Pet cats making my hate my home

[Tesora]

Can anyone give me any advice on getting through the next 10+ year. A year ago we adopted two kittens I'm autistic and new I would struggle with a pet but my husband and children had been begging for years and whilst they are the one who take care of them I feel so unhappy I feel like my home is no longer my home it's always covered in cat hair no matter how much I clean they're always going in places they shouldnt be and causing problems I'm finding myself not enjoying my home at all because of them It seems silly but I'm so sad because of them but my kids are bonded and love them so much socwas.hopeing someone had some advice to make things easier. Thank you

The reason my cats are indoors is that in my last flat I lived on a very busy main road with a bus route and if I had let my cats out - they would have been killed on the roads..

When I moved house five years ago. I had to move - my flat was being demolished - one of the first things neighbours said to me was don't let your cats out - several have died on the roads

My mum lost a cat on the road and never got over it - and with respect - no one is going to make me feel bad for having indoor cats. Lots of people choose to keep their cats in for the same reasons I do

And yes - I could potentially build a catio - but I could not in my previous flat - I lived in a four in a block with a shared garden.

My oldest boy is twenty. All my cats have had very happy lives - I'm not going to let them out to be potentially hit by a bus just because people on the Internet don't think they should be indoor

I don't have space for a catio where I live just now

Could you re-home them? It's pretty common to go off pets once you have a baby but locking outside/ in a conservatory seems quite extreme. They might be happier in a home where they have a bit more freedom.

No one should be shamed for having indoor cats - and that will be the hill I will die on. If you go on Facebook and see how many cats die on the roads every day then you might get why people choose to keep their cats indoors

And if someone wants to tell me how I could have built a catio when I lived in a top floor flat of 16 people in a block with a communal entrance then you be my guest

I know a girl who lived five minutes walk away who lost three kittens on the same road - all smacked by a bus

I won't ever be made to feel bad for keeping mine in

Hth!

I’ve read they op’s posts and maybe I’ve missed the part where the cats are pooing everywhere?
the op says they ‘are going where they shouldn’t be’ but is op referring to the cats physically going onto places like the TV unit, kitchen worktops etc’ and it’s been interpreted as the cats using everywhere as a toilet?

I feel sorry for the cats if it’s the first suggestion of them physically going on furniture such as tv units etc, they are already shut out of certain rooms so they are cat free zones, how much hair and ‘dirt’ is actually being accumulated in the areas they are in? I’m also not going to understand this from an ND perspective as I’m not myself, so will caveat what I’m saying with that

It's someone else on the thread that said their cats are pooping all over the place

Ah ok! Got it thank you

@Leeds157 the thread has diverted a bit as another poster came on who's cats are apparently pooing every where. But agree the OP seems to be concerned with an overall grubbiness that can't really be helped.

That's so sad some cats are kept inside all their lives 😢

Once more. I'm not going to be judged by you or anyone else. My oldest boy is 20 and he was abused in his previous house. He's as happy as the day is long and if I had let him out 15 years ago he would have been killed by a car or a bus.

Seriously - if you have nothing nice to say keep your rotten opinions to yourself. As I said previously my mum rescued a cat and she was an indoor and outdoor cat. She crossed a road one day that she never did. She was smacked by a car and died instantly. My mum still isn't over it and the car driver was devastated

There is something wrong with people who say it's sad to keep cats in when the alternative is scraping them off the road when they've been hit by a bus

Lots of people keep their cats indoors for that reason. There is nothing sad about my cats lives - they are perfectly happy

And if you don't like that - too bad!!

One of my mums other cats got out - and was poisoned. We looked for her for weeks. She got out of an upstairs window. She ended up drinking anti freeze in someone's garden and died a horrible painful death. My mum still isn't over it and thinks of her every day of her life

Don't anyone sit and judge people who keep their cats in. More people are keeping their cats in because they don't want them to die horrible deaths. I don't sit judging people on the Internet about whether they let their pets out or not

Every single one of my cats would be dead by now if I had let them out - and that's why I keep them in. For no other reason.

Oh and catios have only been a thing over the last few years. I can't have a catio. I am in a council flat and I have zero space for one.

