Should I let him out ?

For all your feline miscellany - any interesting stories, news or subjects that do not fit in the other sections.
Post Reply
User avatar
papa cat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 198
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2015 7:48 pm
No. of cats in household: 0
Location: Elham, Kent

Should I let him out ?

Post by papa cat »

I moved here 3 years ago from somewhere where it was unsafe to let my 2 cats out so when I lived there I kept them in.
This area is much safer and I hoped they would go out but neither did, except shortly after I moved here and they both got extremely frightened as they just weren't used to going outside. They both got lost even though they were in fact very nearby.
One of my cats died at the end of last year and the remaining has become much more loving and confident, I guess he was 'overshadowed' by the other, she was very dominant !
Recently he has shown an interest in going out, just a short distance from the back or front door but he runs back rapidly at the slightest noise. I wonder if I should encourage it or allow it.
I have always been very zealous about ensuring neither could even get out after their first frights when they got here.
I did wonder about a harness and lead, I do have one but I have never tried him with it.
Last edited by papa cat on Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Mollycat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 2705
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:58 am
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: UK

Re: Should I lt him out ?

Post by Mollycat »

I like the distinction you make, should you encourage or allow, which are very different things.

Home is much more ingrained now, perhaps you and he are much more closely bonded and if he bolts for home when startled you have about the best combination possible. If you feel ok to allow, and respond and support, if he is responsive to you, then you can use this to set boundaries in the way you would a kitten. Every time he goes to whatever boundary you have in mind, make a noise to startle him so that he comes back. My last kitten started life wiht a long garden and a busy road at the end and nothing to cross the road for (houses without gardens) so with the geography on my side every time she ventured towards the road I spooked her back and when she scaled the walls into next door's garden I let her be. She was safe there with free access to outside for 14 years until we moved.

If you do go down the harness route get him used to it gradually. I tried and failed with Boo, he was very keen to explore beyond the door but with harness on he just lay down and wouldn't move.
booktigger
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 2664
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:36 pm
No. of cats in household: 3

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by booktigger »

I think as he is now showing an interest, it would be nice to give him that option.
User avatar
papa cat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 198
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2015 7:48 pm
No. of cats in household: 0
Location: Elham, Kent

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by papa cat »

Well, he has been going out, but not far, for about a week now in the (fairly secure) comunal gardens and he comes back when called (I live in sheltered housing) and I have rigged up a sort of cat flap for him.
I have a sliding patio door, but I am not allowed to install a permanent cat flap, so its a tall plastic strip that is cat flap wide that has a slide up part at the bottom and it slips into the partially open door. It can't be locked in place so it has to be removed at night and the door closed.

Vaguely like this
s-l1600.jpg
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/402690944425 ... 544d4167c1 I might splash out and actually buy one of those but it is rather expensive and the reviews aren't all that good (missing parts, poor fit etc)

However he has started to behave like it's HIS RIGHT to go out and in the evening/night when I have called him in and closed the doors as he starts banging and scratching at where the 'cat flap' goes trying to get me to let him out again !!

When I was taking it down last night he was indoors already but he shot out between my legs as if to say "I am NOT staying indoors I am going out to play".. but I got him back in, he didn't go far (LOL) !!
User avatar
Mollycat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 2705
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:58 am
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: UK

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by Mollycat »

Sounds all good so far, I can see him becoming a pain and refusing to come in though. Is there a very small window you could leave open, if you are happy for him to be out at night? Otherwise the cat flap in a panel has another advantage, that the flap could be set to in only overnight - but that doesn't solve the problem of making the house safe for you.
User avatar
susand
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 179
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 5:28 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: Northwest England

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by susand »

I rented a place once and had a cat flap inserted into a pane of glass in one of the windows. When I moved out of the property I had the window pane replaced. It was expensive but meant the landlord wasn’t left with a cat flap he didn’t want when I left. If I’d have asked him first I suspected he would have said no, so I just did it and he didn’t say anything. He was probably planning to keep my deposit for damaging the window but once I’d replaced the glass, you’d never know it had been there. He probably thought he was going mad when he went to do his end of tenancy inspection! I got my whole deposit back. There was no way he could complain.

Actually, from memory, I think I had a new pane of glass put in with the cat flap inserted when I moved in, stored the original and then had it put back when I left.
User avatar
papa cat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 198
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2015 7:48 pm
No. of cats in household: 0
Location: Elham, Kent

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by papa cat »

I could do that but this door is full height, and nearly 175 cm (6ft) tall and I would have to replace the entire double glazed pane. I suspect that would be even more expensive than buying the insert panel.
Also, as it is a sliding door, and a normal cat flap would protrude slightly, there woud always be a risk of the cat flap colliding with the door when it was opened causing damage to the cat flap.

