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Post by Kye on Aug 21, 2018 10:44:35 GMT
So yesterday I came into the house by the back door and foolishly left the screen door wide open. By the time I realized it several hours later, both my (indoor) cats had taken off outside. I raced down the stairs and got one of them back with no problem, but the other one (Silk) was no where to be found. Our neighbourhood has a goodly number of outside cats and they were all very interested in the newcomer. Silk however was completely freaked out. When I went to get him he hissed and yowled at me. He's very strong ad has very sharp claws. There was no way he was going to come to me. The neighbours got into the act also, but no one was having any luck. I finally just gave up --I mean I could see him; he wasn't in any danger. I spent a sleepless night going out onto the back balcony, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. At 4 am, Mr Silk comes up to the screen door. I let him in and he calmly jumped on the bed and started licking himself. Louis (the other, usually more docile cat) however seems to have forgotten who Silk is and has spent the last few hours spitting and hissing at him. Idiot cats! I'm just glad Silk made it home no worse for wear. When he was a kitten, he got out and was gone for 3 days.
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Post by Mari on Aug 21, 2018 11:09:18 GMT
We always worry a lot more than they seem to do themselves... except for those moments where they are right out of your reach yowling like their tail's on fire or something...
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Post by Kye on Aug 21, 2018 11:29:31 GMT
Indeed. He's not very bright and closer to the wild side than most regular domestic cats, which can make him hard to manage. He is pretty though...
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Post by JoeP on Aug 21, 2018 14:20:55 GMT
Cats are indeed idiots when it comes to indoor/outdoorness.
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Post by tangent on Aug 21, 2018 18:00:03 GMT
When I was young (just after the Roman invasion), everyone turned their cats out at night, even in the middle of winter. There were no indoor cats. They survived the cold weather, although I don't know how. It seems a very cruel thing to do but we just accepted it.
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Post by Kye on Aug 21, 2018 18:04:40 GMT
When I was young (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) dogs were never put on leashes. We'd let them go out in the morning to hang out with other dogs and call them in for meals. A different time...
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Post by Moose on Aug 21, 2018 22:45:10 GMT
I know a lot of people think that keeping cats indoors is cruel but I do not understand why. Ours are perfectly happy. Pip would have to be forced out if the house caught fire.
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Post by JoeP on Aug 22, 2018 8:25:45 GMT
Letting cats outdoors can be seen as cruel to the bird and rodent population of the area, and based on our cats' behaviour, also the frog population.
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Post by Mari on Aug 22, 2018 9:09:13 GMT
Mine go after butterflies mostly. They go completely wild whenever they see one.
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Post by JoeP on Aug 22, 2018 13:01:02 GMT
One of mine ate a pair of mating dragonflies, mid-flight. That was quite awful and quite impressive.
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Post by Kye on Aug 22, 2018 13:04:31 GMT
Ew... ew.
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Post by Moose on Aug 26, 2018 2:06:54 GMT
Still, at least they died happy.
Oh come on, SOMEONE was going to say it.
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Post by Mari on Aug 26, 2018 8:33:01 GMT
Yes, well, everyone was going out of their way not to say it...
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Post by raspberrybullets on Sept 15, 2018 12:34:41 GMT
Outdoor cats definitely a problem for native wildlife in Aussie. There just aren't those type of predators here naturally. My kitty has got lots of entertainment to keep him amused indoors. But he's very energetic so I'm going to try getting him to accept a harness and go for a walk, see if he takes to that.
The vet gave us great advice to buy dog bowls meant to slow down dogs guzzling their food. Lot more puzzling and work now for Louie to get his food and he's not whining like he was all week even after playing with him for hours and getting him to run around before eating!
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Post by JoeP on Sept 15, 2018 13:11:27 GMT
That sounds good - how do the bowls work? Can you post a pic?
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Post by raspberrybullets on Sept 15, 2018 13:31:00 GMT
I think Ronald posted some pics on FB but not sure how clear they are. I'll take photos in the daylight tomorrow to show you.
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Post by raspberrybullets on Sept 15, 2018 13:36:04 GMT
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Post by Mari on Sept 15, 2018 14:24:29 GMT
I have a puzzle food bowl for cats for Puck. If we don't use one, he'll finish his entire meal in 20 seconds...
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Post by Kye on Sept 15, 2018 19:06:41 GMT
My cats are nibblers. They have a couple of crunchies then walk away. They even do that when I feed them soft cat food.
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Post by tangent on Sept 15, 2018 21:50:48 GMT
Those links work for me, RB.
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Post by JoeP on Sept 15, 2018 23:47:12 GMT
I am tempted to get something like that - one of my cats is very sedate but the other would gobble all the wet food in 10 seconds if she could.
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Post by Moose on Sept 16, 2018 22:48:03 GMT
Ours tend to be nibblers too. Except for Honey .. who obviously is not a cat : P
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Post by raspberrybullets on Oct 6, 2018 12:21:43 GMT
It's definitely working to slow him down and he usually leaves some behind, so not hungry enough to try and get those extra kibbles.
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Post by whollygoats on Oct 6, 2018 21:54:21 GMT
We have timed feeders for our two, from when they were put on a diet by their vet.
We have gone back to more controlled feedings and they are now off the timed feeders. And doing well in a slimmer look. We found out that it helped somewhat in the reducing the early morning wakeups, because we set the feeders to dispense at 4 am. However, it soon clarified that part of the process was being let out. So, now, we are awakened at 4 am to release them from the house.
Our biggest problem was the food we'd started out with being so calorically rich. We had to switch away to a lower calorie food in timed feeders. Now, we are early morning doorkeepers.
We haz strong-willed fuzzwads what thinks that the hoomins are merely slaves to their feline desires. Can you imagine that?
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Post by raspberrybullets on Oct 8, 2018 10:23:01 GMT
We run Louie around and make him use up energy before eating. Though we also have to do it after eating because he doesn't get all sleepy post food but just gets more energy. But then he seems to sleep all through the night. In the morning he gives us a few headbuts to see if we're awake and will lie down and sleep with us on the bed. But as soon as there is any movement or the alarm radio goes off, he demands play.
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Post by Mari on Oct 10, 2018 10:43:04 GMT
My ninjas destroy those timed feeders. Impossible for cats to open, the interwebz say... yeah, right.
Our cats are now on special urinary diet food, but it is more calorie rich. I've had to put Puck back on a rigorous diet.
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Post by whollygoats on Oct 10, 2018 18:35:31 GMT
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Post by Mari on Oct 31, 2018 13:23:03 GMT
Our cats are going to see a therapist. One is peeing where he shouldn't and the other 2 are licking themselves bald. They also seem to have changed a bit since I got pregnant. *sigh* At least it's less expensive then it sounds.
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Post by tangent on Oct 31, 2018 15:19:49 GMT
Is the therapist another cat?
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Post by Mari on Oct 31, 2018 15:29:59 GMT
Nope, a catlady
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