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Cat owners of Tildes, what are your tips & tricks?
what advice would you give to a new cat owner (or give to yourself, if you could go back in time when you first got your cat?)
what advice would you give to a new cat owner (or give to yourself, if you could go back in time when you first got your cat?)
water
cats like drinking running water much more than still water
(there is an evolutionary psychology reason for this - in the wild, running water is less likely to contain disease-causing microbes than stagnant water)
you can buy all sorts of “water fountains” for your cat (for example)
I’ve bought a few of these over the years. they all suck. and they all suck in one specific way.
they are impossible to keep clean
cat mouths are full of bacteria. so cat water bowls end up full of bacteria too.
with a regular cat water dish, you can just toss it in the dishwasher or hand-wash it easily.
but the water fountains have multiple parts. they need to be disassembled to be fully cleaned, and cleaning the pump is a PITA because it has internal moving parts and isn't dishwasher-safe.
here’s what I’ve ended up with instead: pic
it’s a simple aquarium pump ($12), and a food-grade plastic container ($15, and I had it already from experimentation with sous vide cooking)
to clean it, I fill the container up with hot water, add a teaspoon or so of One Step (see this comment for more details), then plug the pump in and let it run for a few minutes (or longer, because I can walk away with it running and do something else).
they're inexpensive enough that I ended up buying two of them. this lets me put out a fresh fountain, then clean the old one separately the next time I'm doing dishes.
If you ever want to have a glass of water with cats around, you always have to contend with the cats drinking from them drinking from your glass, but the early days of our cats also involved one of them shoving his head deep into a tall glass just to get at the water, getting his head stuck and then whipping the glass around, breaking it. He's not the brightest star in the kitty sky.
How do you stop this? Lemon water. Citrus is toxic to cats. Cats have an evolutionary response to this to avoid it at all costs. They will sniff the water and know it is not safe for them and decide against it.
I would watch the first few times to make sure you don't have a cat missing its turn for the brain cell that day, but odds are they will not want anything to do with it, leaving you with tasty lemon flavored water to drink.
Man, I'm really glad my cat grew up with a dog and doesn't act like a cat right now.
She lays around watching me and comes over occasionally for pets or to jump in my lap, drinks from her bowl just fine, barks at me when her food bowl needs refilled, and lays next to me when I sleep.
She also likes dog treats too.
Your solution looks good, but my experience with cleaning fountains isn't as terrible as yours. We have this one and once per week I clean the water, before I do, so I rinse the entire thing with hot water. Once per month, I throw the entire thing in the dishwasher, except for the pump. While the dishwasher is running, the pump goes in a solution of vinegar and warm water which cleans it nicely. You can either run the pump in the solution, but you can also easily dissemble the pump (as it is designed to be cleaned).
All in all I think our cleaning effort is about equal.
I have this same exact one which I also clean once or twice a week. It can get a bit nasty but it's really not too hard to scrub down, and a pipe cleaner goes a long way. I should throw it in the dishwasher sans the pump one of these days just to give it a good deep cleaning
I have this one too, and I've replaced it twice with the exact same model because it's pretty much perfect. No harder to clean than any other dish.
My dog has a fountain and I found the same thing, it depends significantly on the unit. I have had some that were terrible - many nooks and crannies - but some are much better made. Current one is substantially stainless steel and it's much easier to clean.
I have that one and also this one https://a.co/d/75ZQf5b
The fresh flow one I linked is so much easier to clean. The cat mate one has a few more angles and the tube that the water flows up is more of a pain to clean by hand. The cat mate one really needs to be run thru the dishwasher to get fully clean.
We upgraded to a fully metal fountain and metal food bowls because one of our cats had a plastic allergy or something and would break out in a skin condition on his chin. Our vet recommended changing the material of the surface he was eating and drinking from, and sure enough it never happened again after that. So if you ever notice little cat chin rashes, go metal and that might just solve it.
You’re an absolute genius.
We just went through the whole "pump stopped working in the kitty water fountain" debacle (feels like we deal with this every few months despite best efforts to avoid it), so will have to give your trick a try next time!
I put the plastic parts in the dish washer, replace the water filter and use a no rinse cleaning agent for the pump (that is more or less an aquarium pump) . Not hard at all. :)
I had a moving water dish for a while... one of my cats loved it. The other one was really not into it at all - she would steal water from cups and drink from the sink/shower at every given opportunity.
I honestly think her favourite water is the slightly soapy leftovers after a shower.. she is not normal.
