Interesting article about cats and their lives

[Richard Hakluyt]

Here :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2340714/The-Secret-Life-Cat-What-mischievous-moggies-gets-owners-backs.html

Some good stuff here 

[Monoriu]

Very interesting.  I am quite surprised that this kind of study isn't done more often. 

[Liep]

"Feline Napoleons". Would be an interesting watch, I'm sure they'll air it here too at some point.

[Monoriu]

I wonder if cats go mad if I don't let them out. 

[merithyn]

I want one for my cats. I often wonder where they go when they head outside.

[Grey Fox]

This makes me

[Berkut]

Our cats are strictly indoor cats.

Which I think kind of sucks for them, but the wife is adamant about it.

[CountDeMoney]

I want one for my cats. I often wonder where they go when they head outside.

Your cats told me that it's none of your fucking business.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Our cats are strictly indoor cats.

Which I think kind of sucks for them, but the wife is adamant about it.

Yeah, I found out about this North American peculiarity on a visit to Canada in 1992. I was shocked.

Some even have them declawed so they don't shred the furnishings.

This is completely weird and insane from the British point of view where the independent streak that cats have is their most widely admired trait.

[OttoVonBismarck]

I think a lot of cats are fine being indoor only if you get them as kittens and keep them that way. In my experience though if you have a cat that is either accustomed to living mostly outdoors or being able to go outdoors throughout the day, it will never be happy as an indoor only cat and will scheme to escape constantly. I know outdoor cats don't live as long, but unless you've raised one as an indoor cat I don't really know that they can have great quality of life being cooped up.

[CountDeMoney]

This is completely weird and insane from the British point of view where the independent streak that cats have is their most widely admired trait.

That doesn't change by living indoors.  What changes about living outdoors is the mortality rate, when you find your cat dead.

As long as a cat owner remains engaged with their cat with playtime, attention and stimulation, an indoor cat can be a happy cat.

[OttoVonBismarck]

Yeah, I found out about this North American peculiarity on a visit to Canada in 1992. I was shocked.

Some even have them declawed so they don't shred the furnishings.

This is completely weird and insane from the British point of view where the independent streak that cats have is their most widely admired trait.

I think declawing is on the wane big time, I know some vets will not do it and I think the American Veterinary Association is opposed to the practice. When I was growing up there was no such thing as a purely indoor cat. There were cats that chose to lounge around the house most of the time, but they always had the option to wander around the neighborhood. I think in America there is a streak of perhaps over-protectiveness from cat owners. Cats that live outdoors are much more likely to die early from getting hit by cars or injured in fights etc, so a lot of cat owners in America take the view that it's irresponsible as a cat owner to let them outside.

[Berkut]

I think my wife has some kind of strange concern that they are going to wander away and get stolen or just not know how to get back home.

[CountDeMoney]

I think declawing is on the wane big time, I know some vets will not do it and I think the American Veterinary Association is opposed to the practice.

It is.  Even though declawing procedures have gotten "better" with laser surgery as opposed to the old method of pulling them out, its been determined that declawing leads to behavioral issues, particularly with litter box use.

And it's not like they're comparable to fingernails like the old argument goes, either;  because of the way they operate, it's the equivalent of removing somebody's finger bones to the 2nd knuckle.

[Grey Fox]

Our cats are strictly indoor cats.

Which I think kind of sucks for them, but the wife is adamant about it.

Yeah, I found out about this North American peculiarity on a visit to Canada in 1992. I was shocked.

Some even have them declawed so they don't shred the furnishings.

This is completely weird and insane from the British point of view where the independent streak that cats have is their most widely admired trait.

Seriously? Tyr's mind is going to explodes when he reads this thread.


My sister in law has 6 cats, none of them are allowed outside. One has Kitty AIDS.