I feel bad not addressing the page of replies that came after I left for the day...so at the risk of this veering off into some random direction -
We had 4 cats come through our household when I was a kid that started life as indoor cats with friends or family and then lived as indoor/outdoor semi-barn cats at our house. 2 of them loved it and were perfectly happy leaving headless/bodyless moles and baby squirrels on the front porch. One lived into his early 20's, the other into her late teens. Both died of old age/age related illness. 2 of them hated it and new indoor homes had to be found for them. So while I understand the concerns, I do want to make it clear that in my head this is not something unspeakably cruel to do to a cat, which is why I even considered it. This may be largely based on the fact that my idea of barn cat is not a feral cat that lives independantly of humans. It's a cat that doesn't have an indoor litter box and spends as much time as they please outside, and the rest of the time is invited inside for visits or hangs out in the barn. They are fed and interacted with by humans daily, are altered, and get regular vet care. I agree that throwing my pampered indoor kittens outside and ignoring them from there would be AWFUL and is not something I'd ever ever consider.
The only reason I asked for the board opinion is because MH (who is not a cat person) has asked me to consider it over and over again, and his insistance that the cats would be fine has made me question whether I'm being overly emotional about it. You guys have shown me that I'm not, and really this would suck for my cats.
Oh...and the bay window is above our kitchen sink. It's not the window MH objects to, it's the counters enroute.
I appreciate all the responses. You've helped me really think through my options and assess what is logical and what is just emotional.
Post by foundmylazybum on Sept 18, 2012 6:37:23 GMT -5
In response to the bay window...I found that putting tinfoil out really worked to stop our cat from going places he wasn't supposed to go.
I only had to do it for a little while to break the habit. It's unsightly for the moment but if it works for your cats--it gets the job done.
Also--I keep thinking about the scratching on the furniture. This is such an easy, easy fix. I have had three cats and NONE of them scratched furniture--but I also have had about 3 different kinds of scratchers..pay attention to what your cats like to scratch..do they scratch rugs (our cat now loves to scratch the rug) OR the horizontal side of your couch. OR both--then get a scratcher that matches his "style." Get a couple different textures--like the rope, carpet, or cardboard (I find ones that have a mixture)--and maybe get one that is a little taller that goes to a window to replace the bay window view
Scratchers are kind of expensive, but I can always find them cheaper at walmart, k-mart etc..and once you find the kind that works--that's what I go with.
Whoever recommended watching "my cat from hell" I also really like that show. Good, concrete kitty advice--especially about how to "exercise" your cats so they don't meow as much.
PS: I don't really think there is anything wrong with being emotional about your pets.
But do a better job about cleaning the damn litter box Wawa..ffs! No one wants to shit in a dirty place!
not that this makes it better, but my bathroom gets kinda filthy too...it's not just my cats that live in a pig sty. I'm a slob.
So...now that we've established that my cats aren't leaving, I'd love more ideas to get them to stop pissing off my husband.
The kittens have a luxury cat condo that MH built back when he was just the BF. It's got two sisal scratching posts, and the rest is carpeted, with a slanted section for additional scratching and two lounging decks at window height. But Cindy still loves kneading the back of the couch and gettign a good stretch with her claws sunk unto the arm, and Callie really enjoys getting her claws into the rug under my bed. Any additional ideas on stuff to try to redirect that?
And the tinfoil is a good idea. It's how my mom used to keep the animals off our new couches too - I'm suprised it didn't occur to me earlier.
Post by karinothing on Sept 18, 2012 7:36:19 GMT -5
Have you tried putting soft paws (I think that is what they are called). They are little rubber tips you can glue on the cats claws. I hear they work really well. We tried them on our cat and they weren't hard to get on BUT she just bit off all the ends until her claws stuck out....perhaps your cats would like them better?
Post by polarbearfans on Sept 18, 2012 7:39:24 GMT -5
I would let them have the window, just wipe the counters down before cooking.
The little cardboard scratchers are great. Trader Joes has the best but really any are a food choice. That would be good for your flat scratcher. Think about where they are scratching and why cats have a need to scratch and get an approved scratcher there. One cat kept scratching a bag in the bedroom until I added a scratcher. As soon as I did no more scratching on bags. My husband keeps trying to move scratchers to where he wants them but they need to be where the cats want them.
I mentioned it before but if you spray Feliway everyday for a month minimum on the spots you see them scratching on the couch and rug they will stop. Dont spray it near the litterbox or their approved scratchers. This worked for a very bad cat that ripped the double sided tape off with his teeth and stared me down as he scratched the couch lol
Good luck. It's good to hear you are keeping them.
Have you tried putting soft paws (I think that is what they are called). They are little rubber tips you can glue on the cats claws. I hear they work really well. We tried them on our cat and they weren't hard to get on BUT she just bit off all the ends until her claws stuck out....perhaps your cats would like them better?
Uhg - I tried these but I just could not motivate to ever put them on again after the first time. Blech - I am a fairly unmotivated cat owner as well and trust me you will never want to put these on. lol (Maybe a vet or groomer could do it for you? I dunno)
Have you tried putting soft paws (I think that is what they are called). They are little rubber tips you can glue on the cats claws. I hear they work really well. We tried them on our cat and they weren't hard to get on BUT she just bit off all the ends until her claws stuck out....perhaps your cats would like them better?
Uhg - I tried these but I just could not motivate to ever put them on again after the first time. Blech - I am a fairly unmotivated cat owner as well and trust me you will never want to put these on. lol (Maybe a vet or groomer could do it for you? I dunno)
Yeah, I tried those once and never again. They were a total pain to put on (I'm lazy), for not very much reward. Now I just go for the scratch pad.
This worked for a very bad cat that ripped the double sided tape off with his teeth and stared me down as he scratched the couch lol
Heh, I was thinking double sided tape until I saw this! Our apartment looked like the lunar lander for a while but the cats didn't give a crap about the foil. Sticky tape seemed to show more promise but I had to go all out and use upside down contact paper. We stepped on it a lot
Heh, I have one cat who likes the sound of foil under his paws, but hates sticky tape and one who likes to touch sticky tape, but hate the sound of foil under her paws. When I set up the baby stuff, I put down foil with sticky tape on it. Seemed to work out.