Re-homing & Cat flap questions

golfgirl

Hi,

I have taken in a lovely good-natured ginger and white 2 and a 1/2 year old cat from the DSPCA, 'Rolo'. I have had a lot of experience with cats, having gone through a few in my time with my parents, the latest of which is now 16 years old and in great health!

So, both the DSPCA and local pet store people have advised me to keep him indoors for 3 weeks as otherwise if I let him out he will run away ... aw. The poor guy is with me a week now, and he's just so frustrated and I'm dying to let him out. I've been feeding him well and giving him lots of attention which he's lapping up. I know I should follow all the advices, but I'm just dying to let him out ... ok, yeah, your answers are gonna be, let him out at your peril, you might lose him etc. .... I just feel for the guy. He's even tried to go up my chimney and I've had to stuff a pillow up to stop him.

My other issue is a cat-flap one ... I only have a sliding door out to the garden. Is it possible to get a cat-flap fitted onto a window? Has anyone used a cat kennel and are they a good option? The guy at the DSPCA threw his eyes up to heaven when I suggested a kennel, retorting that cats should be able to come and go as they please and that it's a bad idea to leave a cat out all day long ... ? !

Advice welcome and apologies for the length of this ... !

fits

Do you have a large back garden? If not, you could 'cat-proof' it by putting a fence on top of the wall angled inwards.. it would take a bit of work though.
I'd follow the advice you've been given and not let him out yet unless the garden is secured.

Tabitharose

golfgirl wrote:

I just feel for the guy.

then keep him in - however much he would like to go out - do you really want him getting lost and ending up hungry and unable to find his way home?

he's not necessarily gone up the chimney in an attempt to go out he's gone up cause it's there and just another place to explore

as someone who has recently adopted from the dspca also, the advice given there is excellent & should be followed

Schlemm

Sometimes if there's a flap door on a cat kennel it can get frozen shut in cold weather thereby leaving the cat trapped in or out but otherwise they're not too bad.

Stick to the regular feeding times so that he'll know when and where to come back for food once he's left out. Defo try to keep him in, especially given his age and circumstances. A week is hardly much time at all for him to adapt, and it'll be worth the wait in the end. Plenty of toys/scratching posts/etc. will help, or you could use feliway if he's very restless.

Ask your vet about getting a FeLV vaccine if it's an outdoor cat; some people bother and some don't but it's worth considering esp. for an outdoor cat anyways.

Good luck with your new additions!

stovelid

Our cats didn't really need 3 weeks to get used to the new place, closer to a week IIRC. That said, they are (a) used to us (b) have moved before...

You say 'he', so he's a Tom? Has he been spayed? He is definitely more likely to wander if not.

As for the cat kennel, we have one. Our cats stay out all day when we're at work and seem happy to me.

In summer /spring, they sleep outside in the (spacious, waterproofed, quilted, cushioned of course ) kennel. They sleep indoors in the winter if they want but to be honest, they usually still want to go out and roam for half the night.

Obviously it would be nice not to leave them all day but many cat owners don't have the luxury of not having to work. Working people providing a loving home for cats is far better than not taking in a cat in because you won't be there all day IMO.

Maybe when he is settled in, you may consider a friend to keep him company?

moneyblues

In case you haven't sorted out the catflap yet here's a link for one thats ok for glass doors http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_houses_flaps/doors/14519

I don't know how much it will cost to get a glazier to fit it though. It would be worth it in the long run. Most cats love to be able to come and go as they please. Of my four cats only one prefers to sleep outdoors. I wish he wouldn't though - I'd much rather he was tucked nice and warm indoors in bad weather!

golfgirl

Thanks for your posts and advice ... I didn't quite heed the DSPCA advice, letting him out on the 10th day. He's been great though. I let him out for a few minutes at a time, making sure to call him back in for food, gradually have lengthened that time. He was out late lastnight and when I called him he didn't come, my heart skipped a beat. But sure enough about half an hour later I checked on him again and there he was. Yes, definitely thinking about the cat flap idea for the winter. It's so mild now it's fine to leave my sliding door open. I just noted some comments about a collar and bell being cruel. Our 16 year old cat never wore one and he was happy as larry. This fella tho is used to one, having come from the DSPCA. I tried to adjust it the other day and he went for me, so he's well used to it, and is happy. It also helps me at these early stages to hear what he's up to in the dark. Thank you again.

comongethappy

Collars aren't cruel- but there are some arguments that bells can affect a cat's hearing. My cats always took their collars off when bells were on them, so I just removed the bells. However, if you don't like the idea of a heavy id tag hanging from your pet, why not buy an emboriderd collar for your pet? You can list your pet's name and your telephone number on it in case it runs off. You can buy these at http://www.luckypet.com/categories.php?cat=18 . They're a brilliant company - one of mine had gotten lost in the post and they shipped out another free of charge.

Also, if you're letting your cat out within the first two weeks, consider investing in a cat harness - you can know where you cat is at all time that way

AntiVirus

I'm looking to get a cat flap fitted in my sliding patio door as well. This is a great one to go for as its a slim profile cat flap.

Staywell 200 - Patio Door Cat Flap

I know its going to be expensive to get fitted correctly around 450 euros. So if anyone knows anyone that fits them I'd like to know as well.

I've 2 4 month old kittens and I had been letting them out the back but they've now mastered the act of climbing up a 6 foot wall and like to go into the neigbours back garden. I've decided to keep them in until they get spayed and they're making me feel guilty as hell! but a couple of M&S jumbo prawns seemed to sort that out and now they're going bananas chasing each other up and down the stairs!!!