we want updates. And photos.
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we want updates. And photos.
This is an AWESOME article about cat toilet training!
http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1265
I thought about trying one with Tortilla since she was declawed by her previous owner and could only be safe outside under extreme supervision. But we figure she never has tried to follow Heidi (the dog) outside or us either so why tell her there is a world out there? I had another declawed cat from the shelter that was impossible to keep in. It was a very stressful situation for me and her. She thought she should be outside and never understood why she had to stay indoors. :(
My declawed kitty, Calypso loves going outside the BACK door, and sits under the Norfolk pine that's near the back porch. The branches reach down to the ground, so she can hide under them and scan her domain for intruders such as lizards and cockroaches, and the occasional mocking bird. She makes no attempt to run out the front door when I go out to get the paper or the mail, but will run to the back door and cry to be let out. Since my two old cats won't play with her, outside allows some peace in the house.
I got a leash for Ruthie because I thought she'd enjoy being able to go outside once in a while. She's constantly in the windows "hunting" birds and squirrels, I figured she'd want to actually go and run in the grass and see things up close. Yeah, I thought wrong. Just getting the harness on her is a hassle, and by that point she's so mad at me she doesn't want to move. She just lays on the floor, as if I've put some kind of torture device on her. So I take her outside and instead of running around checking things out, she's a big scardy cat! Anything that moves causes her to run under the car or into the bushes. I haven't tried bringing her out in a long time, because it just doesn't seem worth it.
We used to have not one, but two cats who would walk with us when we took the (then) 2 dogs for a walk in the neighborhood. The cats would follow along behind and the neighbors thought it was a hoot!
Well, I got Monkey a clicker, some new treats, a harness (but no leash yet), and a LASER POINTER (which she's never had before). We played all morning with it in one part of the house (a darker part) and now that we're not playing anymore, she's yowling looking for her new bright little friend. At least I have a way to coax her outside if she doesn't want to come willingly at first!
I don't think she's had this much fun in a loooong time. I need to get a nicer laser pointer though... this one is pretty cheap.
Before I took Hunter (cat) in, he'd follow Chloe (dog) on our walks. He'd actually attach himself to her side like velcro. (He still does but at the time he'd been abandoned by his owners and I think he was starved for some attention...and food.) I'd have to keep treats in my pocket in order to move him from underfoot :rolleyes: :). Chloe's quite tolerant of this. One of these days I'm going to try to get a picture of it. The walks would create quite the stir from neighbors and passing motorists.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norsegoddess
I have a cat that greets me at the gate every day. Escorts me up the walk and on to the porch, then notices the dogs waiting just inside the door...and refuses to come in. :p
If I'm not fast enough when going out, he sprints through the gate and gets right in the car when I open the door. He has spent the night in the car once or twice (don't panic, it was winter time).
Karen
I take my kitty for walks on a leash, or rather, she walks me. I got the idea after discovering that she was probably a Bombay cat, and read in the profiles of Bombay cats that they were easily leash trained. In hindsight, I'd have to say that I wish I hadn't let that particular pandora open that particular box. Silky kitty was perfectly happy as an indoor cat, leering at the birds from the window; basking in the sun from the window....etc. but now, she's discovered that she REALLY LIIIIIKes being outside, and that she would really rather cut out the middle man (aka: ME). Yeah, yeah, she tolerates having the leash put on and she tolerates leading me around to the spots in the yard she would like to look at, but she would really rather take the initiative and take a look for herself. so she is constantly rushing the door any time she hears any body even thinking about opening it. She doesn't reason out the fact that half the things she encounters scare the bejebus out of her, or that she actually does like hanging out with me; she just has this new impulse to rush the door and get OUT.