minor infestation with Advantage of Frontline then it is to call in the exterminator.

5

A scratching post or box of some kind. You can find. in all kinds of Target/Walmart/KMart stores, a flatbox, filled with a solid piece of corrigated cardboard. It usually comes with some dried catnip. You remove the top, and lay it on the group. Our cats use it to sharpen their claws. You will need to vacuum up the shredded cardboard, and replace it when it is worn, but that’s much easier then having your furniture shredded.

My current cat is a totally indoors cat. He does still enjoy looking out the window. If you don’t have wide windowsills, you might consider building a shelf or putting a piece of furniture under the window.

As mentioned above, cat’s sleep a lot. I’ve never had a problem leaving a cat home alone during the week. They will usually come hang out with me when I first get home, but that’s not a bad thing.

Where ever it darn well pleases. You can train a cat not to sleep in a specific spot (like your pillow or a chair). All the cat’s I’ve had like sleeping in the sun some times, like a windowsill or a sunny spot on the floor.

Most of the cats I’ve ever had occasionally want to be able to escape to a quiet spot. That becomes more frequent when there are visitors over. Sometimes it’s a high place (on top of the cupboards), and some times it’s just a quiet, partially hidden place (in a closet, under the bed…). Once things settle down, they come back out.

6

Oh yes! Cats love high places! Absolutely. Our loft has vaulted ceilings, and they go up there constantly to peer around at us.

7

If you live in a neighborhood that has lots of cats and/or it doesn’t get cold in the winter, (below freezing for a week or more at a time) its possible for you to carry one or two in from the yard.
The indoor cats I’ve had have never had fleas because I kept the carpet treated. I use 20 Mule Team Borax, about once a month. Sprinkle liberally all over the the carpet * after* you vacuum. The Borax is a desiccant. It dries out both the eggs and adult fleas. The adults take a little longer to dry up and die.
If a flea or two follow you home, they fall into the carpet, until they hitch a ride on a passing furry thing. If they can’t survive the carpet, they never get to the cat, and even if they do, they will be childless.
Don’t put borax directly on your cat, it could dry its skin, otherwise, its non-toxic.

I’ve always perffered male cats, but that’s because I thing they have more personality.
According to most books on cat culture, they are, by nature, solitary. I’m not sure I agree with that, I’ve had singltons and pairs. The singletons have always been needier, IMO.
Good luck, and bring pictures.

8

Mine never go out and have never been out. Valentino (aka The World’s Dumbest Siamese) got out the bedroom window when we were draining the waterbed and immediately went to the door demanding to be let back in.

I do use Advantage on mine just to make sure, as some of my neighbors have outdoor dogs. Fleas are opportunistic little bastards and will hitch a ride on you or come through screens.

Two cats are better than one - a lonely cat is more likely to get into trouble. You know - hanging out with the wrong crowd, smoking catnip…

And thank you for considering a shelter kitty - and an older one. People like you gladden the hearts of shelter workers!

9

I have no plan to de-claw the cat. Is there ever a good reason to do that? I think I can train it not to claw up the furniture.

Steve

10

Our cats are indoor cats, but we take them for walks. At first we used leashes for this, but we learned that we could just escort them. Your cats may bolt and run away, because everyone’s mileage varies. (For the longest time Clarence could not even be forced out. He’d been badly assaulted by something and put back together by the vets by the time we got him from the shelter – he’s missing an eye and his skull is not symmetric. we always had th feeling he was afraid that Whatever It Was was still out there. But once he saw the other cats going out and coming back in, he decided It Probably Wasn’t Out There Anymore.)

11

I also take the well-behaved cats for “walks.” Actually we just go in the backyard. Of my seven (sigh) cats, two were trained not to leave the yard. I can comfortably go outside with them and have no fear they are going to bolt. (I never leave them alone out there, not for even one minute - more for fear of dangers that might come in the yard rather than that they might run.) I have another one who I cannot let loose but sometimes enjoys being on his harness. He’s a bad boy though and will wriggle out of it and remain tantalizingly out of reach if I turn my back on him.

