Can Outdoor Cats become Indoor Cats?

[Kooky]

Oh decisions decisions

Every time I have to rescue or clean up a lizard I say we're moving into an apartment. Every time I have to clean up grassy cat barf I say we're moving into an apartment. Since Han got mugged I've said we're moving into an apartment.

We really are thinking of moving into an apartment, but I keep getting a guilty feeling - can I do this to the kits? Will they be thoroughly miserable and end up on Prozac? Will they spend their days trying to escape and will I eventually find them splattered on the ground below? (We're thinking low-rise, but maybe 3rd floor ish.)

Do I have to be cruel to be kind, or am I just being cruel? What do all you cat-lovin' people think?

[Burbage]

A cat would probably survive a drop from the third floor if they don't hit anything to upset their righting reflex on the way down. They definitely don't survive a drop from the 14th floor as I found out in singapore. The cats will eventually cope with being indoors, I guess. What choice would they have?

[Bender]

Do a trial where you are now - don't let them out. Not just for a few days, but at least a month or two.

[Tas]

As cats get older and older, apparently they sleep up to 20hrs a day, which works quite well for apartment living. The only kit you'd have to really be concerned with is Fu, the other 2 I believe would find a way to be content indoors (plus I happed to know the places you're looking at have fairly decent balconies that would be fine out door time ) And as Fu ages he'll turn into sleepy puss.

[Kooky]

Yep, Fu is my main worry. He's a rebel but that's what I love about him.

(The most decent of those balconies add about 100k to the price of an apartment, Tas. )

[Tas]

not sure of that, the balconies area added 10-20k, the 100k is for having no living area facing the train line - was with the sales lady for quite a while The front facing ones are at a premium. They also had best afternoon light when I went through - there was no electriciy at the time so had to rely on natural light - was quite pleasant. Trying to decide if going back to look at the 1 bedders in building B.

[Kooky]

Yeah the ones with most rooms at the front have the bigger terraces.

Gwan, you know you want to. We've requested a hardhat tour of them, got 3 configurations in mind. Hopefully going Thurs pm.

[azzam]

It's not the daytime that is the problem. Cats are nocturnal, and after a full month in an apartment, Bob is still yowling all night to get out and is distressed as hell. I went and stayed one night with him and he was a bit better, slept on my bed and only yowled until I told him to shut up - but when I am not there, the poor woman looking after him is getting very little sleep. Even the prozac doesn't help much.
The strange thing is, he spent years in an apartment, only had a year and a half in Seletar, but he's made his stubborn little mind up that outside is where he belongs...
The suggestion to lock them in for a month might be a good one - except you'll be locked in too.

[TheDancerOnYourGrave]

Babe babe babe

You're in the land of my peoples, all wide and open..

Get outta this Singapore match box mentality.

Buy land.

You have a damn superfast DSG Golf for the architect to whizz around in.. Move to the open

I'm sure you can buy like a small country for the cost of a city apt..

Non?

Don't punch me

[Kooky]

It is a good suggestion and I may be locked in but at least the bloody files would be locked out.

edit: Flies, thank you azzam. I mean flies. The files are currently taking over the lounge and I still can't bring myself to concentrate on my homework.

[azzam]

Yes, tell Neo to keep those bloody files at the office.

[Aliya]

well Xiao Hei will never go outside at night again, once he is up and about again that will be the cardinal rule, all cats in when it gets dark. Poor little bugger he is really struggling with being in a little cage all the time, vet says he cant go out until the cartilage builds around the bone and while this is happening it will be another week inside and he is getting depressed. I do take him out and sit him on the sofa with me (he just is not allowed to move really) and give him lots of love and neck scratching but OMG it is horrible. I never want to go through this with another animal.

Azz, how is your househunting coming along?

[Kooky]

Fu is only really interested in going out after dark apart from the occasional roll round the garden with Han. He catches his zzzzzs during the day and then, whoosh, he's off down the garden and over the wall, coming back occasionally to refuel before whoosh once more.

He's often in by bedtime but, since it got warm, he's disappearing again in the night.

[Dinosaur]

Yeah the ones with most rooms at the front have the bigger terraces.

Gwan, you know you want to. We've requested a hardhat tour of them, got 3 configurations in mind. Hopefully going Thurs pm.

Solution - get hardhats for the kitties

[Kooky]

I can picture it now.

We have to explore the possibility of netting the balcony - how we can, how it would look, and if the Strata Management would let us. It's unusual that the place is even "pets allowed", although officially it is maximum of 2.

[TheDancerOnYourGrave]

Spoiler: toggle

This will end in tears

E: Light-hearted sweetheart I don't mean it

Enjoy your new house

[FurBaby]

Kooky, i sit a few kits who are retired farm cats - literally, they used to live on farms and earned their keep hunting mice in the fields and bringing them home for breakfast

some came to S'pore in their middle years, took a few months to settle into indoor life, and are now happy spending their days chasing toys, looking out windows and sunbathing on balconies.

the DIY shops should have fine mosquito netting which would be nigh on invisible to the neighbours and condo management, that should do the trick for you. alternatively, there should also be fine mesh plastic-coated chicken wire which would work too - get either black or white, depending on whether you look onto bright or dark surroundings, so that it will disappear into the background.

[Kooky]

You hide it well Furby but I think you want me to keep them in.

[FurBaby]

you know me - safety first!

the mosquito netting trick was taught to me by a former NZ farm cat

[Kooky]

It was my first thought too (and will help with all the files (sic) ) but we'll have to find an apartment with a balcony suitable for enclosing. Some definitely are not.

[Pinklepurr]

I've known a couple of cats that have done the transformation and they worked well, but it did take a lot of work by the families involved (and earmuffs for a good while). If you have a real prowler though it will be tough and I would be scared to death if the balcony wasn't "fenced in" in some way. Escaping through the front doors is a worry too, especially if they can't get back in that way. One of these cats became an expert darter and no matter how careful they were he still got out a few times and they had a few worrying nights when they couldn't find him. Now though, they are happy enough and escapes are extremely rare, if at all.

[slinky]

Cats are nocturnal

Yes, I'd forgotten that little tidbit Had to remove the bell from little Jonesy's collar yesterday because it's become clear that we are no fun at all to him during the night while we are sleeping.......he only woke me up briefly last night when he got in the bed for a snuggle --- at least I didn't hear him jingling all around the house & up and down the stairs anymore

[Kooky]

Ours now have bells, slinks, and I think it took me longer to get used to it than it did them. Try having three of them.

Bo is now also known as Tinkerbell, as her supermodel wiggle sets hers off more than the boys do theirs.

[Pinklepurr]

Oh you have a tinkerbell too!

I call our little cat Tinkerbell all the time, she can never hide, in fact she is tinkling behind me right now just washing herself. The other one somehow manages to be able to keep hers very quiet, and can sneak around the house without us being able to tell where she is, I thought it was just a quieter bell, but testing proved otherwise, she is just clever.

Glad to hear that Jonesy has settled in with you so quickly Slinky. It was obviously meant to be.

[Sardonicus]

I find the transition is easier with a little wine before saute-ing, or marinating in a a garlic sauce before putting on the rotisserie.