Would a kitty that's been inside survive living outside in winter?

[Lisa3033]

Erasing my previous post, I saw your updates.

 

I would head to the library and check out some basic cat care books. What you have described is not at all outside the normal realm of cat care. Do some soul searching and decide if you're really up to caring for this cat for the next 15-20 years. Which will include counter jumping and missing the litterbox no matter how well trained.

 

The cat is still young and highly adoptable, so if you decide now isn't the time for cat ownership, now's the time. They aren't so easily adoptable at 10, 5 or even 2 years of age.

Edited January 27, 2011 by Lisa3033

[happypamama]

That was not something I wanted to deal with. It was just the straw that broke the camels back. I've had a long week with the baby and various appointments. We've done nothing but run the past few weeks and I am just exhausted. The last thing I wanted to do was clean up after the kitty

 

You have my sympathies -- btdt, and I totally understand. It is amazing the difference in my attitude about that sort of thing when I've had some sleep vs. not. I hope you're able to get some good rest soon, and that you find a solution for the kitty issues.

[AlmiraGulch]

Litter Box Tips:

 

1. I would not have a litter box in a bedroom. Cat feces can lead to health problems in humans. Most people will keep a litter box in a bathroom or laundry room - usually somewhere with vinyl on the floor.

 

2. The litter box needs to be scooped daily.

 

3. Every 3 days or so the litter needs to be refreshed.

 

4. If the litter can't be refreshed anymore, all the litter needs to be dumped and the litter box disinfected. Then new litter needs to be put in.

 

For counters:

 

1. Spraying the cat with water is good, so is putting some aluminum foil on your counter.

 

I would look for a good "how to" book on cat care.

 

:iagree: This! And really, once a week (or even twice a week) is not enough. I say this not to criticize, but to educate (I've had cats all my life). It's not good for the cat and can cause it to eliminate outside the box, even if he hasn't before. It's also not good for your son since it's in his bedroom. The ammonia buildup is toxic.

[Tenaj]

You moved her out to the garage because of one accident? I'm sorry to say this, but I think that was a little extreme. :eek: And even if she did it several times, if she is ordinarily a good cat, that could indicate a medical problem.

 

And it's cruel to put an indoor cat out into 30 degree weather. She is not acclimated to it at all.

 

Cat

 

If you really don't like the cat, why not just find a good home for her?

 

We're not sure if it was one accident or not - that's up to debate because it was dried by the time we realized what had happened. Sorry, but the smell of cat urine makes me physically ill - I almost couldn't walk through my house yesterday. Today we seem to have taken care of it - saturated the spot with straight vinegar - we'll see if it lasts.

 

Merry is fine in the garage for now - we did plug in a heated cat bed we had purchased for her last year. She never used it in the house but she found it last night and was contentedly curled up in it this morning. The kids have gone out this morning to do their outdoor chores and have loved her up.

 

If the smell is gone I may relent and give her another chance. As far as finding another home, we've tried off and on for years - there are too many cats around here for willing owners. The only reason she's still thriving at our house is because we took pity on her after our next door neighbors were foreclosed upon and left three cats to fend for themselves in an empty house so even in our garage her life is better than it would have been :)

 

I understand that health issues could be the cause but right now the several hundred dollars that it would require isn't in the budget - braces and dental bills for the kids have to come first.

 

Sorry if I offended you but I grew up on a rural farm - animals lived outside all the time, including cats and dogs, in Northern Ohio and we never brought them in for cold weather and never lost any due to cold. Merry may not be completely acclimated to cold weather but she's not a cat that lives completely indoors and spends hours outside (because she likes it) even during the winter months. And yes, we have a dog now that has lived outside through winter months in her snug dog house with no problems.

[Teachin'Mine]

Stacy it sounds like you've had a really tough week. :grouphug:

 

Just a few suggestions which may help - and many are repeats of what's already been said:

 

Cats like to have their litter box in an area away from their food and water. I know with limited space this isn't always possible, but if it is, I would recommend putting them at least in separate areas of the same room, but ideally in separate rooms.

 

There are ways to put a litterbox in an area that you wouldn't normally think of using. Even a broom closet could be made to work by putting a cat door in it. That gives the cat privacy and isolates the smells and litter from the rest of the house. Could you give the 11yo the chore of cleaning out the litter daily? You'll probably still need to stay on top of it to make sure it's been done properly, but that may help. Also, make sure the litter is deep enough to allow kitty to dig and bury. And every month or so, empty the litter into a box, and thoroughly wash and disinfect the litter box, dry and refill. Most cats are very fastidious in their cleanliness requirements. :)

 

Go to the library, when your baby is over the croup, or ask your husband to take the children in the evening, and have them take out a bunch of cat/kitty care books. It will be a great learning experience for them too.

