I'd really love a cat, but should I be concerned about this road?

[Staystrongitsnearlytheweekend]

I'd really love a cat. DH works really really long hours, I have very few friends, no children. I feel lonely and would love a pet for company.
I used to have a cat as a child and absolutely adored it. I could offer a homeless rescue cat lots of love.

However, I'm concerned about the road I live on. It's a country road and during the day it's not busy at all (one car every ten minutes or so) but it can get fairly busy at rush hour. Also, people tend to speed along the road pretty fast. The road bends just outside my house so visibility is not great. Would it be a bad idea to get a cat?

Also DH is not too keen and says he doesn't like casts (although he is a massive animal lover in general, and if we visit friends who have a cat, he will spend the whole time making a fuss / playing with it, so I think he likes cats really) . Has anyone persuaded their other half to get a cat?

My other half didn't like cats until we got our girl, now he adores her.

In all honesty though I grew up on a road like the one you mention. We lost a lot of cats to the road over the years.
I'd recommend getting a girl as they don't wander so far and keeping her in at night.

You could cat proof your garden or have an outside run only. Some cats (FIV) etc have to live indoors.
Maybe he's not a cat lover but would fall for a particular cat? Or maybe he doesn't want the tie. (Seems odd to not like them but play with one?!)

I think it would be fine as long as you keep the cat inside when it's dark. We keep ours in at night (have done since we got them as kittens) and it works well.

However, as wonderful as it is owning a cat, it won't make up for DH's absence and lack of social life. So maybe think about ways you can improve that situation too. Could your DH reduce his hours or change job? Could you join a group or class to meet people and make friends?

I shared the same concern when I got a rescue cat a few years ago. The person who came out to approve us felt it was fine though. Honestly cat rescue places are over run with cats who could be stuck in those small runs for months or more. It's almost better they have a short happy life with love and freedom than a longer one stuck in a cage.

I'd cat proof the garden, or get a rescue with zero interest in outdoors.

I'd rather an outdoor cat. DH & I are both very outdoorsy and spend lots of time in the garden. From May - October we always have our big patio doors open so that might be an issue.

Funnily enough, the only cats I've had that have been run over have been on quiet cul de sacs. I'd visit a rescue and see.

Our girl wandered further than our boy.

Having had both once neutered theres little difference between the sexes.

Take your oh to a rescue :)

You can cat proof, it's the best of both worlds then.

Country lanes are really dangerous for cats.

We had a similar dilemma. We cat proofed the garden with this system. If you look at it carefully and read the installation guides it's easy to replicate yourself.

We adopted a cat from a rescue a few months ago and it's worked like a charm. Keeps other cats out, keeps our cat in and off the road.

I have a rescued cat which we have had for 4 years, he is about 8 years old. We live on a country lane, just after a sharp bend, with hardly any daytime traffic. That is except rush hours, it becomes a very busy rat run. My cat sits on our porch watching the cars go by and very rarely leaves out boundary. We have a long driveway and I have only seen him cross the lane once, going into the field opposite. Cats have self preservation and don't like to endanger themselves. Ours has seem to learn to stay safely on our driveway. Don't let your road situation put you off having a cat.

When the RSPCA came to our house to do the adoption inspection, she asked me about the lane and was very happy to let the cat come here.

Maybe consider adopting an indoor cat who can't go outside, such as a cat with FiV (not harmful to humans). Or an ex breeding cat, who are often kept in cages/runs, and have no desire to roam, through learned behaviour?

I believe ex breeding Ragdoll rescues are happy to stay indoors. Just enrich their environment as much as possible with cat trees, toys, interactive play etc.

I was in a similar position in that I really wanted a cat for ages. Partner wasn't anti but was more indifferent. We live in a suburban street with a road outside which is fairly busy and then the daughter of someone I worked with was fostering a cat from a rescue that had kittens... we thought we'd keep cat as an indoor cat. That was the idea anyway! Two years later, partner loves cat at least as much as me! Our cat is most definitely not an indoor cat - we kept him in under he was neutered but he was so desperate to go out (and once jumped out of a first floor window into the garden - he was fine!) we changed our mind. He has become streetwise in time - gone from just staying to garden to roaming a bit further, and there is a risk of course - but he enjoys 'outside' so much. We keep him in at night when it's dark. While no one can say cat will be OK with road - his/her outside time can be controlled a bit. Good luck with whatever you decide.

There are so many cats in need of a home it would be better than living there...

I'd rather an outdoor cat. DH & I are both very outdoorsy and spend lots of time in the gard

So you go for an indoor cat that is allowed supervised time outside.

What about an indoor breed. I've got Persians and they do into my garden but are totally not bothered about going out.

Think about it.

You're a cat. Would you rather be stuck in a pen at a rescue centre, or live in a family home, with food, places to explore, things to catch, and human contact. Even if it does come with a risk- although it's road risk vs. Early death from being penned up with no exercise and loads of other cats with who knows what diseases.

Just get a cat. The cat will be happier.

Speak to a local rescue and see what they say, they may have a cat who they know doesn't like to go far (a friends cat had no cat flap and never went further than the top of the fence when let out) or they may think the road is fine, the worst they can say is no or indoor only then you can decide your next move, indoor rabbit maybe?

We have a reasonably busy road at the front. Cat does not go out there although she'll sit in the porch or with the front door open as long as you're there. I don't think she likes the noise of the cars as the odd time she's been in the front garden she's panicked a bit and run round to the back. but she's happy to watch from the windows. However she is quite adventurous in the back gardens and explores at her leisure. She does go out in the evening but is kept in from about 10.