TheDude January 17, 2013 Share TheDude Member January 17, 2013 So i'm having a discussion with my mom about what to do with our cat at night. At the moment it is -14°C outside (dunno what that is in fahrenheit). Our cat spends all her time inside during the day. She hates going outside and rarely does it. At night however she has to go out. I think that a cat that spends 2/3 of her life in a warm home would have trouble surviving the night. My proposal was to keep her inside, in my room. I'd make a litter box and if she started whining to go outside, i'd just let her. My parents are against it however. They're also worried (well my mom is, my dad prefers his cats dead), but don't really want to take her inside. any cat knowledge or input is much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flitterkill January 17, 2013 Share Flitterkill GC Board Member January 17, 2013 At the moment it is -14°C outside (dunno what that is in fahrenheit). 7 degrees F. Poor cat. Box, blankets, heating pad? Those could work. No garage? Odd though, if inside the house during the day, why out at night? Is this cat fixed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samurai nightling January 18, 2013 Share samurai nightling Member January 18, 2013 Make a cuddly warm home for her outside if she has to go out. She wont survive well at those temperatures without something. She will find somewhere to sleep that is warm though, that's instinctual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VooDooPC January 18, 2013 Share VooDooPC Member January 18, 2013 Your cat is probably going out at night and warming up with hot kitty cat sex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDude January 18, 2013 Author Share TheDude Member January 18, 2013 I've put out a box with a big blanket under our garage. The garage is not enclosed though. Problem is there are a lot of cats around, and i'm afraid she'll have to defend her spot. She goes outside at night, because we have an alarm system that scans the first floor. She's not allowed upstairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amertrash January 18, 2013 Share amertrash Member January 18, 2013 I'm with your dad myself, frikken hate cats. I will say however the cats on our farm live in a 50 year old plus dirt floored pole barn with nothing but some straw bails and deer/pheasant entrails in temps down to -30C and usually do fine, but then again they are farm cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Preacher January 18, 2013 Share Preacher Member January 18, 2013 (edited) +1 to dead cats but cats are survivors. It is a rare thing that cats die from cold. They will find a warm spot, from the engine block of a car, to an underground sewer. Cats are almost wild animals at their tamest and have the same instincts as racoons or other creatures of the night. And taste delicious with stir fried veggies Edited January 18, 2013 by Preacher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flitterkill January 18, 2013 Share Flitterkill GC Board Member January 18, 2013 You guys are morons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingCat January 18, 2013 Share walkingCat Member January 18, 2013 WTH!!! Why kick the cat outside at night? WHY? Just close her inside bathroom (remove toilet paper and etc. If she lives 70% of her life inside, she won't take cold environment as a cat from farms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDude January 18, 2013 Author Share TheDude Member January 18, 2013 I want to, but my parents don't think it's necessary. Why inside the bathroom though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingCat January 19, 2013 Share walkingCat Member January 19, 2013 I want to, but my parents don't think it's necessary. Why inside the bathroom though? You said because we have an alarm system that scans the first floor so I doubt you have an alarm in your bathroom (toilet).My cat spent his life in bathroom because of his attitude and behavior. Sometimes we would kick him outside on a balcony, but just for 5-15 min to cool him off. If your cat screams at night (they are night creatures) buy special peels to keep her calm. We didn't sterilize our cat, instead we bought those peels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggs January 19, 2013 Share Biggs GC Alumni January 19, 2013 I knew a three-legged cat--it lost a leg because it was sleeping under the hood of a car close to the engine, and someone started the car!!! Nice cat, but is that the fate you want for your cat??? Three legs!! Hey, and what's wrong with being a moron? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDude January 19, 2013 Author Share TheDude Member January 19, 2013 Going to try convincing my parents to take her in (i'm not at home for the next week). Thanks for the input. I'd be devastated if something were to happen to her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloosh January 19, 2013 Share Baloosh Member January 19, 2013 Unless your cat is really young, really old or one of the hairless varieties, it will be fine outside. It will find or create a place to keep warm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingCat January 20, 2013 Share walkingCat Member January 20, 2013 Unless your cat is really young, really old or one of the hairless varieties, it will be fine outside. It will find or create a place to keep warm. When you decide to have a pet in a house you also take a promise to keep it safe. My cat is part of my family. Imaging if your father doesnt like you anymore and wants to throw you outside every night from now on, how would you feel about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloosh January 20, 2013 Share Baloosh Member January 20, 2013 Comparing a pet to a human being is one of the problems with some pet owners. It's a pet, not a human. Animals can still be "part of the family" while being kept as outside pets. And you are not the pet's father - you're his owner/master. If the cat is not de-clawed, it's perfectly safe outside... that's where it was made to be. We (as humans) domesticate certain animals and not others... that doesn't somehow imbue those domesticated animals with suddenly becoming "human." I get that you think your cat is the same as a human. I don't understand it, but I get it. We're all entitled to having pets however we think best. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDude January 20, 2013 Author Share TheDude Member January 20, 2013 I guess, but taking a cat into your home and lowering her resistance to the cold, also gives you the responsability to take care of her when she suffers because you took her in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloosh January 20, 2013 Share Baloosh Member January 20, 2013 (edited) It takes a LOT more to mess up an animal's (bred over millions of years) resistance to the elements than a few years indoors. To respect any creature is to appreciate it for what it is. And a cat - timid or brave, playful or reclusive - is, first and foremost, a cat. Same with a dog, a goldfish, etc. Regarding your specific situation, perhaps you and your parents can come to a compromise? If you're concerned that your cat isn't properly acclimated to spending a night out in the cold (and it is, but regardless)... maybe you can start with an hour a night, then 2 hours, then 3, etc? Eventually you may be comfortable with it sleeping outside at night. But whatever happens, good luck and I hope you can all reach a common decision. Dealing with parents when one becomes an adult is a whole other dynamic. Edited January 20, 2013 by Baloosh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDude January 20, 2013 Author Share TheDude Member January 20, 2013 Dealing with parents when one becomes an adult is a whole other dynamic. First of all... I am an adult. Second... you're stewpid Third... while a creature may have gained traits from it's previous generations, its personal situation has a much larger impact on its body. Otherwise, why would cats (or humans for that matter) be able to get fat? I've noticed that she doesn't really develop as much of a winter fur anymore as when we first took her in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloosh January 20, 2013 Share Baloosh Member January 20, 2013 I didn't say you weren't an adult. Sorry if I offended you. The Law of Thermodynamics dictates whether or not any animal gains weight. Heredity has a bit to do with it, but not much beyond a propensity for overall size/shape. Once she's exposed to more of nature's elements, she'll quickly grow a winter coat again. Lastly, I'm stewpid? Then you, Sir, are a nincompoop. A BELGIAN nincompoop at that! *burns rubber and peels out down the street* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDude January 20, 2013 Author Share TheDude Member January 20, 2013 (edited) I didn't say you weren't an adult. Sorry if I offended you. That didn't offend me at all. Lastly, I'm stewpid? Then you, Sir, are a nincompoop. A BELGIAN nincompoop at that! That doesn't make any sense: you can't use the word Belgian and then follow it with an insult. That's like saying i'm an awesome tool, or a supercool idiot. Edited January 20, 2013 by TheDude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloosh January 20, 2013 Share Baloosh Member January 20, 2013 You are the super-coolest of idiots. The most awesome tool of tools. Makes sense to me!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now