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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this is cruel to keep cats like this

48 replies

Minifigure282 · 10/02/2022 18:29

I'm a huge cat lover, my cats are very spoilt so I accept I may be being unreasonable and I'm hoping I am so I can stop thinking about it.

My friend has 2 cats and a dog. The cats came 1st. Dog arrived and they all get on OK but the cats dont respect the dogs space. They sleep in his bed, disturb him when he's sleeping, pinch his food while he's eating and he's naturally getting snappy with them.

Friend has converted her spare bedroom into the cats rooms. They've got a cat tree, beds and have their food in there. So the cats spend most of their time outside (they are pretty feral) and when they're in they're in their room.

I just feel sad for them that they can't roam freely around the house.

OP posts:

Sirzy · 10/02/2022 18:31

Sounds like a good solution to keep all animals safe and happy.

MissConductUS · 10/02/2022 18:32

Does she confine them in the room or do they just prefer it?

seekinglondonlife · 10/02/2022 18:34

YABU, and I say that as a very devoted cat owner. The cats are being fed, sheltered, allowed outside when they want, and most importantly protected from the "snappy" dog.

ClariceQuiff · 10/02/2022 18:35

I'd have thought it could be managed better - separate the dog when he is being fed and train him to use a sleeping area away from the cats.

I had two cats and a dog - the cats had the run of the house with some areas off limits to the dog, as he'd eat their food and the contents of the litters trays if given the chance. The cats had no interest in the dog's food and pretty much ignored him most of the time.

Original poster

Minifigure282 · 10/02/2022 18:36

MissConductUS I don't really know, I think when they come in she feeds them, gives them a fuss and then they sleep in there but they obviously can't open the door to let themselves out. They've got a litter tray. I don't know how long they stay in there but I've never seen them free to roam around the house.

OP posts:

ThinWomansBrain · 10/02/2022 18:36

Neither have my cats have toleated closed doors within the flat. I live by myself (+cat) in a fairly open plan warehouse style apartment. If I have guests she gets quite stroppy about the bathroom door being closed (and I have to have the sofabed because madam kicks up too much fuss if I try and shut her in the bedroom with me, and I wouldn't dream of leaving her on her own with guest in the main living area).

Sounds a bit mean - they can't get much social interraction with her at all.
(I did like that they ruled over the dog though)

icelollycraving · 10/02/2022 18:37

Cats choose their owners to a degree. They can go out, if they had another home they fancied more, they would have claimed those humans as theirs.

Laiste · 10/02/2022 18:39

I thought this was going to be an ''indoor cat'' thread.

Spending loads of time outside and having their food and exercise area in a warm indoor room is ok surely?

The only thing i would say is that from an owners point of view she's probably not getting much quality time with them like that but if they're ''pretty feral'' i don't suppose they or her care.

magicstars · 10/02/2022 18:39

Sounds well thought out to me. Lucky cats to have a considerate owner.

Divebar2021 · 10/02/2022 18:39

What makes them “practically feral” apart from the fact they go outside? I think it depends on whether they want human interaction and get it or are not that interested in cuddles - so depends on their personalities.

Original poster

Minifigure282 · 10/02/2022 18:39

ClariceQuiff her downstairs is open plan and the dog hasn't got a crate so I think that's why she's struggled with it.

I think I know I'm being unreasonable, they're all rescue animals so they've got a better life than they would have had I just feel a bit sad for them.

OP posts:

Thewindwhispers · 10/02/2022 18:42

You’re thinking like a human. Think like a cat. Cats win and lose territory from each other all the time. They cheekily encroach (or fight for) extra rooms / gardens / cushions / food bowls, and when they lose an area because another animal showed dominance there, they are a bit upset, but as long as they still have decent territory they get over it quickly. Every single time I feed my cats they each steal each other’s bowl.

From the cats’ point of view, they have lost the crappy dog-smell shared downstairs area, and gained a fairly exclusive quiet cool cat-tree upstairs area (cats love being upstairs).

If they’d lost territory wirhout any other gain, they’d be upset, but here they’ve got an improved upstairs zone so will quickly get over the loss of downstairs.

Sunbird24 · 10/02/2022 18:42

She could train the dog all she wants but I bet the cats would still choose to sleep in its bed and generally torment it because, well, cats! If they spend most of their time outside I can’t get too excited about them only having one room to themselves once they’re in. If they were in there all the time though, or obviously hating it so much that they’d scratched the inside of the door to bits I would definitely agree with you.

Floralnomad · 10/02/2022 18:42

I really fail to see the issue with this , seems like a reasonable solution to the problem .

Original poster

Minifigure282 · 10/02/2022 18:42

Well I wonder if they'd be less feral if they had more social interaction. When I say feral, they came off a farm and only like a very limited fuss. I've been scratched by both of them on numerous occasions but I know some cats are just like that.

OP posts:

Littlehouseonthefairy · 10/02/2022 18:44

I think as long as they can go outside whenever they want it is fine. Being stuck indoors is no life for a cat. They just need shelter from the elements, warmth and food and somewhere safe and cosy to relax. As long as they have access to those things when they need them and can roam, play, hunt and explore outside they'll be happy. Obviously it would have been better for the cats not to have a dog in the house and to have full run of the house but I don't think the set up is cruel unless they can't get outside.

Original poster

Minifigure282 · 10/02/2022 18:46

Thankyou everyone, you've made me feel better. They've got fields around the house so they get plenty of chance to roam and explore outside.

OP posts:

Meandthesky · 10/02/2022 18:51

They can go outside and they have a safe, warm, cosy place to go inside that the dog doesn’t go

If they were really miserable, they would probably not bother coming back every day, especially if they’re pretty feral

3Sheetstothewind · 10/02/2022 18:51

I'm with you OP......

Topseyt · 10/02/2022 18:53

I don't really see an issue with this. It sounds fine.

The only change I might think about would be leaving the door of the room open and putting a baby gate across it. Seeing how that went. The cats could mostly get over it with no issues if they wanted t, but most dogs wouldn't bother. Well, my two wouldn't have anyway when they were alive.

The arrangement is fine though.

Georgeskitchen · 10/02/2022 18:55

I wouldn't say it was cruel. They are able to spend time outside, and they keep coming back home, so they must be OK with wit

Mamamia7962 · 10/02/2022 18:58

If they came from a farm then they will be feral so probably don't want much human interaction. She sounds like a caring owner who has made a safe space for the cats. If they have access to outside then they will be quite happy to be able to sleep in the spare room where they have peace and quiet.

We have a cat flap and our cat has free roam of the house but he doesn't want it. He comes in and goes straight to our spare bedroom where he finds himself a cosy spot, usually in a cardboard box! where he will sleep all day. Not all cats want to sleep on their owner's lap.

Candycan · 10/02/2022 19:00

do you honestly think the cats would come back if they were unhappy?

we had 3 cats, my step dad got a dog. one of my cats took one look at the dog and that was that. she came back occasionally but one day decided she preferred a couple who lived down the road.

Babadook76 · 10/02/2022 19:02

Yabu. They’ve literally got their own comfortable room with their every need catered for, plus they have access to outside whenever they want. Why on earth is it cruel because they don’t have access to every room in the house?

Svara · 10/02/2022 19:03

Can't she let them roam the house and have some fuss in the evening when she can supervise then put them in their room at bedtime?

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