Hi Melinda, I know how difficult, if not impossible, it is to keep cats inside. We have 13 rescued cats who had all been outside cats before we rescued them.
We moved where we are because our house is on a dead end street with no traffic and we are surrounded by woods. Therefore, when our cats escape, which they often do I don't worry as much. In other words I think it all depends on your area. If it's safe, and Fuji is unhappy being confined inside. I'd let her have some freedom outside. I know a lot of people in the group won't agree with me, but this works for me, and my cats are always inside at night. I don't feed them after about 3:00 pm so they are hungry and come dashing in before dark. Lorrie On 09-18, Melinda Kerr wrote: > I forgot to add that on our very small base there are no wild > animals, most strays are caught almost immediately ( Fuji is > collared and chipped) and the likelihood of Fuji coming across and > getting into a confrontation with another cat are very slim. Most > people who have cats brought them from the states and have already > had them vaccinated. Again, very few are actually let out. The > speed limit on most of the base is less than 40 kilometers per hour > (about 25 mph.) I know there are a lot of things she can come > across if she goes outside. I'll probably keep trying to sit out > with her as I have done since she got sick. However, if she > occasionally manages to escape my clutches, I won't worry too much! > She stays pretty close and always comes home in a couple of hours. > I really am trying to do my best to keep her healthy and happy. > > Thanks again for your input and concern. > > Melinda and Fuji > On Sep 18, 2010, at 6:49 AM, Cougar Clan wrote: > > > Suggestion: Fix her a secure kennel outside. I put up a 12x12x6 foot > > kennel with a topper (anything, including a tarp, will work. I used left > > over chain link). Daddy had a piece of ductwork fixed so Ebony and Mi Tu > > could go to a window in a bath, go through a pet door, walk out in the > > ductwork and down a ramp into a kennel fitted with plastic milk crates and > > other "toys." Both cats were FeLV-, healthy and wonderful. Ebony had > > been a street cat until about age 3 +. He became a yard cat then an inside > > outside cat then he and I moved and he needed to be an inside cat with a > > play area. The cost was less than $300 and I rested secure in the > > knowledge that Ebony (who was getting older) and Mi Tu (who had never lived > > inside) had a safe place to go. > > > > If you just let her go you are endangering other cats she may come into > > contact with. You may be subjecting her to a painful death too. If she > > becomes sick, other animals will prey on her. I'll leave the details to > > you. I don't tell you this to scare you but to be sure you realize what > > you may be doing. Dixie was grown when she can into my life. She was > > FeLV+ and very alone. She became a garage cat then a house trailer cat > > then a two house cat who had everything. I thought about just letting her > > go but could not do that to the other cats that depended on me.......nor > > could I face what might happen to her. We live in the country with dogs, > > coyotes, hawks and.....well, you get the idea. > > > > With a lot of stress-reducers, your little one will adjust. Actually, > > getting a companion who is FELV+ may be the best answer. > > > > > > On Sep 17, 2010, at 4:33 PM, Melinda Kerr wrote: > > > >> Hello all, > >> > >> I haven't really posted much and I've never actually shared my story. I > >> will be brief now and say that I have a 15 month young kitty who is FeLV > >> positive and receiving Chemo for mediastinal lymphoma. The problem is, > >> she doesn't know that she is supposed to be sick. At this time there are > >> no outward signs of illness. She was allowed outside for a couple of > >> hours at a time, never overnight and always staying close to home. Now, I > >> try to limit her to outside time with close supervision. However, she has > >> started to push the boundaries and is running and hiding from me. I know > >> she is trying to play with me and alleviate some of her boredom. She > >> spends the day begging to go out, crying meee ooooutttt, all day long. > >> She races us to the door and bites at our ankles to try to get out. I'm > >> faced with the decision of "just letting her go" because her quality of > >> life seems to depend on it. She is otherwise quite content. I am leaning > >> toward giving her more outside time and > dealing with the consequences. Her chances at a long life are very limited > anyway