1GirlTwinBoys Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 We have 2 male kittens that are brothers (16 weeks) that we're keeping in our utility room (garage type area) until they are used to us and want to stay around our home. Our plan is to eventually keep them only outdoors so they will help keep the mice and snakes away. Should we get them fixed or not? Does fixing them keep them from wondering away too much? Also, what would be a good shelter for them outside. Something to protect them from coyotes or whatever else would hurt them. Are there special cat houses you can buy that other animals can't get in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) Please, please get them neutered. There is absolutely no reason not to... And many important reasons to do it. They may help control thing rodent population but I don't think that cats have any real interest in catching snakes. Leaving the snakes alone, however, will help control your rodent population as well. We let our cats come and go as they please but they spend many a night outdoors. Cats are resourceful creatures and find cozy places outdoors. I've never heard of a "cat house" in this sense of the word. Please get them fixed, for their sake and yours. Edited September 28, 2011 by bbkaren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Definitely get them fixed!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in SWVA Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I agree with bbkaren. Please get them neutered. It is just the responsible thing to do. We have one (male) cat. He travels from our barn to our mud porch. We have a dog door in our mud porch that he uses as much as our dogs! Wherever he, Rico, is, he finds a warm comfortable place to stay. Wonderful cat! And we are not really cat people! Susie in SWVA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 At that age they can be neutered anytime and they should not be left outside UNTIL they get neutered. Neutering will not help them stop roaming, cats are territorial and when they have established a territory they will move throughout it daily. As for protecting them from coyotes, no shelter will really protect them as a determined coyote will get what it wants. A dog house with hay in it will provide them nice shelter though, however a sleeping area in a barn or shed would be great as well! Epsecially if you want them to control rodents in that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) Oh man, *absolutely* get them neutered. I say this not because of the kitten population issue (because that may or may not matter to you personally), but because of the spraying problem with male cats. Honestly, with two un-neutered male cats, I shudder to think how bad it will probably smell around your place. :eek: Also, they will tend to wander much, much less if they're neutered. (I see that Allene disagrees with this, but it's definitely been true *for us* that they wander much less if they're not out cruisin' for chicks. :D) Do it, and do it at the earliest possible time. I hate it when I hear about people who wait until their male cats are already "living the life", and then say that neutering didn't help with spraying, fighting, and wandering. You've got to do it before they're in bad habits, kwim? As for coyotes, what you need there is a dog to protect your cats. It doesn't completely keep you from losing cats to coyotes, but it sure helps to have a big dog guarding your place from all interlopers. :001_smile: Edited September 28, 2011 by Julie in CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 absolutely neuter them. Without question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 yep, get them neutered asap. I know of no way to protect them from coyotes. Any shelter a cat can get in is going to also be accessible to other animals (even a dog door in your house!). Access to a barn, shed, or dog house is enough to keep them warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Neuter them! Our friends moved out to the country and inherited barn cats. The cat population around her place had at least doubled since she has been there. Just neuter them. I don't think you need to actually find a place for the cats. When we moved our cat outside, he found the very best place. Our garage was built by the previous owners and is attached to our house by an enclosed hallway. Our cat climbs up our storage bins, on top of our freezer, onto the rafters, and sleeps in the space between the ceiling and roof of the garage passageway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 ... As for coyotes, what you need there is a dog to protect your cats. It doesn't completely keep you from losing cats to coyotes, but it sure helps to have a big dog guarding your place from all interlopers. :001_smile: I would respectfully, vehemently disagree with this; this is a family that's clearly new at the pet thing. Let's not suggest they take on too much. A dog is MUCH more care than a cat (or even 2 cats). I get that you're saying "ultimately" but to the OP, please don't run out and get a dog to protect your cats...your cats will be fine. We have coyotes near our house every night of the week and they've never bothered our wandering cats. Clearly these aren't "pets" since they're outdoors-only working cats. If you're concerned about losing them to coyotes, maybe you want to make them indoor-outdoor cats after all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 they will leave if not neutered and then they will make 1,000 babies, so please fix em :) My DH built a simple cat house out of wood and insulated it and we keep it heavily strawed. The opening is a hole only big enough for the cat. Of course small animals could get in if they wanted to but we have never had an issue with that. My cats are allowed to go into our garage also, we leave the heavy metal door open a crack at the bottom. The cat house would be enough to protect them, just make sure they can get warm enough in the winter. My male cat runs off cats left and right. He protects his home :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 YES!!!! Have them neutered!