The other four have no desire whatsoever to go outside. This includes three cats who lived exclusively outside for periods ranging from 1 year to 5 years or more. One is even a feral who never knew one iota of living indoors until I got her. They are all quite content to remain inside and never even hang out by the door.

12

**1) Besides adequate food and water, a clean cat box and some cat toys is there anything else we should leave around the house to entertain the cat?

Of course scratching posts. Get a couple different types, a cardboard horitzontal model, a sissal or carpet vertical model, and spread throughout the house for easy access. Sprinkle with catnip, tho young cats and some adult cats aren’t affected by it. Toys are good, just make sure they can’t destroy and eat them while you are away. I’ve removed my share of ribbon and easter grass from kitty butts to learn that one. Also, one of my cats goes gaga over my laser pointer.

  1. Should we leave a radio on in the house so that there is some noise/human voices for the cat during the day?

Naw, they’ll look out the window and enjoy the peace.

  1. Would a single indoor cat become lonely being in the house alone during the weekday? Is it cruel to only have only one cat in that situation? Would a male or female be any better suited to a solitary life?

Two will be happier, since they like to play. If you get a kitten try to get another one the same age at the same time. If you get an adult that’s lived alone for a while it will most likely be happier as an only cat since they learn kitty manners as kittens and a solitary from kittenhood cat will not know how to get along with another cat.

  1. Assuming that we adopt a “teenage” cat (4-6 months old) from the local animal shelter, and that it isn’t used to being outside, can we simply restrict it to indoor life by never letting it out? Will the cat instinctily try and escape to the outdoors? Is there something else we can to do to encourage it to stay indoors?

Just keep it inside. All my cats were outdoor kittens. Once they lived with me inside for a little while they completely gave up wanting to go outside. Again, the key is to get them as kittens or “teens” and keep them inside always, an adult cat who had been let outside will always want to go back outside. My parents’ cat was like this–we had to watch the doors at all times.

  1. If there are currently no fleas in the house, and the cat never gets to go outside, is a flea collar or flea powder treatment still necessary?

None of my cats or my dog or my parents’ cat have ever had fleas or mites or anything once they became strictly indoors. Still, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for symptoms, but keeping a flea collar on them or giving them Heartguard is probably not nessesary. I do keep an ID collar on all my kitties and have them chipped just in case they ever escape, tho.

  1. Does it make sense to buy a cat bed or will the cat most likely sleep wherever it darm pleases?

**I have never seen a cat use a cat bed. I would be afraid they would think it’s a litter box. My cats sleep in kleenex boxes that are too small for them, in the box spring of my bed, on top of the CRT, TV, fridge, cabinets, in window sills, on the furnature, on my lap, belly up on the floor, in the bathroom sink, in my purse, on my shoes… I think they seek out the most uncomfortable spot possible to sleep sometimes, just to confuse me. Don’t waste money on a cat bed. :smiley:

13

I would disagree with the assertion that adult cats who went outside will always want to go back out. See my post just above. YMMV, naturally.

14

I’ve never found de-clawing necessary. A good scratching post (or 2, different styles) is much more fun to scratch than most furniture. A bit of training does help. Whenever they start clawing furniture, carry them over to the scratching post. They soon get the idea.

Besides, I really don’t have any furniture that’s more important than my pets.

15

My cats will use one of the two cat-beds we bought for them. One bed is shallow, the other has taller sides, and neither likes the tall-sided one, except for attacking and chewing up the foam on the bottom. So that got put away.

Mine are indoor-only kitties; we got them as kittens and have tried to take them out onto the deck in a harness, but neither likes the harness (they fall over, as if it’s sooooo heavy on one side, which cracks us up!). We have collars and tags on them, but not flea collars – we live in the city and are therefore pretty far removed from this “nature” I keep hearing about, and we live on the 2nd floor of a condo, so it would be difficult for them to escape to the great outdoors. Plus, they’re scaredy-cats when it comes to anything outside the condo.

We’ve had mixed success with kitty condos – one they love, but they scratched it up so much we had to get a new one, and they don’t love the new one. It’s a completely different configuration, and different carpet, so it’s understandable.