 

It sounds like you're so busy right now that you probably haven't had time to bond with this kitty much, and right now it just seems like a lot of extra work. Cats are incredibly intelligent and know how each person feels about them. They like to feel loved. If at all possible, maybe in the evening after all the children are in bed, spend some time playing and cuddling with kitty. Kitty will be so grateful and become a much happier cat. They are definitely more work when they're kittens, but that phase is entirely too short. :)

 

If you decide to keep the food and water in the bedroom, you may want to put a boot tray or a pet "place mat" under the bowls to contain any spills. Make sure that the children know to keep her water bowl clean and full of fresh water. Again, kitties are a bit messier than when they grow up a bit. :) We had one who used to play with the water and then go into the litter box. Yeah - his paws came out encrusted with litter. :lol: But now he's Mr. Clean himself. :)

 

I hope that you come to truly love your little kitty as no doubt your children are attached to him by now. When you love them, it's easier to put up with their idiosyncrasies and messes - much like children. ;)

 

I hope that your baby is over the croup soon and that some of the suggestions help with kitty. :grouphug:

[Catwoman]

We're not sure if it was one accident or not - that's up to debate because it was dried by the time we realized what had happened. Sorry, but the smell of cat urine makes me physically ill - I almost couldn't walk through my house yesterday. Today we seem to have taken care of it - saturated the spot with straight vinegar - we'll see if it lasts.

 

Merry is fine in the garage for now - we did plug in a heated cat bed we had purchased for her last year. She never used it in the house but she found it last night and was contentedly curled up in it this morning. The kids have gone out this morning to do their outdoor chores and have loved her up.

 

If the smell is gone I may relent and give her another chance. As far as finding another home, we've tried off and on for years - there are too many cats around here for willing owners. The only reason she's still thriving at our house is because we took pity on her after our next door neighbors were foreclosed upon and left three cats to fend for themselves in an empty house so even in our garage her life is better than it would have been :)

 

I understand that health issues could be the cause but right now the several hundred dollars that it would require isn't in the budget - braces and dental bills for the kids have to come first.

 

Sorry if I offended you but I grew up on a rural farm - animals lived outside all the time, including cats and dogs, in Northern Ohio and we never brought them in for cold weather and never lost any due to cold. Merry may not be completely acclimated to cold weather but she's not a cat that lives completely indoors and spends hours outside (because she likes it) even during the winter months. And yes, we have a dog now that has lived outside through winter months in her snug dog house with no problems.

 

Thanks so much for the clarification, Janet -- your other post made it sound like the cat peed in the house once so you tossed her out in the garage with a little bed. Now I realize that I completely misinterpreted your post! I was thinking that this was a 100% indoor cat, and that she'd have no way to keep warm in the garage.

 

I know what you mean about the cat urine smell. When one of our cats was getting old, she started having accidents, and eventually, I got to the point where the vinegar smell was almost as sickening as the urine smell. (I found that I could dilute the vinegar with water and it still worked.) Nature's Miracle didn't work well for me, but a spray called OUT was much better. I bought it at Walmart in the pet department.

 

We have bamboo floors, so it's easy to see when there's a urine spot or stain, although slipping and nearly falling in a puddle is no day at the beach.:glare: And let's just say that I learned pretty quickly to Always Wear Shoes.

 

Carpet makes it a lot harder to clean up after a cat, and I'm always worried about mold if it doesn't dry quickly.

 

You'll know pretty quickly if Merry is peeing on the floor in the garage, so it may help you decide if the Carpet Incident was a one-time thing or a habit. If she does go outside the litter box quite a few times, you may want to have her checked for kidney problems, as I think that may be one of the reasons why cats stop using their litter boxes.

 

Again, I'm sorry I misinterpreted your original post! :)

 

Cat

[Tenaj]

Thanks so much for the clarification, Janet -- your other post made it sound like the cat peed in the house once so you tossed her out in the garage with a little bed. Now I realize that I completely misinterpreted your post! I was thinking that this was a 100% indoor cat, and that she'd have no way to keep warm in the garage.

 

I know what you mean about the cat urine smell. When one of our cats was getting old, she started having accidents, and eventually, I got to the point where the vinegar smell was almost as sickening as the urine smell. (I found that I could dilute the vinegar with water and it still worked.) Nature's Miracle didn't work well for me, but a spray called OUT was much better. I bought it at Walmart in the pet department.

 

We have bamboo floors, so it's easy to see when there's a urine spot or stain, although slipping and nearly falling in a puddle is no day at the beach.:glare: And let's just say that I learned pretty quickly to Always Wear Shoes.

 

Carpet makes it a lot harder to clean up after a cat, and I'm always worried about mold if it doesn't dry quickly.

 

You'll know pretty quickly if Merry is peeing on the floor in the garage, so it may help you decide if the Carpet Incident was a one-time thing or a habit. If she does go outside the litter box quite a few times, you may want to have her checked for kidney problems, as I think that may be one of the reasons why cats stop using their litter boxes.

 

Again, I'm sorry I misinterpreted your original post! :)

 

Cat

 

Just wanted to let you know I'm a softy after all and Merry has been back in the house since last night . . . no more incidents yet so we are now wondering if she accidently was shut out of the basement (where her litter box is). We have lots of little kidlets and it's very easy for me to get distracted as we head out the door and not remember to check that door. Hopefully that was the problem - the basement door gets opened and shut constantly during the day because of my 16 modd so we really don't know if it was open or shut when we left on Monday night.

 

She seems fine. I'm just very thankful that the vinegar has taken care of the smell. I'm going to buy a gallon to keep in the cupboard just in case. We've decided that if she has a problem again within the next few days we will pony up the money from somewhere for the vet. If it's a simple urinary tract infection we'll take care of it. If it's something more expensive we'll probably have to make a different decision. Hopefully, we won't have to worry about it.

 

Thanks for your concern.

[Catwoman]

That's great, Janet -- thanks for the update! :)

 

Cat