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 We have 2 male kittens that are brothers (16 weeks) that we're keeping in our utility room (garage type area) until they are used to us and want to stay around our home. Our plan is to eventually keep them only outdoors so they will help keep the mice and snakes away. Should we get them fixed or not? Does fixing them keep them from wondering away too much? Also, what would be a good shelter for them outside. Something to protect them from coyotes or whatever else would hurt them. Are there special cat houses you can buy that other animals can't get in? I agree with the neutering. I have at least three that need it right now. They're about 8 weeks old. Controlling the cat population is key. For them, my budget, and for the world. :D The grainery/shed here has a cat-sized hole in the door (smaller than a cat door) that they run into when the dogs or wild kids come careening around the corner. There's a dog house in there that's got hay in it for them to keep warm. I feed them in there too, instead of near the house, so they don't poop in the grass near the house. I hate that smell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 I would respectfully, vehemently disagree with this; this is a family that's clearly new at the pet thing. Let's not suggest they take on too much. We're not new at the pet thing.:) I had Dobermans and other kinds of large breed dogs and have taken care and trained them well. Yes, I'm new to the country life of snakes, and admit to never having a cat, and no idea how to care for them other than the basic needs of feeding, litter box, and providing stimulation for them in the utility room. If they will stay around our home like a pet, I definitely want to neuter them, but it's very expensive to do so and I don't want to spend that kind of money if they were just going to take off. BTW, I've always been a responsible pet owner and had all my animals fixed since I never bred them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 We're not new at the pet thing.:) I had Dobermans and other kinds of large breed dogs and have taken care and trained them well. Yes, I'm new to the country life of snakes, and admit to never having a cat, and no idea how to care for them other than the basic needs of feeding, litter box, and providing stimulation for them in the utility room. If they will stay around our home like a pet, I definitely want to neuter them, but it's very expensive to do so and I don't want to spend that kind of money if they were just going to take off. BTW, I've always been a responsible pet owner and had all my animals fixed since I never bred them. :) Sorry; I wasn't trying to be critical; since you didn't know about neutering, I thought maybe you were new to having pets around the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 We're not new at the pet thing.:) I had Dobermans and other kinds of large breed dogs and have taken care and trained them well. Yes, I'm new to the country life of snakes, and admit to never having a cat, and no idea how to care for them other than the basic needs of feeding, litter box, and providing stimulation for them in the utility room. If they will stay around our home like a pet, I definitely want to neuter them, but it's very expensive to do so and I don't want to spend that kind of money if they were just going to take off. BTW, I've always been a responsible pet owner and had all my animals fixed since I never bred them. :) Definitely worth the money! I think that is especially true for outdoor males. :tongue_smilie: You should get used to the snakes; they are your friends (honestly). Well, other than a couple of types... The cats will probably not touch the snakes. The snakes will eat much worse critters that you don't won't around. Once outside cats pretty much take care of themselves. They won't need a litter box. They will provide their own stimulation. They actually won't even need food. You are wanting them to catch that! Providing food will serve to keep them tame and closer to the house. (Good things). But, when we go on vacation for short bits, our cats just fend for themselves. An outdoor cat is probably the most low maintenance pet ever imagined! Just get their shots, toss out a little food, and you are done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalieclare Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 A couple of thoughts: *My cats do catch snakes, so you might luck out there. *Search around for neutering services. In my area, there are several feral cat rescues that will neuter pets as well. I neutered my male cat for $15 and spayed my females for $25. *Horses work great for protecting properties from coyotes. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 ...You should get used to the snakes; they are your friends (honestly). Well, other than a couple of types... The cats will probably not touch the snakes. The snakes will eat much worse critters that you don't won't around. Once outside cats pretty much take care of themselves. They won't need a litter box. They will provide their own stimulation. They actually won't even need food. You are wanting them to catch that! Providing food will serve to keep them tame and closer to the house. (Good things). But, when we go on vacation for short bits, our cats just fend for themselves. An outdoor cat is probably the most low maintenance pet ever imagined! Just get their shots, toss out a little food, and you are done. This! While I'll admit to being willing to dispatch a venomous snake to discourage a large population from developing around my house, non-venomous snakes are possibly the largest rodent-reduction aids you could possibly hope for! Please get used to the snakes; they truly are your friends. Identify the venomous ones in your area and get a feel for what they look like, and please try to live with the others! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 *Search around for neutering services. In my area, there are several feral cat rescues that will neuter pets as well. I neutered my male cat for $15 and spayed my females for $25. That is GREAT! When I checked with a lady nearby, she said it would be around $150 for both cats.:001_huh: That is a lot of money to put out if you don't know if they cats will even stay as a pet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I would respectfully, vehemently disagree with this; this is a family that's clearly new at the pet thing. Let's not suggest they take on too much. A dog is MUCH more care than a cat (or even 2 cats). I get that you're saying "ultimately" but to the OP, please don't run out and get a dog to protect your cats...your cats will be fine. We have coyotes near our house every night of the week and they've never bothered our wandering cats. Clearly these aren't "pets" since they're outdoors-only working cats. If you're concerned about losing them to coyotes, maybe you want to make them indoor-outdoor cats after all... I think it depends on where you live. Where my dad grew up they couldn't keep a cat alive, even with a dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jryanbass Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) . Edited April 23 by Jryanbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 If you truly want to have cats long term, then "in at night" will do the trick. Seriously, to have cats... I think it's only kind to have them in with you for part of the time... especially when it's cold and rainy. If you want to keep mice down, then you're counting on them eating mice... which may or may not be true. If you feed them pinky mice now, I would think that'd be a good start.... You want to feed them high quality, no grain food as supplement, if you're going to supplement their mice. Also, remember to NEVER leave poison out for mice...rats...etc. Because, if you do... your kitties will die :( (And like I mentioned, bringing them in at night prevents coyotes from eating them in the dark :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Please neuter them. It greatly reduces the incidence of 2 very annoying problems: the cloying stench of cat spray unwanted kittens And, yes... it is likely to make them more 'tame' and willing to stick around. However, if you really want them to stick around then make sure they get a small ration of kibble every day, a plentiful supply of fresh water, and a warm place to sleep. They can't rely on mousing alone, but feeding them too much will make them lazy. Supplement their hunting with a reliable, but very modest amount of kibble. They will be more likely to stick around if they know they are not left starving when the hunting is meager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 We have a lot of predators and have a hard time keeping cats alive around here. These year we are putting our kittens in a cage each night. We are also feeding them more than we have in the past (we want hunters so that the animals stay away from our house area (we had a skunk, tons of coons and woodchucks move in close to the house the winter we didnt' live here cause of the fire). We'll get most of the cats neutered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 We have 2 male kittens that are brothers (16 weeks) that we're keeping in our utility room (garage type area) until they are used to us and want to stay around our home. Our plan is to eventually keep them only outdoors so they will help keep the mice and snakes away. Should we get them fixed or not? Does fixing them keep them from wondering away too much? Also, what would be a good shelter for them outside. Something to protect them from coyotes or whatever else would hurt them. Are there special cat houses you can buy that other animals can't get in? Yes, definitely get them neutered, as early as possible. They will be much nicer overall, will be unlikely to spray and fight with each other, won't be likely to wander too far and can't impregnate any females. Can you have a cat door and allow them in the utility room? We have cats that are mostly outdoors, but they have access to the garage, where they can eat, sleep and avoid harm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I would get them neutered for sure otherwise all the time you've put into them will be wasted when they wander off to make kittens somewhere else. And to avoid the spraying near home. IME, they will spray all over your place then wander off never to be seen again leaving you with a stinky garage! I would wait a couple months though, more toward six months old to help avoid future health problems. A small cat door in the garage door hopefully to give them some shelter or lock them up in a building at night if you can. If they're out and about they're in danger, in general. I have two barn cats that have been around for 8 years, one of which is pure white so he's much smarter than the average bear! LOL But the odds are so slim they would make it that long-they sleep in the crawlspace of our house and I think that keeps them safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Do not rely on them to catch their own food on a daily basis. To keep them healthy feed them every day-- as much as you would an indoor cat. Outdoor cats burn up more calories as they are more active... most domestic cats hunt naturally for FUN-- not always for food. Warning-- cats LOVE to gift their owners... so you WILL find all sorts of 'partial animals'-- or if you are 'lucky' LIVE ones on your doorstep... remember this is a sign of affection towards you-- they are not trying to creep you out! -- Our neighbors moved without taking their horse or barn cats... I knew about the horse (and he is MINE now) but I did not know about the cats until it was too late... the image of a cat on the verge of starving to death (it had some issue with its claws and was unable to hunt) is hard to remove from my memory... if they would have asked I would have fed the cats or adopted them... they did not ask me to feed the horse either-- I tracked down their new phone number and TOLD them he was mine (he was 300 pounds underweight!!