EDIT
I got an estimate from someone to replace the glass........Over £400 for a sealed unit !!!
Last edited by papa cat on Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:03 am, edited 4 times in total.
User avatar
susand
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 179
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 5:28 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: Northwest England

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by susand »

I agree, it's not really doable for a full size door. I just thought perhaps you might have a smaller window somewhere. BTW, if you or anyone else goes for this option, please be aware that although you can put catflaps in double-glazed windows (I did), the window will lose its thermal insulating properties. This is because double glazed windows have an inert gas between the two panes, not air. It is this gas that stops heat being transmitted across the gap. Putting a hole in the window results in the gas escaping and the air that replaces it doesn't really stop heat being lost through the glass as effectively.
User avatar
susand
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 179
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 5:28 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: Northwest England

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by susand »

RE: Your edited post

Mine went into a large window and it cost me around £250 back in 2013 so it is expensive, you are right. However, for me the risk of getting burgled or being faced with the choice of getting hypothermia or having astronomical heating bills in winter through leaving the window open was not worth it so I stumped up the money. I figuring either option would cost me one way or another and it would actually be less expensive in the long run than huge heating bills, especially if a thief did get in and took all my stuff or trashed the place. I also considered the 'indoor' option for the cats but they were too used to the freedom of going outside and it wouldn't have been fair on them.
User avatar
papa cat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 198
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2015 7:48 pm
No. of cats in household: 0
Location: Elham, Kent

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by papa cat »

This was bound to happen I suppose!

I was watching TV last night and he was worrying to go out so I opened the patio doors, a few minutes later he came rushing back in and dropped something small and dark brown.
HE’D CAUGHT A FIELD MOUSE!!!
He then chased it around the lounge with me in hot pursuit!! It went under an armchair and shot straight out the other side. He was waiting for it to come back out the same way but I caught it on the other side and put it outside again. I felt so sorry for him, I’d deprived of his first ever capture!!
Despite 9 years as an indoor cat he hasn’t lost the instinct to hunt and catch something.
User avatar
susand
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 179
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 5:28 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: Northwest England

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by susand »

Well done that cat! Give him a high five from me. That is the downside of catflaps, if you do decide to get one. When I had one I got sick of coming home from work to find half the fauna from the garden on the carpet. Dead things are bad enough but live……Eeewwww (shudders). Walter went through a phase of bringing live frogs in from the pond. He immediately tired of them once he’d got them into the house so would drop them and leave them to bounce round the living room until I came home. Being a total wuss, I couldn’t handle them at all and had to keep calling my neighbour to come and take them back outside. And live mice aren’t pleasant to come home to either. One day it occurred to me that if one of my cats brought a pregnant one in and I didn’t spot it in time, I could end up with an infestation, so I didn’t fit a cat flap when I had a new door put in recently. If they want to go out I physically let them out and check through the glass that they haven’t got anything with them before I let them back in again.
User avatar
papa cat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 198
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2015 7:48 pm
No. of cats in household: 0
Location: Elham, Kent

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by papa cat »

He wanted to play with it instead of despatching it. I understand that's what they often do,it's like sport or a game to them.

It didn't occur to me that it might be pregnant, I just didn't want it crawling in somewhere and dying and then decomposing (YUKK!!!) :roll:
User avatar
fjm
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 1675
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:11 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: North West England

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by fjm »

Worse if you have a dog that carefully hides dead grey mice left by the cat in the grey fleecy bed throw, believe me!
User avatar
papa cat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 198
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2015 7:48 pm
No. of cats in household: 0
Location: Elham, Kent

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by papa cat »

Hmmmmmm, !
It's starting to be a regular thing !
Twice more he has brought in field mice (that's three in total) One he had killed and another I fear he had mortally wounded but I got it off him and put it out.
I'm pleased he has got his hunting instinct but I am irritated as well, all at the same time :x
booktigger
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 2664
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:36 pm
No. of cats in household: 3

Re: Should I let him out ?

Post by booktigger »

I know how you feel, Lucy has suddenly started catching moths again, I can only assume its the arthritis supplement a colleague gave me (she kept going off them, so she had just had her painkillers for a while), and part of me is pleased that she is well enough to catch them, but last week was 5 in a week, I wish she didn't.
Post Reply