and I feel that I should try to make her happy. > >> > >> Am I wrong to feel this way? > >> > >> Melinda and Fuji > >> > >> On Sep 18, 2010, at 2:52 AM, Bonnie Hogue wrote: > >> > >>> Yes, Natalie. I have one little lady who is a "rehabilitated feral." > >>> She raised a litter of kittens down by the creek. Some kind people > >>> trapped them and found homes for thekittens, but no one wanted mama cat. > >>> She's a lovely brushed coat calico. She is sweet as pie, and Never > >>> offers to run out the door. The look she gives is, "Been there, done > >>> that, don't want it!" She has her quirks (who doesn't?) but is a very > >>> loving companion. > >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Natalie" <at...@optonline.net> > >>> To: <felvtalk@felineleukemia.org> > >>> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2010 5:54 AM > >>> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Fw: New to Feline Leukemia > >>> > >>> > >>>> I would advise the same...do not tempt fate by letting him out again. > >>>> Use > >>>> some Feliway spray or plug-in to de-stress their/his environment! > >>>> Re: feral cats - 90% of the cats that I trap are feral! I don't release > >>>> them; all of them adapt perfectly to living indoors - some have > >>>> absolutely > >>>> no desire to use their outdoor enclosure, they must be so happy to have a > >>>> roof over their heads! Most become tame and are adopted, for some it > >>>> happens > >>>> too late and they're too old for anyone wanting them - couch potatoes, > >>>> nonetheless!.....Natalie > >>>> > >>>> -----Original Message----- > >>>> From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org > >>>> [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Cougar Clan > >>>> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2010 8:38 AM > >>>> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Fw: New to Feline Leukemia > >>>> Importance: High > >>>> > >>>> Some will disagree but, if you can, keeping Lucky inside will help > >>>> keep him healthy at his age even w/o the FeLV issue. There are some > >>>> ferals who hang out at Mom's that are in that age group and I worry > >>>> about them. They can't be touched but are very wonderful cats. I live > >>>> trapped them to s/n but they would totally stress out in a house. > >>>> Lucky has settled down into a house routine as some other ferals of > >>>> mine have. Don't tempt fate by letting him out again. (MHO) > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On Sep 16, 2010, at 11:01 PM, Bonnie Hogue wrote: > >>>> > >>>>> Thanks, Tanya, that is helpful information. > >>>>> Lucky is between 11 and 13 yrs. My other cats are: 14, 9 and 7. I > >>>>> keep my cats _strictly_ indoors. Lucky would have to adapt to that > >>>>> life, or show me he will stay only in my yard (which, at his age, he > >>>>> might do). Thanks for the info on IFA -- I will request that. > >>>>> My main fears are(1) food and water dish sharing, and (2) litter box > >>>>> sharing. I keep one box per cat, but that does not mean each cat > >>>>> uses its own box. So I suspect there is "box sharing." And I know > >>>>> that they eat indiscriminately from the dishes. > >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "TANYA NOE" > >>>>> <sashacatgodd...@yahoo.com > >>>>>> > >>>>> To: <felvtalk@felineleukemia.org> > >>>>> Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 4:35 PM > >>>>> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Fw: New to Feline Leukemia > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>> How old are your other cats? Cats develop some natural immunity > >>>>>> with age. After the age of 1-3 they become less likely to develop > >>>>>> FeLV. If vaccinated and over 3 the risk is there but small. How old > >>>>>> is the cat that tested positive? If under a year there is a good > >>>>>> chance the cats body can rid itself of the virus. I would wait 6 > >>>>>> weeks and retest the cat again regardless of age and see if it > >>>>>> still shows positive. You can also do an IFA which tests to see if > >>>>>> the virus has settled into the bone marrow. Once in the marrow it > >>>>>> cannot be eliminated from the body. > >>>>>> I have a 14 year old negative cat and a 2 year old positive cat. > >>>>>> I do not separate them, there is still a small risk allowing them > >>>>>> together but I vaccinate the negative one and cross my fingers. I > >>>>>> don't know if I have ever seen anyone on here post that a neg > >>>>>> turned pos from mixing, again though still a risk. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Hope this helps, > >>>>>> Tanya > >>>>>> > >>>>>> --- On Thu, 9/16/10, Natalie <at...