It took a couple of years for my cat to help himself to my drinking water. After this happened, I stationed a pint glass of water in the area where he usually spend the most time. It's slightly above ground level at the base of a rack where it can't easily be knocked over. Cats are creatures of habit, so he defaults to drinking out of this cup first, and drinks about 1/4 the pint per day. Once he gets down to nearly 1/2 on the second day, he either doesn't want to dip his head in further or wants the water to be fresh, so he will then go scout for my water. So long as I keep refreshing his own water when it's nearing the 1/2 way point, he doesn't bother with mine.
I have 2 running water fountains, but for the dogs downstairs, we have regular bowls. I clean the dog bowls every morning, and 2 of my cats are always waiting for the second I put down the dog water bowls to drink.
I feel pretty lucky.
One of my cats will drink water from the dogs dish which gets changed daily. And the other one will come ask me for water from the tap every couple hours. And then wants me to sit there watching him drink for a minute.
Nail trimming
Trimming the nails of my first cat (Linda you are sorely missed), was hell. Albeit she came into my life even I was 5, but by the time I was her main carer, nail trimming was something I feared.
When my next two cats came into my life, I started consistently touching their paws every chance I got. I started gently, only for a few seconds and when they were calm or sleeping. I also left the nail trimmer by the food bowl so it wasn't an unfamiliar object, and it had some association with a positive action (eating).
Trimming their nails is so easy that even after three years I'm still excited about it :).
Again, emphasis on consistency. In my experience with cats consistency for weeks if not months is key, tough but so worth it.
Nail trimming is one of the things we got our cats used to right away. They were 5 months old when we brought them home. They're still not crazy about it but we can trim their nails with little fuss and we don't get scratched now.
slow blinking
between humans, shaking hands most likely got its start as a gesture of non-hostility, showing that neither one was holding something they might stab the other person with.
for a stealthy predator species like cats, what is the equivalent?
you'd make eye contact with the other cat, and then blink slowly, closing your eyes for a second or two.
this signals that you see each other, but don't view the other cat as a threat, and don't want it to view you as a threat.
this varies quite a bit between cats, in my experience. cats I've raised since they were kittens seem to instinctively understand the slow blinking, but never care all that much. meanwhile, the cat who had started out life as a feral kitten really responds to slow blinking.
Study Confirms 'Slow Blinks' Really Do Work to Communicate With Your Cat
I had cats throughout my childhood and have internalised this way of communicating everything is fine to the point of it being one of my reactions to making eye contact with strangers. (The other reaction being to focus on something in their background, move my position so that they leave the center of my vision but whatever I refocused on in their background doesn't, and finally "lose interest" in whatever it was behind them that I "was looking at" that made it "seem" to them that we made eye contact.)
moving
cats are territorial, and creatures of habit. they do not like moving houses.
this is a protip I picked up several years / several moves ago, and now swear by and recommend to everyone.
a few weeks or a month before you move, take some old towels or whatever and give them to your cats to use as bedding.
as soon as you get the keys to your new place, take that bedding material over to the new place. walk through the house, shaking it out in every room.
then, pick a bedroom closet or some other dark & cozy place, and make a “nest” with the bedding.
on moving day, when you actually stick them in the carrier and take them over to the new place, show them the “nest” first.
the whole house will smell vaguely like them (because of shaking the bedding out) and they’ll have a nice cozy spot that smells like home. they'll explore the house over the next couple days, but always have a safe spot they can run back to if they get spooked.
If you can't do the towel item, be patient. Start them off in a smaller room with all their needs (food, water, litter, etc). Bedrooms work well here, just make the room a safe space for them. They will hide but come out to explore at night. Eventually they will spread their scent and get comfortable with their new surroundings. Be patient, give them a few days and they will slowly open up and become more comfortable.
We recently went through this with our cats, but did not do the towel thing. Instead, we brought their beds and some toys with us and set them up in a spare bedroom. The cat more attached to me took a few days before he would walk the house by himself, and every night we would bring him into where we were sleeping and he would not leave our bed. The cat more attached to my wife on the other hand became comfortable almost immediately, as she is much more adventurous. It really does just depend on the cat.
They did also find a closet to hide in when they got a little nervous those first few days :)
Respect what they are "saying". If they don't want interaction such as petting, don't force it.
Playing and other exercise is good. Depending on the cat, you can get then into a harness and meander outside. They don't walk like dogs but my cats enjoyed outdoor time.