I would definitely recommend getting 2 cats if they’re youngish. It’s lots more fun for them, and for you, too – they love chasing each other, and snuggling together.

You should also get a cat carrier – get one that opens on top!!! Our next carrier will open on top, because it’s a heck of a lot easier to drop a squirming, resisting cat in that way, than to try to shove them into the little door. I swear, they can turn their bones to jelly when they want.

Get some Nature’s Miracle litterbox treatment (greatly helps with the smell), and some of their stain & odor remover – that stuff works like nobody’s business, even on non-pet-related messes.

Oh, and get a squirt bottle, for training purposes. :slight_smile:

Enjoy your new kitty(ies)!

16

We had one cat that was primarily an indoor cat. She kind of liked to go outside, but only if she knew there was a quick way back inside, and only if the weather suited her. When we lived in apartments, though, she was 100% indoor, since there was no easy way to make a bolt hole for her, and she was quite happy just being an indoor cat. She also hated every cat she ever met, so getting a second cat was out of the question.

We now have two 99.5% indoor cats. We do live in a house with a fenced yard, and will take the cats outside for short, supervised trips, if only to give them a different perspective on things. One of them is an adopted stray, so he is obviously used to being outside, but he seems to be quite content to stay inside unless someone invites him a walk. (He was 2 or 3 years old when he found us, and not neutered. We think hormones led him too far away from home to find his way back. The hormone problem has since been “fixed.”)

The other cat was adopted from the Humane Society, and even though she was a year old, it was quite obvious that the Great Outdoors was a complete mystery to her. The first time we opened a window that summer (with a screen firmly in place), the breeze and fresh air freaked her out and she went into hiding for a couple of hours. She has since learned to appreciate fresh air in windows, and will occasionally go out for a short walk in the back yard.

Our first cat pretty much ignored anything resembling a cat bed that we ever provided her. She was quite content to sleep wherever she wanted. A friend gave us a cat bed that her cats never used when got the two new cats, and they both actually do like it. We even bought a second one, in an attempt to resolve the quarrels, but they completely ignore the second one, and still fight over the first one.

The one thing that we have found that indoor cats really appreciate is a window perch, preferably with a Feline Entertainment Device (AKA bird feeder) relatively close to the window. Our apartments pretty much all had porches with glass sliding doors, so the cat just lived near the sliding doors. Our house has tall windows in the living room, so we set up an old chair by a window for the cat to sit and sleep on. When we ended up with two cats, we had to put a second chair there, to avoid arguments.

Someone also made an observation to me that has held true in my experience. If you have ONE indoor cat, don’t worry about it being lonely, since it will probably sleep whenever you aren’t there, but it will be VERY friendly toward humans. If you have two cats, they probably won’t be quite as friendly toward humans since they won’t really feel lonely when left alone.

17

Another recommendation - feed the best quality dry cat food you can afford. It really makes a difference in the aroma from the litter box. Canned food is ok now and then as a treat, but isn’t necessary on a regular basis. Dry food is better for their teeth.

18

We have a standard carrier (with a door on one end) for each of our cats. Yes, it’s almost impossible to force a cat into the door with the carrier in its natural position on the floor. That’s not a problem though. We always tilt the carriers backward so the door is on top and the opposite end is flat on the floor. With the carrier resting on end that way it’s easy to place the scared kitty inside and close the door, then slowly and gently tilt the carrier forward until it’s flat on the floor again. No special “door on the top” carrier is needed. Figuring out that method has made things much easier for us and for our cats.

19

My cats are, um, a large breed.

Okay, we just kept them on the kitten food too long (first-time cat owners), and they’re overweight. And they usually have to go into the carriers when it’s time to get their claws trimmed, so we usually end up getting cut to shreds – not because they’re actively scratching us, but because they’re freaked out and struggling madly to not be put into the carriers. So even putting them in with the carrier turned on its side isn’t so easy.

Next time, top-loaders, all the way.

20

A diet based on dry food can be bad for the kidneys.