@optonline.net> wrote: > >>>>>> > >>>>>>> From: Natalie <at...@optonline.net> > >>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Fw: New to Feline Leukemia > >>>>>>> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>> Date: Thursday, September 16, 2010, 2:55 PM > >>>>>>> All vaccines are only about 80% > >>>>>>> effective....I really don't have much > >>>>>>> experience with this because I have two very healthy > >>>>>>> FeLV+ cats, living > >>>>>>> separately from others. But I would think that if > >>>>>>> retested, being only a > >>>>>>> "weak positive", maybe the cat will be negative! It > >>>>>>> seems to have been > >>>>>>> really run down, the immune system was definitely > >>>>>>> compromised, fighting an > >>>>>>> infection, fleas....Good luck! Natalie > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> -----Original Message----- > >>>>>>> From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>> [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] > >>>>>>> On Behalf Of Debbie Bates > >>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 1:23 PM > >>>>>>> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Fw: New to Feline Leukemia > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> Bonnie, it got through! Hang in there for just a > >>>>>>> bit....there are many > >>>>>>> extremely well informed members who will have any and all > >>>>>>> information you > >>>>>>> need! I am not dealing with any felv cats, but come > >>>>>>> here often so that I > >>>>>>> stay informed.... > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> Debbie > >>>>>>> "We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience > >>>>>>> them." - Kahlil > >>>>>>> Gibran > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> From: ho...@sonic.net > >>>>>>>> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>>> Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:32:46 -0700 > >>>>>>>> Subject: [Felvtalk] Fw: New to Feline Leukemia > >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> This e-mail got bounced back to me....am trying one > >>>>>>> more time. > >>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- > From: Bonnie Hogue > >>>>>>>> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 9:37 PM > >>>>>>>> Subject: New to Feline Leukemia > >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> It's a long story, but I'll shorten it... > >>>>>>>> My mom has a "heart cat" named Lucky. She's disabled > >>>>>>> and no longer living > >>>>>>> at home. Her sister was caring for Lucky, but herself is > >>>>>>> unwell and > >>>>>>> struggling. I went over to feed the cats during her > >>>>>>> hospitalization and > >>>>>>> Lucky did not look good. I took him to the vet: bad fleas, > >>>>>>> possible infected > >>>>>>> eye and nose, and tested "weak positive" for feline > >>>>>>> leukemia. This makes my > >>>>>>> plan of integrating him into my 3-cat household a real > >>>>>>> challenge. The vet > >>>>>>> said I could get my three cats vaccinated "providing 80% > >>>>>>> protection"... > >>>>>>> Meanwhile, Lucky is sequestered in the spare bedroom, > >>>>>>> taking antibiotics > >>>>>>> (what a good cat!) and healing. I'm trying to figure out > >>>>>>> how to make this > >>>>>>> work, longer term. > >>>>>>>> Ideas??? > >>>>>>>> Thank you! > >>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>>>>>> Felvtalk mailing list > >>>>>>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>>>>> Felvtalk mailing list > >>>>>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>>>>> Felvtalk mailing list > >>>>>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > >>>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>>>> Felvtalk mailing list > >>>>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/ > >>>>>> felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>>> Felvtalk mailing list > >>>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> Felvtalk mailing list > >>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> Felvtalk mailing list > >>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > >>> > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> Felvtalk mailing list > >>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Felvtalk mailing list > >> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > >> > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Felvtalk mailing list > > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > > > _______________________________________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
