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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

1 2

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

So inny cat or outty cat? How to tell?

27 replies

SaggyNaggy · 03/10/2016 21:50

Saggycat is 6months on 13october. We dont know if he's an outdoor or an indoor overlord. Currently his highness sits on the windowsills looking outside and making odd little mewing noises at the birds in the garden.

He does look interested but I'm worried about him going missing, fighting, getting hurt.
Where we live we're not on a road so no traffic bout there are dogs about.

So yeah... Inny or outty cat?

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AtMyHouse · 03/10/2016 22:48

Out cat with a cat fenced garden.

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DustyOfSkye · 03/10/2016 23:05

from your op I thought it was going to be about belly buttons and got all excited that someone could tell us how to tell on a cat!

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SaggyNaggy · 04/10/2016 07:50

Do cats have belly buttons? I'm going to have to look for it.

I thought about getting high fencing in the garden but, and its a silly thought I guess, but what if another cat was to fall in and not be able to get out?

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MrsJayy · 04/10/2016 07:55

Open the window and see what he does or take him out i personally think cats should be out doing cat things cats are usually ok if the get into a scrap and they can climb

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ElizaDontlittle · 04/10/2016 07:55

They must, they have umbilical cords and all that.
We have an indoor cat due to a road - but it's an old tall Victorian terrace so plenty of thundering like a mad thing exercise opportunities. Cat still tries to get out but then she likes everywhere she's not supposed to be like the wardrobe, piles of clean ironing, disappearing into the cupboard under the stairs, etc.
No help I know. Generally people say healthy adult cats should go out. She'll be faster and climbier than any dogs.

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BaDumShh · 04/10/2016 07:59

It depends on the cat. My cat is an indoor, as we have no garden and the front of the house faces onto a very busy road. We took this into account when we adopted her and asked the shelter for a cat that would suit being indoor. Luckily she is very happy, never looks to go outside and seems happy with her indoor cat. But every cat is different - some would be climbing the walls at being stuck indoors.

If you do decide to keep her indoor, just make sure you have lots of toys for her to play with scattered over the floor, so that she can play at any time and burn off some energy whether you're in or out. My house is a mess of stuffed mouse toys

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BaDumShh · 04/10/2016 08:00

*happy with her indoor cat life

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BaDumShh · 04/10/2016 08:01

Also just re-read and seen that your cat is a he...sorry for misgendering him!

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bloodymaria · 04/10/2016 08:01

If you have the space, outdoor cat. It's kinder and puss will be loads happier for it. They are obviously incredibly clever creatures and will come home. Co spider microchipping if you're concerned about getting lost.

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MrsJayy · 04/10/2016 08:05

Friend has 2 cats 1 is an inny other is an outty
Inny cat will sit on her decking and sunbathe but thats it. Our cat wanted out from about 4 months old so we just took her in the garden for a bit and built it up she hated being inside,

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SaggyNaggy · 04/10/2016 08:13

I thi k hell like going out, it'll be me who's worrying when he's late home from the kitty bar, I'd worry he's been hanging around with catnip dealers. Nipheads can be violent when nipped out. He has be done though so I'm not worried about him fathering mini hims.
Think I'll do the window tying, move the bins under the kitchen window and crack it open and see what he does.

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GinAndOnIt · 04/10/2016 08:17

I think you'll have to just give him the option and see how he copes. Our lovely cat is rather....hard, so I have no worries with him going in and out as he pleases. Our dog is three times the size of him and terrified of him, so I thought he could probably handle himself in a cat fight. Before I let him out, I worried he'd get trod on by a horse, or get locked in the grain store, or jump into a garden full of dogs. Oh how we laugh now.

He did come home one day with scratches on his face, and a cat I had seen round and about suddenly disappeared, so I think they must have fought out who can go where. I've since found out that cat has died - I very much hope it wasn't GinCat who did it

I also spotted him squaring up to a fox the other day so I'm fairly confident he can hold his own.

If he was a bit of a pansy though, I'd probably never let him out

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YesItsMeIDontCare · 04/10/2016 08:18

//www.protectapet.com

Think that's the right one!

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ElizaDontlittle · 04/10/2016 08:18

He'll come home (sorry, I started with the misgendering thing!) - eventually - they know which side their bread is buttered, as it were.

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Broken1Girl · 04/10/2016 08:37

Out - he's clearly asking if he sits on the window sill looking out wistfully.
My neighbours have a dog. Madam BrokenCat was silly enough to go in their garden once. She hasn't repeated the mistake. An average cat can definitely outrun and out climb a dog.

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SaggyNaggy · 04/10/2016 08:40

YesItsMeIDontCare
That looks like an ideal solution but its a bit prison looking for my tastes. If that makes sense?

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MrsJayy · 04/10/2016 08:40

Jaycat was well hard she could take care of herself most cats can

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YesItsMeIDontCare · 04/10/2016 08:59

Grow some clematis over it?

I see what you mean about prison like, but I think I'd put my cat's general well being over a look iykwim.

We're going to do it to our garden, but we have got a lot of bushes so it won't be too obvious (hopefully).

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GinAndOnIt · 04/10/2016 10:06

But surely if he wants to go out of your garden, that fence will drive him crazy? GinCat doesn't venture out of the garden much despite there being lots of ways out, but he does like to go out there now and again to catch rabbits or escape the garden if we're out with the dog/mowing the lawn or whatever. He hurt his leg a few months back so couldn't jump over the gates for a while, and instead he'd stand at the gate meowing for it to be opened. I think he'd feel quite trapped if there was nowhere he could run if he got a fright.

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SaggyNaggy · 04/10/2016 10:08

I think that fence would depend on garden size tbh. Ours is only small, like 12ftx12ft small. I think a fence like that would make it qyuite claustrophobic, for us as well as his Highness.

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YesItsMeIDontCare · 04/10/2016 10:11

I think you may have talked yourself into an outy cat then OP as I'm not sure why access to an enclosed garden is more claustrophobic than never going out at all.

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OdinsLoveChild · 04/10/2016 10:14

Out, cats should be able to go out in my opinion. Surely you wouldn't like to only be locked in your house without ever going out?

I hated the fact my friend kept her cat as a house cat and every time we visited the poor cat tried to bolt out the door and we all had to grab it to stop it escaping. She claimed the cat was scared of the dark so that's why she kept it in

They do come home and they do get sick form eating too many mice/birds whatever they catch. My cats had a cat flap so could come and go as they pleased. 1 came home during the day the other at night. I only ever saw the 2 of them together at the same time when there was snow up to your arm pits...so only about once or twice.

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SaggyNaggy · 04/10/2016 10:38

I don't hhinknive talked myself into outdoor, but I think if I'm going to let him out I'd rather he be out and have a modicum of freedom otherwise there's no point.

You're right, going into an enclosed garden is little difference oo not going out at all so why go through the expense of building the enclosure.

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YesItsMeIDontCare · 04/10/2016 11:09

Fresh air, more exercise, more mental stimulation, access to grass (which cats like to chew on).

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PosiePootlePerkins · 04/10/2016 18:37

I hate those enclosed cages for cats, sorry. My cat adores being outside, she has a huge area to explore and she comes and goes through the catflap. We lock her in at night. She'd be miserable stuck indoors or in a (large) cage. I've said it on other threads, I'd rather she had a shorter fulfilled life than a longer stifled one. If your cat chooses to stay in given the option to go out, or if your cat is suited to an indoor life, then fine. If not, let it have freedom.
Incidentally since we let her out, she hasn't used her litter tray once, despite still having it in case she needs it overnight. So obviously much prefers going outside to the toilet too.