Talk to me about indoor cats

[MagratsHair]

So I have a home visit from a Ragdoll rescue in the next couple of weeks, this will be my first cat.

What do I need to consider with an indoor cat? are there any window or patio door covers so I can have them open in the summer for fresh air whilst the cat is safe?

Do I need any extra equipment other than the normal stuff for an outside cat?

I can't think straight I'm so excited! :)

My cats are outdoor moggie types but I've got a flat cat window screen for an upstairs window to stop the eejits falling off the ledge; it seems pretty sturdy enough for normal use but I wouldn't like to promise the velcro would withstand an excited 9kg ragdoll cat climbing up the screen!

thanks peas

What sort of windows do you have? I've had indoor cats for years (and some outside-going ones also) but for many many years I've ended up with old-fashioned sash windows wich I have open an inch or two at the bottom pretty well all the time without incident.

(Apart from when a stupid young starling decided to come into the house a few years back to Oneago's thrilled amazement. But that's another story.)

We have indoor flats as we live in a flat, sash windows never opened much when cats in the room,kids are good at keeping their bedroom doors shut when their windows are open, one of mine has fallen out of the window, broke a leg, would not like to repeat that experience ever. we do have a balcony and the like to sit on the sun if we are out there as well. I have two so they play together but we have loads of toys to stop them getting bored.

Cozie we once had a baby pigeon in our lounge the cats did not know what to do with it, not sure who was more scared them or the bird.

Aaah Ragdolls are wonderful cats, really special but yep, indoor cats.

My parents have indoor cats. Two are moggies, one is a Ragdoll, one of the moggies is a previously feral farm kitten so he escapes occasionally but always comes back soon afterwards

To keep the cats indoors obviously means windows can't be opened and doors have to be carefully opened. Out the back they have the equivalent of a bird aviary enclosure with a large tree trunk to one side that has two levels that the cats can lay on. This means the conservatory door can be left open in hot weather and the house gets air and the cats can feel like they are outside although they are still contained.

I remember many many moons ago, we discovered a budgerigar/canary (whichever one the green ones are) in the cabbage patch stuffing itself on young cabbage. We caught it and took it inside the house to see if we could find the owner.

Now this bird was swollen to the size of a small football with cabbage, bright green and swearing like a stoker. (It was very annoyed with life.) Firstcat encountered us as he was coming down the stairs, took one horrified look and ran for the hills, not to be seen for the rest of the day.

Oneago and the starling was an entirely different matter.

Okay, somebody has to ask {hmm]

Isn't it cruel to keep an animal indoors it's whole life?

Shouldn't a free spirit such as a cat be able to experience the outside world - the sun on it's fur, a breeze in the air, grass under it's feet, all the exciting smells, stalking, etc.

Why do rag dolls have to be indoor cats?

The shelter have stipulated that the cat is an indoor cat & I have to rehome her under this condition. She is 6 & has always been an indoor cat & hasn't learnt the specific skills to protect herself when she is out alone. I have foxes in my street & 2 big bruiser cats 2 doors down & if she is allowed out by herself the shelter worry that she would be hurt.

Ragdolls are pedigree cats, bred from the 1960's & are bred for temperament & placidity. They are different from your average moggy in that they have no street smarts & are not renowned for being aggressive. breeders of this type of cat tell you that its an indoor breed or if it goes out then it must be contained, as it just can't look after itself.

cozie I have open-out PVC windows & patio doors downstairs.

Ah - then Yes. Some thought will need to be given to airing the place.

Roaming outdoor cats is a very British thing - I live in Canada and the vets tell you it's better to have indoor cats - less disease, accidents, a longer lifespan etc.

It's actually an offence for our cats to leave our property, and the City can seize them if someone calls to complain.

So we let them out when we are at home because they love it and we think it's good for them, but they are never outdoors overnight or when we aren't there or when it's snowing

You may find that windows will not be an issue ,my mum has an indoor Ragdoll and he sits by open windows and makes no attempt to get out . My mum has a half door into the kitchen so he never goes near the back door and has never tried to get out of the front door . We have baskets in all rooms and all floors of different types and he has a tent which he loves in the summer ( festival season) . Most of the winter he spends his time with his feet pressed up against a radiator somewhere- he is very lazy. He has 2 large cat scratch / platform arrangements and in December he has a bouncy Christmas tree . He is not a great one for toys although he will play with a gogo hamster.

I have a Ragdoll cat which I had intended to keep indoors - but with kids and doors open and just the perils of everyday life, I ended up giving her the choice to go out. But she very rarely does. Yay!

She comes out for a sniff if we're sitting in the garden etc. but other than that she's not bothered. I keep her kitty litter indoors and she uses that . Job's a good un!

Yes, Ragdolls are supposed to be very placid. I don't think Buttercup (my cat) got that memo .

I agree with the poster that has stated they are bred to be placid and have no street-smarts that your average kitty is born with. Because of this and also because they are so beautiful they would stand a very good chance of being stolen, they really shouldn't be let out. My parents Ragdoll likes to get the air but had never shown any inclination to go out properly. He certainly isn't stressed about it and weirdly neither are the other two.

I have two rescue moggies who are strictly indoor cats, they were adopted from the rspca on the understanding they would be house cats. When we adopted them they had NEVER been outside and it was simply too dangerous to let out two cats who had never experienced the outdoors or had the street smarts to be safe outside.

They happily sit with looking out of the open patio doors but never bother venturing out. Very happy and spoilt boys I don't think anyone would describe them as being 'cruely treated' ineveram.

As for windows - as above mine don't tend to try and venture out on them but I have occasionally found them sitting on the outside of the bedroom windowsill! You can stick on mesh sheets that attach to windows to stop cats disappearing (also insects getting in!) but with the window we have downstairs that opens wide we tie the handle to a small nail on the windowsill with string. Means we can keep the window open enough to let air in but it can't be blown open wide enough to let them out.

puppy what's Buttercup like?

My two raggies go into the back garden when I'm home. They do in the garden exactly what they do indoors - follow me around, lollop about and hope for tummy tickles. I never let them out of the front door, nor do I open the front windows downstairs or upstairs and they're ALWAYS inside before dark.

I haven't bought anything special - my windows open securely to allow fresh air in but not kitties out!

We've got two indoor cats, though also a balcony. We just open the windows, to be honest - it'd be terrible if one fell out but neither's shown any sign and they like sitting there sniffing the breeze - I see it as a similar risk to that of them being hit by a car if they were outside, in that it makes them happy so the small worry about a fall is worth it. That said our windows only open from about cat-height up, so it's not a direct route out, and there's nowhere they could go from the windowsill so I don't think it's that tempting for them.

Aside from the trays (either covered trays, or a cardboard box bigger than the tray, that the tray lives in, to prevent your house being a sea of litter) we've got a few more toys than we would if they were outdoor cats, and a couple 'cat spaces' that serve a similar purpose to the 'under the hedge' that outdoor cats tend to have. Other than that, nothing extra!