Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Outdoor Cats

[Forbes Jan (jan.forbes]

Becky

I've not read the ensuing e-mails yet so may be repeating what others have
said.  However, I'm keen to put my viewpoint.  The issue of cats has come up
here in Hobart and has turned out to be contentious and emotional.  I'm not
in a cohousing community but recently left a formative group partly due to
the strong negative attitudes of some others in the group on the issue of
domestic pets.  I was attacked when I said that I believed cats and dogs
have co-evolved with us and that there's a needed if controlled place for
them in human settlements.

I have two cats nearly twelve months old that I've kept indoors from the
start.  I'm sure this is better for the lizards and the few native birds
that might venture here, but also we live near a busy road and one of them
is white and would be prone to skin cancer so best kept out of the sun.  

I have a routine of letting them out briefly in the mornings and evenings
and then bringing them back in.  So far I've had little trouble getting them
back in and have not felt the need for a leash.  Some days when the
weather's not so nice they don't even want to go out.  They look out the
windows a lot but they seem to be used to their lifestyle and rarely ask to
go out.  If I had an outdoor run for them that would be better for giving
them time out of doors.  I'd like to build one when I have the money.  I
know others here who have cat runs and use them.

Perhaps with more time your cat might get used to staying indoors.  It seems
to work well if you get them used to it right from the start.


Jan 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Becky Schaller [SMTP:bschaller [at] theriver.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, 29 August 2001 23:11
> To:   cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org
> Subject:      [C-L]_Outdoor Cats
> 
> Do other communities have any policies about cats being outdoors.  I think
> I
> checked this in the archives and read some discussion of problems, but
> didn't see any real solutions.
> 
> We're trying to come up with an answer.  We're thinking of making use of
> an
> invisible fence to give cats a place to run.  This would give the lizards
> some safety in other parts of the community.  Apparently when we started
> moving in about a year ago, we had lots of lizards and now we don't.  Cats
> are being held responsible and I think there is good reason to do so.
> Does
> anyone know if these invisible fences work for cats.  I've heard they work
> for dogs, but not for cats.
> 
> At various times, my mother and brother also made a large cage for their
> cats.  Neither of them used the cage very much although neither my mother
> or
> brother are really sure why not.
> 
> Another proposal is simply to say that all pets (including cats) must be
> supervised. Apparently in some places, people do walk their cats on
> leases.
> 
> Another problem is that there are cats who don't belong to anyone here who
> wander over.  So no matter what we do with our cats, other cats will still
> be around.  
> 
> As you might expect this is an emotional topic for some people as they
> don't
> want their cats restricted and unhappy.
> 
> A slightly related question:  I have a cat who loves going outdoors.  She
> has also brought me several lizards.  For her own safety and the safety of
> the lizards, I've been keeping her inside for the last 2 1/2 weeks.  I was
> hoping she would get used to this idea, but she still meows to go outside
> lots.  Does anyone have any tips on how to help an indoor/outdoor cat
> become
> and indoor cat.  Perhaps I should buy a lease for her.
> 
> Could people say how they've solved the outdoor cat problem?  Or what
> they've done to lessen the problem.
> 
> Becky Schaller
> Sonora Cohousing
> Tucson, Arizona
> Our first official meal in the common house is scheduled for September 22!
> 
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