Another outdoor cat query

[Eve]

As per my previous post, I am building up towards letting Heathcliffe out after firework frenzy is over.

I live on a redeveloped quays site and have seen a few rats running about near the water and am now concerned about him catching one and any diseases it has or being bitten or injured.

He has a proper hunter nature in him and is incredibly fast and loves to play so am thinking it would be live ones to play with as is their nature.

He has a collar with a bell for a forewarning but anyone got any other ideas???

[Jugglering]

Hehe... talking of cats and rats... my second ever cat was a tiny little bundle of fluff (Minnie) who was totally dominated by my first cat. However, Minnie was quite capable of dealing with any intruders into the garden - she actually caught a (ahem, domestic, tame, ooops) neighbour's white rat (which was overweight and huge) and brought it home. One ex-fat-rat later, I was found apologising to neighbour's son and had to promise to get him another rat... I never did understand why the neighbour's son had allowed his pet rat to run around in the garden, but that wasn't really the point !

[Eve]

Hi and thanks for all the replies :)

Feeling a lot better about letting him out now though still not relishing the thought of all the presents likely to be coming my way...eeek!

[ruthann58]

morning jenna how did you get on with halloween last night we did not have to many fireworks here so cats and dog were ok ,how was heathcliff did you have many

[Eve]

There were a few random bangs but nothing apart from that. Doesn't seem to be too bad round here, maybe because it's more of a young professionals area than an area with lots of kids.

No trick or treaters either.

Am still bracing myself for fireworks night though!

He's getting more and more eager to get out bless him but don't want to risk it until after bonfire night.

He's still very goo,d makes an effort to get out the door but always lets himself be stopped.

His month is up next weekend so umming and arring whether to try him then.

It's my 30th on the Monday so will be in and out this weekend and would rather be about when i first let him out so may well wait until the weekend after.

[Rosetta]

Hi Jenna, with bonfire night being mid week, its possible some people may have firework parties next weekend as well. It may be as well to leave it a bit longer until all danger is past.
Good luck for when he first ventures out. You will be having kittens LOL.

[dot.hawkes]

Hi Jenna

I have had cats all my life, I grew up on a farm and the cats wer ferrel then, but over the years I have realised that all cats are ferrel , I have never put a bell on any of them, I know there are good reasons from the owners point of view, but it is in their nature to be predatory, My 11 year old tomcat (Tom) is worse now than he was years ago for bringing home presents !!!! He was very aggresive and snappy for most of his life, but I did post on here a while ago that since we moved here in March he is a changed cat!!! he is purring all the time and comes in the house voluntarily, but i wouldn't stop him being instinctively the hunter, it would really annoy him. I think that without the bell, cats have a better chance of being the dominant one in any cat and mouse encounter, and so they would be less likely to be the injured party!!! If the prey has forwarning of Heathcliffe's approach, they have the advantage, but in his head he is thinking he has!!!

[Eve]

I didn't think of it that way Dot.

I will be awful when he first goes out, worrying if he will come back! Will leave it until the weekend after next when I can be around and fireworks have gone.

He's being a little monkey this morning, decided mummy wasn't having a lie in then got in the supposedly cat proof bin for after chicken bones and is now stalking me after my breakfast! Don't you just love em!

He's not a fussy cat, loves a nice stroke and tickle in small doses and on his terms. He's a very independant but inquisitive cat though considering he was a stray, very good in the flat.

He has all his little adopted cat places and comes and snuggles up on the bed with me at night, purring away and doing his pawsys and suckling for a bit of pre-sleep fuss :)

[dot.hawkes]

lol I call it peddling when Tom does that, I sometimes wonder if he eally only needs me because i can use a tin opener and he can't.

After 10 years Tom only needed a week here kept inside to decide it was his home, and in the other house he had never really been inside, he was born there and so it was his natural environment I guess.

I know he travels quite a way as i have seen him alot further along the road than i would have expected, he knows the car and one day last week i came home but had to go back out almost immediately, and I passed him as he was heading home all excited thinking his meal would be waiting, as i drove back out passed him he ust stopped in his tracks and sat down and watched the car pass, he was experessionless of course , but I thought in his head he was growling at me saying, 'i've trotted back and left what I was doing because you came home, where the heck are you going now? ' lol, he watched the car drive away cos I saw his head turn round to follow me and his body stayed sitting!!!

[Eve]

Awww bless him :) I love the almost psychic thing they have. He always comes running when I get home though my faffing around gor my keys is a dead giveaway haha, but all the cats we had back home would just know when the one who feeds them was on the way back.

He definitely has the hunter in him (piccies on Facebook) and would love being outside and I won't deny him that. I play with him lots but he needs his proper cat time.

I got him 3 weeks ago today from Leigh Cat & Dogs Home so had settled on at least a month to get him settled (albeit he acted like he owned the place from day one).

I feel awful when he obviously wants to go out but his time will come soon :)