Have got to stop being so silly.

[sleeton]

A few years back we lost a neutered female to a road accident. Best cat we ever had (I know, they are all 'best cats') very interactive, with an amazing personality.
She had been allowed out from quite an early age (we live in a suitable area) and had never previously been seen near the road in question. I'll never know what happened, but did wonder if she had been chased by a dog. She was a very bold cat, not only very used to dogs, but extremely attached to ours and I've wondered if she 'trusted' the wrong type of dog.

Move forward a few years and we now have got a young female, who is so similar in personality that it's uncanny. We have had her since 8 weeks and she is now over six months. She, too, is very bold (leaps before she looks) and is very attached to our dogs (she is little, and still lets the bitches wash her and try to carry her).
We do take her into the garden for short periods, but haven't yet allowed her out on her own. Next week she will be neutered and microchipped and soon I'm going to have bite the bullet and gradually start letting her out.

I am dreading it, but we do have other cats (very laid back neutered toms) and it is driving this young female crazy to see them getting out, when she can't go! Also, I do actually prefer my cats to have access to outdoors, so I don't know why I am being so silly about this one! Any ideas how to make her a little less bold, especially with dogs? I don't want to frighten her, but she really is very reckless in most things.

[gobbin]

Unfortunately you can't I suppose. I took in a rescue mum and her two babies at 8 weeks and the little girl is tiny but the boldest one of the three. She's nearly 9 months now and never looks before she jumps out of the back door, she's off haring across the garden!She spends much more time out than the others.

The baby boy is a huge ginger softy who wibbles if you shut the door after you've let him out. He likes to know he can get back in. He stays out for ten mins max, although this will go up once the weather's warmer I assume.

You can't change their nature I suppose. Just got to love your little brave girl and hope she stays safe! Is she a tortie/torbie by any chance?! They have tortietude! Mine's a torbie (tortie/tabby mix).

[sleeton]

Some would call her a 'brown' tabby (although she has swirls and spiral markings), but within the markings are little patches of quite distinct 'tortie' colouring (is that a 'torbie'?) so she definitely has the tortie gene. She is so like all the 'tortie' personalities I've ever know, including the cat I lost to the road.

She is certainly a 'brave girl', if a little foolhardy! Her most dangerous escapade so far was deciding there was something interesting round the U-bend of the loo! She dived and swam for it (tiny at the time and no fear of water)!!! She was fast disappearing when I caught her tail and the toes of just one paw and managed to haul her out. She was furious at being stopped and would have gone straight back in for another go! I learned a lesson there.

I will just have to bite the bullet, I suppose. Maybe once she's sufficiently recovered from being neutered but hopefully still a little slow on her feet!

Your kittens sound fabulous! I'd love a ginger tom.

[Lovethesea]

It is really tough but you have seen the joy your cats get at exploring the world and her frustration at limits! Our second rescue cat we got last weekend is a tortie too and very feisty. She will definitely insist on going out as soon as her settling in weeks are up!

It's you that has the worry and grief to deal with, your cat is blissfully unaware of the fate of her predeccessor, she will be consumed in her moment by moment life not thinking of potential ends to her existance. Ie, it's all adventure to her going out only you need to manage the anxiety.

I think her quality of life is ultimately more important than the quantity of it. You could keep her in and she could still have accidents or get ill. You can't keep her safe, but you can make a safe place to come back which will give her the confidence and security she needs.

I hope your own fears lessen, it's the risk we all take with cats but I think their semi wild nature is why they are so fascinating to live with. They choose to come home to us and then they turn into demanding tyrants with staff obviously

[Fluffycloudland77]

Well, we car trained ours by driving up to him on the drive revving the engines and bibbing the horn.

He knows car a danger now.

Could you borrow a non-cat friendly dog? So she knows not all dogs are safe.

[sleeton]

You are right Lovethesea, she does have to experience the joy of exploring the world. You should see her little face as she watches everything through the window (something she does a lot!). I hadn't realised before how wary loosing our last female cat had made me (we had the boys before she died, and of course they have always gone out). It does have to be faced ... I know ... as soon as she is neutered, we will start to give her more freedom.

I do like the idea of trying to train her a little first Fluffy. I had already thought about trying to make her wary of the car and road, but hadn't thought about using another dog. There is a terrier that I know near by. Hates cats, horrible with them, but if he was on a harness, and if we engineered it so that our little cat's line of escape led her straight back into the house ...... hmmm, maybe ...