looking for a nicer place for my Sofina to roam and experience

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woozy-uk
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looking for a nicer place for my Sofina to roam and experience

Post by woozy-uk »

my cat is about 14, shes aged rapidly since last year when she developed an overactive thyroid, was very sick on vidalta then had thyronorm before haveing both sides of her thyroid removed, then she had blepharitis and badly clumped fur and calcified left knee after a bad landing. shes doing better again but i go for a walk in the local woods and often wish she could experience a larger wooded area or field instead of the back garden. does anyone know of any places in Kent (im near Dartford) that have woods or field that she can experience, where i cannot lose her, where it is safe? thanks

pic from a few years ago
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end of last year
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fjm
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Re: looking for a nicer place for my Sofina to roam and experience

Post by fjm »

I can understand you wanting to treat her to interesting new experiences, but cats - especially older cats - usually prefer the safe and familiar. I think it would be very risky to try to take her even to an enclosed area away from home, where she is likely to panic and run and hide. Far better to make her life at home as stimulating as possible - there are lots of things you can do to make your garden cat-friendly, like sunny spots to bask in, shrubs to hide under and snooze in the shade, high perching places accessible by ramps or steps. But she may be very happy as she is, lazing and recovering from a difficult year.
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Mollycat
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Re: looking for a nicer place for my Sofina to roam and experience

Post by Mollycat »

Absolutely agreed, what seems limited to us can be and usually is a wonderful safe haven of familiarity for them. You know how when you're feeling a bit low or under the weather all you want is to curl up in front of your own TV with a pile of snacks in your pyjamas? Make home a wonderful place, this would be an awful time to lose a panicked kitty in a strange place, or even for her to be trapped in a safe cage and freaked out in a strange place. there comes a time in life when we and our pets turn our attention inwards, when our world becomes happier smaller, when appreciating what we have trumps discovering the new, and contentment wins over everything else. Perhaps the greater challenge is for you to be in her world with her, just being more than doing. It's an amazing world, the 8th life of a cat, and a privilege to be part of it.
woozy-uk
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Re: looking for a nicer place for my Sofina to roam and experience

Post by woozy-uk »

thanks all for the replies. i thought maybe there was a pet orientated place like a cattery with wooded grounds which is enclosed maybe she could go to. Sofina goes into the garden lots and have put mats for her to lay on and bought cat toys she isnt interested in at all. She sleeps a lot on the bed with me working in our spare loft room or she sleeps by the patio doors on the chairs with the sun on her. Before her knee issue she used to venture into the neighbours a lot but since her thyroid surgery and knee issue shes not climbed since end of last year. Maybe a ramp somehow is a good idea so she can get higher onto our garden container
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fjm
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Re: looking for a nicer place for my Sofina to roam and experience

Post by fjm »

I built ramps for Pippin when his arthritis started making life difficult for him. I hesitated for ages, as the recommended angles were impossible to fit into the space I had, then decided a steeper ramp was better than no ramp at all. A local builder's merchant cut a decking board to length for me - it was too narrow so I put two lengths side by side and nailed battens across every 20cm/8 inches or so. It took minutes, and has been used constantly ever since.
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