They probably will enjoy the free toys such as boxes or paper bags over expensive toys.
Remember every cat will be different and enjoy different things.
Good luck!
yes, this is extremely important.
in particular, when you're picking a cat up and holding it in your arms, if it starts to struggle like it wants to escape, set it down on the floor gently.
this builds trust and makes the cat more likely to accept being held, because they learn that you'll set them down when they ask for it.
it will also save your forearms and abdomen from scratches, because when they want to be set down they'll just wriggle a bit, rather than jumping away with their claws extended.
also, when holding a cat, most of the time you'll want to have one hand flat and underneath its back feet, supporting most of its weight. your other hand, around its shoulder or under its sternum, can provide balance but shouldn't be supporting much of the weight.
the best "indoor exercise" I've found for my cats is throwing treats around the house, making them chase after it like prey.
my house has wood floors, so I can slide a treat along the length of a hallway and they'll run after it. or, throw one fairly hard at a wall, such that it bounces off at an angle and into another room, and they have to chase after its unpredictable path.
Absolutely.
Got a few of those fishing rod toys. Took my time to select plastic-free ones. Cats liked them well-enough, but interest faded after they chewed through the rope.
A few months ago, when I was doing some gardening, they showed interest in the bamboo I was cutting. Tried to play with them a bit, and they absolutely love chasing a long leafy branch of bamboo through the garden. Every single day since, one of 'em comes to get me to lead me to the 'playing spot'.
Gonna need more bamboo...
People don't like it but it's true. She lives in our house and enjoys unparalleled comfort with all the treats, special food, toys, and cat furniture one could ask for. A few unwanted pets is just the price she pays from time to time. Plus those unwanted pets usually turn into desired attention and then play. Sometimes you just gotta force it a bit but I guess it depends on the cat.
We do things all the time that go against her direct interests but it is what it is. If she had her way she'd never take a bath, wouldn't see the vet, and the couch would be her exclusive scratching post.
Haha yes. I had an extremely bratty cat I adopted from a family member, who was poorly socialized and very grumpy. He wasn't skittish, but he would growl and bite and swat if you got near him. When we first met he hated me. He was extremely stubborn and very spicy. Since the alternative was that he be put down, I was determined to make sure he got used to me. When I fed him I'd cuddle him, with him growling and grumbling the whole time. When he'd lash out at me I'd snuggle him more, because I didn't want to reward the aggressive behavior by giving him what he wanted. When he'd calm down and tolerate pets I'd let him go. Eventually he warmed up to me enough to become a very clingy lap cat and I had him for 11 years. I don't think if I had let him take his own time to come to me that he would ever have bonded with me. He was that stubborn and grumpy. He became a real love in his own way after that, no regrets.
I've tried buying a few different automated toys for my cats because they can be needy with my attention and sometimes I have things to do or are just busy. For the most part they've always been fascinated by automatic toys and will go crazy for them...for a few days. The only one that had any staying power was one that you mount at the top of a door and shakes a long string with a feather on the end. They never get tired of that (though I get tired of hearing it go off throughout the day).
The toys I've bought them with hands down the most staying power are: a) a fishing pole type toy I can use to play with them, b) a tunnel, and c) those cheap plastic springs.
Sorry if this sounds stupid, but can't you just let them out? Do you have, like, a disabled cat or something? Sorry if I'm misunderstanding.
Lots of people do allow cats outdoors, but there are different philosophies as to whether this is the best approach.
For one, free-roaming outdoor cats can be quite destructive to small birds and animals, which can harm local biodiversity and ecosystems.
Also, allowing cats to roam freely does put them at greater risk (eg, hit by cars, predation, disease, etc.).
There may be other points, but these are the two main ones I'm aware of.
Edit: another point would be living situation. It's tricky to let a cat out if you live in a highrise with no direct outdoor access :)
Ah. I understand indoor cats, I was just wondering what the harness thing was about.
Ahh, gotcha. Sorry for misinterpreting :)
No worries mate
My cats aren't allowed to free roam for their own safety. We live in NYC so there are plenty of opportunities for them to be bitten by another animal and get hurt or sick. I also don't want them to discourage the birds from our yard (my cats are too old to hunt anything, but I wouldn't want them killing any birds either).
Fair enough, especially if you live in a city that busy!
It's illegal to have animals off-leash, including cats, in my city.
Whoa, never heard of that before. Where do you live?