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 That is GREAT! When I checked with a lady nearby, she said it would be around $150 for both cats.:001_huh: That is a lot of money to put out if you don't know if they cats will even stay as a pet. If your children play with them and interact with them, why wouldn't they stay? You are also feeding them so they know you are the "host mama." We have had outdoor cats before and while they roam, they always come back to their home. $150 is really not that much money for two cats and you will NOT want them spraying. That is much worse than a snake, in my opinion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 If your children play with them and interact with them, why wouldn't they stay? You are also feeding them so they know you are the "host mama." We have had outdoor cats before and while they roam, they always come back to their home. $150 is really not that much money for two cats and you will NOT want them spraying. That is much worse than a snake, in my opinion! Our males do not stay. The wild cats who have marked our property as their territory fight our male barn cats and our male cats leave. The females have stayed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Oh man, *absolutely* get them neutered. I say this not because of the kitten population issue (because that may or may not matter to you personally), but because of the spraying problem with male cats. Honestly, with two un-neutered male cats, I shudder to think how bad it will probably smell around your place. :eek: Also, they will tend to wander much, much less if they're neutered. (I see that Allene disagrees with this, but it's definitely been true *for us* that they wander much less if they're not out cruisin' for chicks. :D) Do it, and do it at the earliest possible time. I hate it when I hear about people who wait until their male cats are already "living the life", and then say that neutering didn't help with spraying, fighting, and wandering. You've got to do it before they're in bad habits, kwim? :iagree: This has been our experience too. Our cats come in to a sheltered area in the garage that they can access any time. We live in a large coyote and wild cat (lynx & bobcat) area, and haven't lost our outdoor cats in the four years we've been here. In addition to the mouse population, they also take care of squirrels, chipmunks, and small birds. They kill moles, but won't eat them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 get them fixed or they won't stay around, IMHO. The keep them safe from dogs or coyotes... we have other dogs that guard our property from those critters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Fix fix fix!! Is this a trick question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Our males do not stay. The wild cats who have marked our property as their territory fight our male barn cats and our male cats leave. The females have stayed. Ours was a male and he was quite happy here as well as wandering the area. There were also many cats in our area at the time. Not every cat is going to be the same. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted October 1, 2011 Author Share Posted October 1, 2011 I found out today that there is a Neutering Express bus that comes to our area, and will take your cat overnight and fix them and give them a rabies shot for only $10.:) You drop your cat off at 6:30 in the morning and pick them up the next day at 10:00am. I am so relieved to not spend more than $200 trying to get these cats what they need. I'm going to pay an extra $10 for the distemper shot too. Is a bus full of cats going to be fixed funny to anyone else? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I found out today that there is a Neutering Express bus that comes to our area, and will take your cat overnight and fix them and give them a rabies shot for only $10.:) You drop your cat off at 6:30 in the morning and pick them up the next day at 10:00am. I am so relieved to not spend more than $200 trying to get these cats what they need. I'm going to pay an extra $10 for the distemper shot too. Is a bus full of cats going to be fixed funny to anyone else? :D :lol: that is soo funny and soo cool! I bet more people would spay and neuter if this was more available! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted October 1, 2011 Author Share Posted October 1, 2011 Here is a link. Can't imagine why people wouldn't take advantage of such a great opportunity. http://neutervilleexpress.com/locations.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Do not rely on them to catch their own food on a daily basis. To keep them healthy feed them every day-- as much as you would an indoor cat. Outdoor cats burn up more calories as they are more active... most domestic cats hunt naturally for FUN-- not always for food. Warning-- cats LOVE to gift their owners... so you WILL find all sorts of 'partial animals'-- or if you are 'lucky' LIVE ones on your doorstep... remember this is a sign of affection towards you-- they are not trying to creep you out! -- Our neighbors moved without taking their horse or barn cats... I knew about the horse (and he is MINE now) but I did not know about the cats until it was too late... the image of a cat on the verge of starving to death (it had some issue with its claws and was unable to hunt) is hard to remove from my memory... if they would have asked I would have fed the cats or adopted them... they did not ask me to feed the horse either-- I tracked down their new phone number and TOLD them he was mine (he was 300 pounds underweight!!!). awww, we inherited a bunch of wild cats and starving sick kittens with this farm too. The sickest kittens I took down to my mom's farm. Her mama kitty is has been willing to nurse the foundlings and they're starting to fatten up. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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