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Original poster

Letting cat out or not

60 replies

Holdencaulfieldshomeboy · 01/04/2020 13:12

I have a young cat, not long been going out the house, but is slowly going out more weather depending. All neurted and vaccinated. Concerned she may bring the coronavirus in on her. She jumps on the bins to get out the back garden and then goes off, who knows where. Should I keep her in? I don't want to force my children to stay in if the cat might bring it in anyway. We aren't leaving the house at all apart from the back garden. Should I let her out or am I being neurotic? Thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
Holdencaulfieldshomeboy · 01/04/2020 15:39

Thank you! To be honest I thought I was bring neurotic, I have terrible anxiety that has just got progressively worse during all this. I absolutely adore her so would hate to keep her in when she wants to go out. Thank you for putting my mind at ease kindly.

OP posts:
isseywith4vampirecats · 01/04/2020 15:42

and its thinking like this is why animals are being dumped at shelters everywhere and there seems to be more dogs tied to railings and dumped at the moment I have four cats and it does not get passed on by animals

Rockbird · 01/04/2020 16:15

I did vaguely wonder about this but we'd have to find girlcat first before we could keep her in Hmm and boycat never moves from his window spot at the end of the dining table which is up against the radiator. So I'm not wondering about it any more!

NoMorePoliticsPlease · 01/04/2020 16:17

You are being neurotic

TweetUsOnFacebook · 01/04/2020 16:26

There are lots of cats in my road that are friendly and it's an unspoken rule/common sense that no one touches each others cats at the moment. Our Mr Handsome is spending much more time indoors
probably because he's not getting much attention when he decides to saunter outside.

cinammonbuns · 01/04/2020 16:35

There has been no confirmed cases of a pet (cat to dog) giving their owner CV only the other way round actually.

Willyoujustbequiet · 01/04/2020 16:36

Actually I think you make a good point OP.

Ive read its possible for the virus to live on their fur. If you think about the fact that it can surviive for several days on surfaces then really what is the difference? You have no idea which people they may come into contact with.

The WHO states the transmission initially came likely via a domestic animal host and there has been a recorded cat to human transmission in Europe.

So whilst the risk is probably extremely low it is there and its certainly not neurotic to consider it.

Willyoujustbequiet · 01/04/2020 16:38

More of a conduit of infection, carrying it on their fur etc rather than being sick themselves

Original poster
Holdencaulfieldshomeboy · 01/04/2020 20:08

issywith4vampirecats Oh god, I'd absolutely no way rehome her/dump her. She's absolutely worshipped in this house! We love her so much. I am just concerned about the virus and how it can and can't spread.

OP posts:
Original poster
Holdencaulfieldshomeboy · 01/04/2020 20:09

willyoujustbequiet thank you

OP posts:
EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 01/04/2020 20:22

If you had an adult cat, used to going out, I'd say let it continue
As you have a young cat, not really in the habit of going outside, and you are anxious about it bringing germs in with a young baby, delaying he/she becoming a fully outdoor cat, it won't harm the cat to delay him.her becoming an outdoor cat for a few months.
I've always had indoor cats that go out occasionally - the current one when we go on holiday (rented rural cottage) or I take her on a lead to the community garden.
One downside may be, from knowledge of my own cats, is that they become house trained to use a litter tray, and even when they have free rein outside, come rushing in to use the litter tray.

My own one has come to the community garden a couple of times recently when I've been tending my plot & planting seeds etc, - she would normally, and I thought the govt. was being too dogcentric with all the "walk the dog" messages.

Letting cat out or not
RonnieBarkingMad · 01/04/2020 20:40

Yuck! Keep it indoors. Not everyone is as enamoured with your cat as you are. I hate how they are allowed to roam around. The ones in my garden get short thrift when I spot them in there. Why should people have their garden trampled over by a cat and them shitting in it? Plus they absolutely stink. If a random dog was running around our garden it would be a lot more serious.

Zilla1 · 02/04/2020 07:48

Wilyoujust, grateful for a reference, as far as I know, the Civet not domestic cat is suspected to have had a role in historical SARS 2002, early thinking for COVID 2019 was bat via pangolin. I've never seen any reference to a domestic cat in the evolution of COVID.

FamilyOfAliens · 02/04/2020 07:52

@RonnieBarkingMad

Loving your username Grin

And it’s “short shrift”.

Davros · 02/04/2020 08:31

I put a tea towel over the chopping board as I don't want DCat to sit on it, so it's obviously one of her favourite places! Can you put something over the little table when it's not being used? All those school tea towels have come in handy at last!

RonnieBarkingMad · 02/04/2020 08:46

@FamilyOfAliens

Loving your username Grin

And it’s “short shrift”

This is a bigger revelation than the day I found out that the saying is “as dull as ditchwater” and not “dishwater” Grin

JRUIN · 02/04/2020 09:02

Cats are clean.

It's filthy dogs with their noses up each other's bums you need to worry about.

At least my 'filthy' dog doesn't bring half dead bloodied mice, birds and frogs into the house!

RonnieBarkingMad · 02/04/2020 09:10

At least my 'filthy' dog doesn't bring half dead bloodied mice, birds and frogs into the house!

And cats lick their own arseholes in public view, despite who is looking at them doing it. Each to their own but the other poster shouldn’t try and drag dogs behaviour down to cats level of behaviour just because of the disgusting things cats do. Give me dogs over cats any day.

BovaryX · 02/04/2020 09:11

The WHO states the transmission initially came likely via a domestic animal host and there has been a recorded cat to human transmission in Europe

There is zero suggestion that humans can catch Covid 19 from cats. As for the virus remaining on surfaces? It is plastic which has been mentioned as a conductor because it can survive on smooth flat surfaces for some time. Plastic. Metal. Not on cats' fur. People are dumping their pets because of an irrational and unsubstantiated fear of contagion. OP, it is extremely unlikely the virus could be brought in on your cat, and it's very sad that people are abandoning pets who depend on them for no good reason.

BovaryX · 02/04/2020 09:12

Ronnie
Your virulent hatred of cats speaks volumes about you. Give it a rest.

Harakeke · 02/04/2020 09:13

I’m finding this thread weird because in NZ we have been told to steer clear of people’s pets - when the virus is in shedding phase it can stay on pets fur. There has been a lot of discussion about pets (keeping cats inside and dogs on a lead) here.

JRUIN · 02/04/2020 09:14

Give me dogs over cats any day

I'm with you @RonnieBarkingMad

BovaryX · 02/04/2020 09:15

been told to steer clear of people’s pets - when the virus is in shedding phase it can stay on pets fur

Can you provide a link for this?

RonnieBarkingMad · 02/04/2020 09:18

Your virulent hatred of cats speaks volumes about you. Give it a rest.

I don’t have to “give it a rest” just because I dislike cats and you don’t. It’s a public forum and I am using it to speak, as its intention. I don’t have to like cats if I don’t want to. This thread has certainly not changed my mind on that.

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