Conference misery::feline_v1

    I wouldn't worry....                                       
    
    Nippa can't wait to get out in the a.m., and she stays out all day
    till I get home from work (except on bad days, she stays in).
    Sometimes she is there to greet me, while other times she comes
    in much later to eat. She brings me home a present just about every
    day...sometimes I think she won't come home till she got me something.
    Nippa will go out in the evening, however she comes in, again by
    her own choice before I go to bed.  She goes down to check her food
    dish (to see if mom might have put a scrap or two in it), if someone
    is watching TV, she'll go sit on their lap till they go to bed.
    She then walks downstairs, and curls up on her blankets.  She has
    the whole basement w/ tons of toys to keep her busy.
    
    I don't think I am being cruel to her, because she wants to do
    this, and I might add, if she does not want to go out, I don't make
    her - she goes downstairs, by her own accord.  If she wants to stay out
    all nite, then she does(not very often).  I think I would be cruel
    if I kept her locked in all day by herself (please no flames, I
    don't want to start a debate on the inside/outside issue...Nippa
    is/was a barn cat, a very social one I might add), and I think she
    needs to go out all the time. 
    
    As far as food I feed her (wet or moist food) 3 oz a.m and p.m. w/ all 
    the crunchies she can eat (well limited to 8 oz total per day), and at 
    15Lbs I don't think she needs to have food avaible to her all day.  
    She does get fresh water left outside daily.
    
    I know of several people who follow the same basic routine with
    the same results.  All the cats are very healthy.  If Chloe has a
    medical problem, then maybe she'd need a different routine.
    What might work well for us, might not for someone else.
    
    Michele 

    Your'e probably right...perhaps it's just me -  because my boys have
    a cat door but stay in all the time it's cold outside and she can't
    get in even if she wanted to but she's probably used to it although
    she did not want to go out this morning...so I left her and went
    home at lunchtime when it was a bit warmer and let her out then.
    
    I just can't bear to think of her sat outside freezing with nowhere
    to cuddle up till it gets a bit warmer.
    
    Perhaps I'll just put it down to experience.
    
    
    Sharon

    Hello Sharon.
    
    I noticed you note was from the UK. I suspect it must be much damper
    there than here. If she has arthritus (sp) the dampness could
    make her even stiffer. There is medication available however, she
    should not be allowed outside all day.
    
    Do you know how old she is?  Has she been to the vets lately?
    
    "You might kindly mention to her owners that you noticed a little
    stiffness and see what they say."
    
    Do they provide her with shelter when she is outside all day?
    
    Sorry for all the questions.
    
    Barbara

    re .2
    
    I would have like to put a cat door in, however my dad hates putting
    holes into anything and my mom is afraid of things that might enter
    besides Nippa (we went through this throughly and checked into all
    sorts of doors, but one would give @ one idea and the other wouldn't
    and it is their house....)
    Nippa does get a very thick winter coat.
    

     Re: .0
     
    My neighbors do the outside in the daytime indoors at night and
    it seems to work for their cats, although it is very mild here even
    at night.  I think cats adjust to a non-nocturnal schedule because
    their people run on that schedule.  I do notice that my neighbor
    cats often drink from my ground level birdbath.  They know they
    can count on me for treats too :-)  I suspect people should provide
    at least water and a place to shelter for their cats when they are
    outdoors.  May be you can do that for your neighbors' cat if they
    won't.
    
    Isn't it disturbing to be a neighbor to a cat that you think isn't
    being treated properly?  My _other_ neighbors (see Neighbors away, cats
    not fed note) now have a two or three month old kitten that wandered
    by that they are feeding, but no shots, and very flea ridden ("well,
    we can't get near it"  poo I can cuddle it after only one week.)
    and they aren't planning to spay it ("it will be kind of fun to
    see the kittens?"  "Oh, cough, cough, you think you can find homes
    for all of them?"  "Probably not." Grrrrrrrrr)  I have been combing
    her to get rid of fleas, and am thinking of temporarily kidnapping
    her to have her get a flea bath and shots at my vets.
    

    I have looked around but the only shelter she can get outside is
    under a car...not good!
    
    It is pointless putting her water outside as it will freeze - besides
    she would probably appreciate something warm rather than freezing
    cold water.
    
    I think I will mention to them that she is a bit stiff and see what
    they say...I suppose if they care at all they will take her to the
    vet and he may advise them to keep her in...here's hoping.
    
    I wonder if we are so concerned about how other people treat their
    cats because you often tend to think that no-one looks after their
    animals as well as you do.
    
    Thanks for your help.
    
    Sharon
    

    There is a gizmo sold for birdbaths, some sort of waterproof heater
    thing that you put in the birdbath to keep water unfrozen.
    

    They haven't got a birdbath though...they have got a fishpond though
    but I don't think they would like the cat drinking out of the fishpond.
    
    I let her stay in again this morning - thick frost.
    
    Sharon
    

    So, what has happened, Sharon.  Have the neighbours got back and
    have you had a word?
    
    Karen
    (also_a_worrier)

    Sorry about the delay gang but I haven't had chance to read notes
    for a while with this job.
    
    Anyway I mentioned in conversation to the people when they got back
    that I hadn't been letting her out if it was cold and that I thought
    she was a bit stiff like she had arthritis or something and they
    said that they normally kept her in if it was too cold and that
    she had been stiff for a while and they had checked with a vet but
    she was fine.
    
    alls well that ends well.
    
    Sharon