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Calling all cat owners.

There was an old lady In my road who neighbours cruelly labelled ' The mad cat lady'.

She had a Ginger thing who'd wander Into the road and she became paranoid she'd get hit by a car. So on the hour every hour, she'd be out In the street calling It, crouched over rattling a bag of treats, trying to coax It back Inside the house. She succumbed to dementia eventually and went Into a nursing home. The cat, Tiger was taken by a relative.

I have cats. One's a Persian who stares at walls with his tongue out for hours on end. He's too stupid to work out how to get out of the garden... he's not the problem.

The other, thinks she's Houdini and at just a few months old, worked out how to get on the roof.

Now, all of my life, I have got my cats In at night and will not go to bed until they are In and safe Inside the house. My new addition' Quevega' named after an Irish race horse ) just loves being outside and I'm Increasingly having trouble getting the young whippersnapper In at night.

I live In a lane, a dead end but we do get the odd resident whipping down In a car at night so I worry.

She likes treats so now, I'm out there at midnight calling her, rattling the bag of treats to coax her and It's just taking longer and longer for the bugger to come In. I'm In serious danger of the neighbours calling me the new mad cat woman.

I tried not feeding her after say, 4 In the afternoon to keep her wanting to come In for food at night... errrr nope.

Any tips ?

Do you keep yours In at night?

I too have a cat, Scooter. She stays indoors. Every now and then she will get out and panics and races back to the front stoop. Much like you I am shaking the treat bag~

Well Oscar you just may be the new mad cat woman of your neighborhood!

Cats are tough....they tend to be very independent until they realize they aren't.

Perhaps you could send your dog out after her?

Have you tried cat-nip?

Have you seen those Smart Cat Flaps? The cat has a unique tag on its collar which gets the flap to to only unlock for that particular cat, thus stopping any other 'visitors'.

Lady J;1459110 wrote: I too have a cat, Scooter. She stays indoors. Every now and then she will get out and panics and races back to the front stoop. Much like you I am shaking the treat bag~

Well Oscar you just may be the new mad cat woman of your neighborhood!

Cats are tough....they tend to be very independent until they realize they aren't.

Perhaps you could send your dog out after her?

Have you tried cat-nip?


There you go. Attach a catnip pack to the dog's collar, send him out to find the cat, and then call the dog home for a treat.

I don't let my 4 out.. That's why I have all these scratch posts everywhere :wah:

But if they are hiding somewhere in the house, I end up rattling a bag of treats!

Thanks for the replies.

A cat flap Is out of the question... two reasons... 1) She'd clear off again as soon as I got her back In and 2 ) Jack Russells can get out of cat flaps and I don't want to be sued If Boy Dog got out.

Let the dog out wearing cat nip? Hmmmm The chances of them not bolting Into the field Ignoring the cat completely are high.

Further more... my lane has no street lighting and Is pitch black at night. The Kitten is black also except for a white nose and bib that I'll get a flash of occasionally. Sometimes I get her as near to my hand and then It's like a game to her, she scumpers off Into the field to chase moths or just vanishes and then laughs at me from the top of the roof.

I'm tempted to think well sod yer then and leave her out but I am taking the advice of cat nip here and try that tomorrow.

Quevega

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Oscar Namechange;1459196 wrote:

A cat flap Is out of the question... two reasons... 1) She'd clear off again as soon as I got her back In and 2 ) Jack Russells can get out of cat flaps and I don't want to be sued If Boy Dog got out.


That's why I suggested a Smart Catflap. The coded ship is worn on the cat's collar & only opens for that cat, locking behind it. Plus, you have the option of either switching the flap locking / unlocking mechanism on or off, or simply remove the tag from the collar. Some models you can even set to self activate on a programmed timer. You can also have duplicate tags for other cats of the household. So without a tag of his own, the Yorkie wouldn't be able to use it.

FourPart;1459216 wrote: That's why I suggested a Smart Catflap. The coded ship is worn on the cat's collar & only opens for that cat, locking behind it. Plus, you have the option of either switching the flap locking / unlocking mechanism on or off, or simply remove the tag from the collar. Some models you can even set to self activate on a programmed timer. You can also have duplicate tags for other cats of the household. So without a tag of his own, the Yorkie wouldn't be able to use it. Ahhhh Got yer !!! The problem with that Is the doors are triple glazed all glass.... I don't think I'll be able to get one Incorporated and If I could, It may cost a small fortune. I am having part of a wall taken out In my bedroom soon and french doors put In... I may be able to Incorporate It In there and a regular one at that because If the dogs got through It, they could not get out of the patio area It'll go out on to because that's gated and fenced. The cat however would be able to just jump over the fence as she does now.

Well I bought some cat nip this morning... let's see tonight haha

When I was a kid we had a patch of catnip growing in the corner of the garden & after it had been raining all the local cats would go mad rolling in it.

Strange beasts indeed.