Hastings Cat Chat by Anita Kelsey
Hi, fellow cat lovers. Thank you all for your letters and lovely photos. Before we get stuck into some more catty conundrums, I’d like to give a huge congratulations to new Hastings cat mum Flora, who gave birth a week ago to five beautiful ragdoll kittens. Photo sent in by Mindy Lindars. We all wish mum and her kittens the very best.
YOUR LETTERS
Hi Anita,
Nine months ago, we adopted a one-year-old cat. She had been fostered as an indoor-only cat for six months before she came to us, then lived with us indoors at our old house for five months and has now lived indoors at our new house for another five months. She expressed no interest in going outside at our old house. However, since moving, she has had a bit of a personality change, becoming much more of a lap cat, when we thought she wasn’t one at all, and being keen to go outside. We take her into the back garden on a harness but it’s the front she longs to explore. She will sit and wail by the front door. One of my suspicions is that it’s because there’s a cat who lives next door that she can smell because he does go out into our street. I’ve never had an indoor cat before so I feel really bad not letting her out, even though we live close to a busy road and I read daily about local cats being hit by cars. I’m tempted to let her explore the street out the front on her harness, but my partner is very worried about us looking like the local crazy cat owners. I’m also tempted to get a cat backpack and take her out on walks with me to Alexandra Park, but again people will think this is very bizarre. What do you think of these ideas and what else could we do to try to satisfy her instincts to go out and explore?
Megan
Thanks for your letter Megan,
You’re in a difficult situation because, if you’re near to Alexandra Park, you are indeed near to some busy roads and so there’s always going to be a high risk of a road traffic accident. And this could be said even if you were on quieter roads too. However, you clearly have a cat that wants to explore. I’m not a fan of cat back packs as this takes away any choice for the cat and has no real benefit for them. Walking around Alexandra Park with your cat on a lead would be stressful due to the high level of human and dog traffic, with many dogs off lead. Alexandra Park is also not your cat’s territory. Outside of your house and the surrounding roads is your cat’s home turf. I would forget about looking crazy. You live in Hastings after all where diversity and being quirky is celebrated. I would definitely take her out on walks outside the front. I walked my two Norwegian Forest cats twice a day when I lived in Ladbroke Grove, and it was a great way to get to know all the neighbours, who loved seeing us, as well as giving my cats safe outdoor stimulation. The only issue you may have with this new regime is your cat might up the ante with crying to go out more than she does already. If you own your home, then also consider cat-proofing your garden so she can experience life outside without being on a lead. For indoor stimulation, try some of the rod hunting toys from Purrs In Our Hearts and climbers from The Cat Tree King or Hi Cat. Good luck.
Anita
Mog of the Week
Alistair tells me that Mr Flowers likes: “Crawling under the duvet, drinking water from a pint glass, treats, attention & cuddles & dislikes sudden movements and anyone other than me.”
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