We are looking to get an outdoor cat. Do any of you have outdoor cats? Looking for tips / advice on care. We would likely start with a kitten around 10 or so weeks old and get him/her accustomed to outdoor living. Of course spray/neuter would be planned at the appropriate time. My main questions are (for those who own outdoor cats), do they poop all over your yard or do they go in one spot, and are fleas an issue even with flea meds. TIA.
Outdoor cat...advice?
- Thread starter gregk24
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We have had a plethora of outdoor and barn cats. What you need to do is build it a stable and warm shelter near your home and near where you will feed it so that it feels inclined to stick around. I have found that outdoor cats that were inside for awhile are typically much friendlier and happier as they are able to roam around but are still domesticated enough to want to be around people. The poop concern is very small, i dont think i have ever seen cat poop outside they typically take care of that themselves.
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Cats are wonderful!! Honestly, outdoor cats are so neat and clean that you won't even realize you have one when he/she's not within your sight. And you'll have absolutely zero pests on your property. Outdoor cats protect their territory.
If you have kids, and if they have a sandbox, keep it covered.
We had bunches of farm cats when I was growing up. They would all gather around a pan of milk at calf-feeding time and again for dry food. Most were somewhat tame from regular contact with people. I remember my mom giving cats wormer, but I'm not sure if there was any regular program of shots.
If you live in a densely-populated area, you'll want to make it "your" cat by giving it a place to stay and regular food as HyundaiAbuser said.
We had bunches of farm cats when I was growing up. They would all gather around a pan of milk at calf-feeding time and again for dry food. Most were somewhat tame from regular contact with people. I remember my mom giving cats wormer, but I'm not sure if there was any regular program of shots.
If you live in a densely-populated area, you'll want to make it "your" cat by giving it a place to stay and regular food as HyundaiAbuser said.
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I grew up on a farm and the cats were wild and many. None received any formal vet care. Whole fresh milk 2x's a day at milking time and some hard food was all they got. They largely lived off field mice.
I'm not a capt person but my mother had an "outdoor" cat when I was a kid. BadaXX cat too! We had a river in the back yard and he would come home with half dead blacksnakes and river rats!! He slept inside most nights and he did get yearly vet visits and shots. He lived a loooong time!
Where I live now cats won't last long outdoors due to coyotes. Kittens have to fear the hawks who nest close to our home as well. I see FL in your avatar. Probably dependent on your location in FL to determine if there are preditors to get the kittly.
I'm not a capt person but my mother had an "outdoor" cat when I was a kid. BadaXX cat too! We had a river in the back yard and he would come home with half dead blacksnakes and river rats!! He slept inside most nights and he did get yearly vet visits and shots. He lived a loooong time!
Where I live now cats won't last long outdoors due to coyotes. Kittens have to fear the hawks who nest close to our home as well. I see FL in your avatar. Probably dependent on your location in FL to determine if there are preditors to get the kittly.
We have an outdoor cat and at 5 AM she wants her Meow Mix food. We take her to the vet for shots and vaccinations, worm / rabies shot, get her ears cleaned, etc...
She lives outdoors and keeps the mice away. I feel all cats need to wander outside and not be trapped in a cage.
She lives outdoors and keeps the mice away. I feel all cats need to wander outside and not be trapped in a cage.
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Most cats bury their poop. I once had an Orange Tabby I trained and was housebroken like a dog. He'd do number 1 & 2 outdoors. He'd spend time inside and out.
They bury their stuff in dirt. The looser the dirt the more they like it. Provide a patch away from where you or your family comes and there shouldn't be any issues
100% Outdoor cats generally have a rough and short life. Fights,dogs and even Owls kill them often.our kitties go out in the morning for an HR or so. They sleep inside @ night. The female we have has no inclination to go out side @ all.
Depends on where you live, how much property and shelter you have for the cat.
Like said, coyotes, dogs and people who don't appreciate a free roaming cat can be a problem.
Like said, coyotes, dogs and people who don't appreciate a free roaming cat can be a problem.
I fed mine in the garage, installed a kitty door so they had a safe haven. vermin non existant now
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Give them a warm shelter, a place for food, and social interaction whenever you see them outside, they shall protect their territory!
ALL cats are outdoors 
. Make sure you don’t fix them. Of all the tame animals, they’re not.
. Make sure you don’t fix them. Of all the tame animals, they’re not.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Yes, here she is guarding the place
We put a bed and heat lamp in garage (have pet door) if it freezes … but otherwise she sleeps wherever
We put a bed and heat lamp in garage (have pet door) if it freezes … but otherwise she sleeps wherever
We have a hard time keeping ours inside... Currently he comes by every few days. He's skin and bones by now, don't think he eats anything besides a catch when he's away. Yesterday morning he showed up, I called him inside and he stayed until it got dusky...
4WD
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We had a Tom die from aids … I thought he was fixed (wife does all Vet stuff) but he was not
he's not sick at all, i think he's busy with the girl cats... no time to eat....
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Neighbors have had outdoor cats for years. They crack the garage door to let them in for food daily, and to let them in the garage at night in winter, but otherwise, they're on my property more than their own, probably because neighbors have noisy kids that don't watch where they are going, so the ratio of finding prey vs getting stepped on is much lower there. There are owls and turkey vultures around all the time, but they don't mess with anything larger than a kitten.
They do not keep my property free of pests. Despite seeing the cats several times a day, I still have chipmonks (that hide well), constant squirrels, and occasional field mice. Granted there is a field adjacent, and plenty of trees, so more habitat for them to survive in before spilling over onto my property. The cats don't roam the field much because that is goose territory, too many geese to gang up on the cats.
They do not keep my property free of pests. Despite seeing the cats several times a day, I still have chipmonks (that hide well), constant squirrels, and occasional field mice. Granted there is a field adjacent, and plenty of trees, so more habitat for them to survive in before spilling over onto my property. The cats don't roam the field much because that is goose territory, too many geese to gang up on the cats.
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I live in the city. I can't have an outdoor cat. The cat would go after song birds and the hawks, coyotes and racoons would go after the cat. Tigger, he with the thumbs and ability to open doors, has repeatedly managed to get into the backyard, where he, with murder in his eyes, set out to do some titmouse slaughtering. I got him just in time. He got me too, and pretty good. My cats are pampered lifers. Fleas are always a problem with outdoor cats, even with regular medication. Toxoplasmosis is common in outdoor and feral cats and can be danger0us to humans who get in contact with cat feces. My brother has outdoor cats that live in and around the barns and stables on his ranch. They are working cats and not pets. You would not want them to snuggle up in your lap.