My cats have a great life with me - all of them are rescues - and I won't be shamed for keeping them indoors.

Hth

@scottishgirl69 solidarity about the indoor cat thing, my two girls are indoor cats, they will never get run over, attacked, mistreated by humans that don’t like cats, poisoned etc. yes they could have far greater roaming ability outdoors and all the enrichment that comes with it, but id rather they live a happy safe life. All my windows are protected by Flat Cat window mesh, so they get fresh air. I could get a catio built if I feel like it, but for now, they are perfectly happy with us, and having their run of our house

That’s really sad. In our house, cats are family, we made a commitment to love and cherish them until the day they die.

I'm completely sick of it. I've been rescuing cats since I was 29 and I'm 57. All of my cats have been strays or rescues from charities or ones where their family couldn't keep them even though they were very much loved

I will never forget a wee cat who died a horrible death at the hands of a dog in the area I used to live in.

If I opened my front door tonight my cats would never come back

Like - I know if my cats are happy or not. I only have three now. I've lost three in the last few years but every single one of them had a brilliant life

My mum had a chinchilla Persian and after she lost two other cats she paid a company to basically do a catio and cat proof her garden but guess what he still managed a way to escape over the very high fence

She only has one cat now. He's part maine coon and deaf. So he's vulnerable and it's better that he's indoors

I am honestly sick of people telling me my cats have bad lives because they are indoor cats

A different opinion to yours doesn't make it rotten, and I think everyone is allowed their own opinion.

Personally, I'd never have a cat if I could only keep in indoors 😔 it doesn't seem fair on the cat at all.

I really don't care what you think. I have said why my cats are indoors. Because I live on a main road. Ones where they would be hit by a bus. Do I need to explain this over and over? You clearly don't have cats - so don't bother trying to shame me or anyone else for keeping cats indoors. As I said. One of my mums cats was killed by a car. She was two. Another got out of a window and ended up dying a horrible death drinking anti freeze..

My mum still isn't over that. And the first cat my mum ever had. Kids threw paint over him. He was called Toby. He was outside and at the window one day and she shouted to him I'll let you in in a minute and then he was gone

You are clueless if you think outdoor cats have great lives - because many don't.

Did you see the Facebook post the other week of a very young cat who was neglected by her owners and who died giving birth outside - the kittens died too! Less than a year old. Died giving birth and all the kittens died too

Go educate yourself. Before you tell people their cats have go be outdoors

@scottishgirl69so many sad and horrible things that have happened to yours and your mum’s cats! How could kids throw paint over Toby 😢. People can do horrible things to cats, and then there are so many other dangers out there too, my cats will never know cruelty at the hands of humans outside of the house, you don’t have to justify yourself to anyone, nothing wrong with keeping cats indoors if you want. And I also don’t care who disagrees x

Yeah -much better to be outside like that wee one year old cat who died giving birth to its kittens because their owners couldn't neuter her and keep her in. I'm just a sad sad person for making sure my cats will never ever go through something like that. You are clueless

How dare I keep my cats safe eh - completely irresponsible

If you really didn't care what I thought, you wouldn't be replying with such drama? It's just an opinion.

I feel very sorry for a cat that never gets the chance to be outside. Like I feel sorry for birds kept in cages. To me it's similarly cruel...

I understand what @scottishgirl69 says about cats and roads. Sadly too many cats are killed on roads. But then I think you just shouldn’t get a cat in that scenario.

All my cats have been outdoor ones and would’ve hated being inside. Same with a neighbour who had 8 cats, all outside ones.

Get a cat flap and put the litter trays in the garden

The fact that I've made clear why I keep my cats in and you keep repeating like a stuck record shows you have zero empathy

I hope you never have cats. I sincerely mean that - as for drama. You know nothing.

Just rehome them and get some fish or a dog

I hate cats!

Just because your cats wanted out with respect doesn't mean cats can't be happy indoors. All of my cats are happy. I live with them. They have scratch pads. Tunnels. They have one another. My boy (Salem) sleeps with me every night and purrs all night long. I would defy anyone to tell me my cats aren't happy - they are

The first cat I took in after I left home was a two year old cat who was going to be pts the next day - he lived till he was 12

Do you think he would have been better pts? I don't