I’m by no means an expert on cats, but my advice would be if a cat comes to your back door, looking underweight and seemingly crying for food, don’t feed it unless you’re prepared to adopt it permanently. I’m definitely not complaining, but that’s exactly what happened to me last year and I appear to have been claimed by her.
I did recently watch this interesting documentary about cats and found it a great help to understand how to take better care of them.
Also not necessarily recommending it, but I will say from personal experience that it's entirely possible to domesticate an (approximately) year-old feral kitten.
Like, hypothetically, if a stray cat gives birth under a house you're renting and you start feeding them but then decide to move and worry that they'll starve after you leave, then it would totally be possible to lure a couple into a trap so that you could get them treated at the vet and take them to your new place where they learn to yell at you for pets and snuggle next to you while you sleep.
You are a good human. I love hearing about people rescuing animals.
Do NOT let cats play with string, yarn, rubber bands, or other things they can swallow. It can get impacted in their intestines and either kill them or result in a multi-thousand dollar surgery. My "whoopsie" was $3500 in 2011 dollars.
Had a cat surgery over a snowball size of hairbands from my ex wife. Fun times. Vet was a friend so he jokingly offered the hair bands back.
laser pointers
cats love laser pointers. everyone knows this.
if you buy a “laser pointer for cats” at a pet store, often what you’ll get is a very small laser pointer that uses coin-cell batteries. these batteries aren’t rechargeable and replacements are usually pretty expensive.
you can get slightly larger laser pointers that run off one or two AAA batteries, and rechargeables in that size are plentiful.
or...you can get something like this that does two jobs - an infrared thermometer that’s useful for cooking, and it has a built-in laser pointer too. it's not meant as a cat toy, it's supposed to highlight whatever food you're measuring the temperature of. but the cats don't know that.
Be a bit careful with laser pointers. Cats love chasing them but since they never end up catching them it can end up as a frustrating experience. I don't think they are bad per se, but I don't think they should be the sole source of play for them.
I actually advise people to stay away from laser pointers too. My cat started to get neurotic about any light moving at all. Depends on the cat you have too though. It's an easy toy for the owner to use, but I think a physical one is just a better idea.
That may just be normal cat behavior. Both of my cats would lose their minds any time the sun hit my phone just right and reflected onto the wall or ceiling. It actually took me a while to figure out why they were going crazy randomly. That was looooong before I ever brought a laser pointer into the house.
Would also make sure to only use a pet-safe laser pointer. It shouldn't be one of those industrial grade super bright ones that can harm vision.
Personally, I don't like laser pointers for cat play. It's difficult for them to comprehend.
I specifically bought a laser pointer that runs on a 18650 cell and can be charged by USB. This is much nicer than primary cells, but I forgot one thing: some lasers are dangerously bright.
Regulatory weenies limit the consumer class of laser power to something like 50 mA or less, but many manufacturers get around this by simply putting a 50mA label on a 400mA diode.
I bought a laser to play with my pet and the thing is so bright it hurts to look at the dot on the wall!
Adopting in Pairs
I've been a cat-person my whole life. Growing up, my mom could never resist adopting a stray in need of a home, so we always get cats one one-at-a-time.
A few years ago, when my household made the decision that it was time for a cat, the shelter that that we went to required (or at least strongly preferred) that people adopt kittens in pairs. We ended up adopting two torties who were sisters from the same litter.
Best. Decision. Ever.
As young kittens, they would play together and keep each other occupied. Sometimes at night, but at least they weren't pouncing on us to try to get us to play. I'm also told that by playing together, they better learn the limits for claws, teeth, and aggression. I believe it. if one gets too rough she'll get a swift reprisal from her sister.
As adults, they still love to play chase, pounce on, and wrestle each other. But they will also sleep side-by-side (sometimes), help each other groom tough spots, bird watch together, hunt insects in the house together, and generally keep each other company when we humans are out.
A more unexpected benefit has been occasionally having one calling out when the other needs help. This has happened when the braver one managed to slip past us and get out the front door without anyone noticing. Or the times when one of the kids shut the door to a room and accidentally trapped a cat in there. They really don't like to be separated, and I've learned to identify and pay attention when one's calls to the other go on for too long.
Speaking of separation, the one real downside is that I dread the day when the inevitable parting in this world happens. I can't imagine them apart. But seeing them together in the here and now makes it all worth it.
(As yet another Redditfugee, this is my first post on Tildes. Thanks for having me here!)
