cats out doors

[sky537]

Should I put something on my cats feet when he goes out? Skye

[lostdreams]

My mom used to tell me to put butter on your cats feet the first time it goes out....not sure to the reason why. I never did and my cat came back no problem.

[marissposa]

Are you concerned due to extremely cold temperatures?  If so, maybe you should just keep kitty in for awhile.

[sky537]

hi its me again, I'm concerned about the weather and how extremely cold it gets,should I put something on his feet, because he hates to go outside now.Thanks sky537

[zodiacqueen]

If your cat hates going out in the cold, then why make him?  Is there some reason that you don't want him in the house?

[dominosarah]

I couldnt imagine letting my cat outside in this weather.....they can freeze their little feet...

[marissposa]

Keep the cat in.  He is trying to tell you it is not safe or comfortable for him to go out.  Why are you putting him out when he doesn't want to go???  

[MJIthewriter]

I'm with the other people, it sounds like a good time to keep the cat indoors.  I see you're in ON. I don't know what ON is like but I'd think it wouldn't be much different if not colder than where I am. Being in MN, especially with a cold snap of potential -1 for a high and -15 for low, it does not sound like a good time to let any animal outside.

[Ghilly]

If your kitty hates to go out now, why would you make him go out?  Cats are perfectly capable of being totally indoor pets since they use litter boxes, so why would you make him go outside anyway?  

It's not safe for cats to be allowed to roam outdoors.  There are too many dangers that could befall them.  If you live in the city or the suburbs, there are cars to worry about, dogs, and worst of all, cat-hating people who deliberately try to harm them.  If you live in the country, free-roaming cats can be picked up by hawks, bitten by snakes, attacked by raccoons, coyotes or other wildlife, or hit by cars that are racing along country roads.  Also, in the country, it's not uncommon for people who don't like cats to simply shoot them to keep them away from their property.

Then there's the flip side of the coin - the damage that free-roaming cats do to the environment.  Cats kill birds, small rodents, snakes and lizards.  This might not sound like a big deal, but if an area has enough stray and free-roaming pet cats, they can do tremendous damage to the local ecosystems.  Cats are not indigenous to anywhere, the are domestic animals, not wildlife.  Therefore, when they are introduced and allowed to roam as if they WERE wildlife, the whole local ecosystem is thrown off and, in many cases, damaged beyond repair.  

Cats are pets, and unless they are feral and living in a barn because they cannot cohabitate with humans in a house, they should be kept indoors and supplied with toys and human interaction for their amusement.  

Ghilly

[zodiacqueen]

Amen, Ghilly!  Well put!  The original poster lives in Ontario, and from what I've heard it's been 30-40 below!  That is terrible to "make" the cat go out in those conditions, and I think she should find the cat a new home if she refuses to keep her cat in the house.  I'm sure that the poster wouldn't want to be outside for any length of time, and wouldn't want to be forced to stay outside.

[sky537]

Hi everyone,First of all I love my baby, he's like my child,I would never do anything to harm him. The reason I put him out is I live in a house with 3 other people, The one person has 2 cats both female and quite aggressive their not use to being around other cats or I guess people, I think The owner has made the cats the way they are because of the way her behaviour is. She has a bad temper,and they stay in her room most of the time,so when she wants them out of the room she wants my cat to go outside.I'm going to be moving soon,but just so you know when Tang goes out it's only for 5-10 mins and he sits on the front porch on a blanket.I don't like it either, but I only rent a room,the owner of the cats is the daughter of the man I rent off. So please don't be angry at me I love my cat very much! sky/537

[Savas]

The only comment I'll make is that cats (especially if they have winter coats) can deal with the cold quite well. There pads are designed to be quite efficient little protectors from the elements.

HOWEVER, the one thing their paw pads aren't designed to deal with is moisture. If a cat gets wet, or it's paws get wet, they lose just about all of their ability to effectively regulate their body temperature to protect against the elements.

If it drop below the temperature to freeze water, don't let your cat go out. Ice is one of the number one killer of stray cats.
Their paw pads will stick to the snowy/icy ground and often patches of fur and skin will tear off, leaving them in a sorry state that often is fatal to thier life.

[MJIthewriter]

I'm not angry. Just concerned.  I hope there can be a way to work with the aggressive cats or keep your cat away from them without having to let your cat outdoors at this time of year.

I don't know if Feliway would help or not but it may be worth getting some and spraying it in various parts of the house. It is supposed to have a calming effect on cats.  It mimics the scent that cats leave when they rub their face on things.  If that doesn't work have you tried to set aside a separate part of the house for your cat and gradually re-introduce your cat like you would if you got a new cat.  If you need help finding articles about introducing or reintroducting a cat, let me know.  I can probably google something up.

[zodiacqueen]

Another solution-instead of putting your beloved cat out, why not lock your beloved cat in your room where it's warm.