These two sound like they are showing signs of being a bonded pair.
I’ve had a pair that were incredibly bonded. They were always nearby each other, played together, socialized with each other more so than with other animals. Best friends.
When separated for medical procedures, they would become distressed, looking for one another. Depression and lethargy for an extended period is quite common following separation and is strongly advised against.
Shelters will often not allow bonded pairs to be broken up and must be adopted together. They aren’t just trying to get a 2 for 1 deal, so respecting that is quite important. I think that we often underestimate the social intelligence of cats and find this to be a novel concept.
Oh, they're definitely a bonded pair now. I have no doubt about that. Though they were perhaps a bit young to have truly developed a bond yet when we adopted them at the minimum recommend age.
As you say, the shelter we went to tries hard not to break up pairs, and I think doing so would be unconscionable. But even with individual kittens, they prefer to send two (compatible ones) out together. They can keep each other company in homes that don't already have cats, and in established homes that do they have less need to pester the older cats.
For vet checkups, we always schedule them together and remind the vet that they are a pair. They go in the car and the exam room together, which helps with anxiety.
Regarding social intelligence, I often like to point out to my kids that cats are solitary hunters, but very much social creatures. People frequently confuse the two which leads to thinking of cats as antisocial, but that's a big mistake.
Agreed! We ended up adopting bonded siblings a year ago after intending to get one kitten. They were 5 months old and I'm so, so glad we ended up with both of them. They keep each other entertained, groom each other, usually sleep by each other. They cry if they're separated (unfortunately need to sometimes because the male cat gets Laxatone every few days and his sister will lick it off him given the chance). We've loved seeing their personalities develop as they've grown up. They're still both banned from sleeping in our bedroom at night. Despite lots of trying to get them on our schedule, it's just not working out and we desperately need our sleep without being used as a trampoline.
I've had cats for 30+ years off and on. My three big things that maybe haven't been mentioned yet:
Diet: Wet food over Dry. After having cats on what we believed to be high-quality kibble for a long time, one of them became diabetic and needed daily insulin shots. We contacted Dr. Lisa Pierson, a California veterinarian who specializes in feline nutrition, who advised us to that switching to wet food was an imperative. After a few weeks, our cat went into remission and no longer needed insulin. Of course, it's a hell of a lot less convenient than having dry food, especially in a timed dispenser, but I believe it leads to improved health. There's also little evidence that dry cat food cleans their teeth any better than us eating a cookie would clean ours.
Indoor/Outdoor cats: Indoor only plz. The modern urban world is no place for cats to be roaming freely.
Litterboxes: I've had a number of automatic and semi-automatic contraptions, including two Litter Robots, but realistically the best option I've found is an open-topped litterbox with high walls, which is cleaned frequently. The closed-top ones promote an out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude, which doesn't work well since the smells will just drift out anyway, and by the time you notice them you've got a real horrorshow on your hands. The Litter Robots are convenient at first, but within a short amount of time, all the internal surfaces will be coated with cat piss and need regular deep cleaning. It is a massive hassle compared to just keeping the box clean regularly and eventually they reach a point where they're just going to stink regardless of how well you clean it, and then you're out another
$300$600 to replace it. Just use a box.Random "how to speak cat" bits I've picked up over the years:
Here's a lightning round to wrap it up:
Final note: Just like people, every cat is different! Get to know them and how they communicate. It's one of the best parts of having a cat.
I grew up with cats and they are my favorite companions. My wife and I currently have four that we love dearly. Some observations from a crazy cat guy:
Many plants/flowers are toxic to cats, especially lilies. I learned this the hard way with our guy Duke (he's fine). A romantic gesture to my wife turned into a very sick cat and a $5000 vet bill. He currently is in early stage renal failure that may unfortunately be related to this.
Cats love to be talked to. I use what we call "pillow talk" ("You're so sweet," "I love you," etc. in a slow, low voice - this seems very creepy to write this and I apologize) with them and they will sometimes literally fall over and present their belly (a sign of trust). What you'll find is the more you talk to them the more they talk to you.
They can be very misunderstood by people with little experience with them. One misunderstanding is that they are not affectionate like dogs. While it is true that cats won't jump all over you when you get home from work (or a two week vacation), what you'll notice is once you've settled (or unpacked) and sat down on the couch - here they come. Signs of affection can include rubbing up against your legs, head-butting you, "marking" you with the sides of their mouths, "twerking" (vibrating tail), slow-blinks, and falling over and showing the belly.
It's been said but cats are hunters and they (especially the females) seem to need to feel like they are contributing to the pack. That's why we'll have toys lined up outside our bedroom in the morning or one will come bounding down the stairs with a fake mouse in her mouth making ungodly sounds - they are bringing us food. I used to think they wanted to play and would pick up the mouse and throw it. In hindsight, this seems so completely rude. Is it like going to a restaurant and throwing the plate that was brought to you across the room?
Because cats are hunters they need lots of stimulating playtime. We play with our cats daily and they especially like toys that are some variation of string on a stick or bird on a string on a stick. My wife will sometimes swing it around predictably and they will get bored. I try to mimic a bird or a mouse by varying the "behavior" and it seems to keep them more engaged. It's also good to have small mouse-size toys around for them to hunt. Each night I'll throw them into a different room.
We spent a year getting them used to wearing a harness and walking them around our fenced-in backyard, and now will take them outside without harnesses for 30 minutes-1 hour most days. They love to eat grass (careful with chemicals), watch the birds land on the ELEVATED feeder, and zoom across the yard. Only a few times has one of them tried to jump the fence, but we still keep an eye on them and won't let them out unattended. They're very good about staying in the yard and will usually ask to come inside when they're done.
Cats are very clean animals and their litter boxes need to be scooped daily. We do a deep clean of the boxes (Clorox bleach, new litter) every few months. It is recommended to have one litter box per cat - we have three litter boxes and it hasn't been an issue. It's not a good idea to put litter boxes in the same room their food is in.
Don't feed cats out of plastic bowls/containers, it can make their skin break out. Use metal, ceramic, etc.
Cats all have very different personalities. And just like people, you have to treat/approach each one differently. It's hard not to anthropomorphize when describing non-human companions that you know and love so much. Currently we have:
Duke - Male, outgoing, jealous, the alpha.
Chet - Male, sensitive, quirky, extremely intelligent.
Kacey - Female, laid-back, affectionate, curious.
Nina - Female, the wallflower, sweet, playful. She is the one that I'd like to highlight for this discussion. She would likely be feral if we didn't adopt her from a shelter. We wonder if she was abused. We've had her for nine years and she will still run away from us if she feels unsure. The most important thing that I've learned about her is that she needs to trust you. She does not like to be approached, so I sit down on the floor and let her come to me. She does not like to be reached for, so I walk by her throughout the day, talk sweetly to her, and let her be. She is the sweetest and most playful cat we have, but you wouldn't know it if you didn't understand her. She will let me pick her up and hold her on her back, she will let me pet her belly, she will let me put a collar on her when she goes outside, and it's taken years to get to this point. She will never sit on our laps or cuddle with us, and that's OK. She is perfect, just like the rest of them.
I had great luck in keeping the transport boxes in the house at all times. Perfect for when one cat wants to sleep undisturbed and also for not being a completely strange contraption when it's time for the veterinary. Never had to wrangle my cats into a box, unlike my two sisters who have a battle on their hands every year when it's time for vaccinations and checkups.
Insure your cats! Veterinary bills can become HUGE and it sucks to sit there with a sick cat and not being able to do anything due to the cost. But be prepared for that even if your insurance covers the costs, it might not be enough. Which leads to my third point
I want to caveat this with English not being my maiden language. So this might not come out as nuanced as I intend it. Please let me know if it's way too harsh, tone-deaf or such... You will outlive your cats. It's just how it is. Prepare for the fact that you will have to euthanize your best friend eventually. It will suck big time and even though you might prepare for it it will break your heart when the time comes. But when the time comes it's good if you can be as level headed as you can be since it's usually a matter between not wanting to let go for a couple of weeks or end the suffering there and then.
There's a lot of advice I could give new cat owners, but the most basic would be to learn cats' body language. Cats are a little more complicated than dogs, and their body language isn't always easy to interpret.
For example, you've probably heard that tail twitching has the opposite meaning for cats and dogs: it doesn't mean happy, it means angry. That's not entirely wrong, but it's more complicated than that. It would be more accurate to say tail twitching means agitation, which could be getting upset or angry, but it could also be excitement and readiness to play. These kind of miscommunications are how people mistake play behavior for aggression; did you cat attack your hand because they wanted to be left alone, or were they over-stimulated and trying to play with you?
How cats carry their tails, what they're doing with their ears, and even how blink will give you a ton of information on what's on their mind. To someone who doesn't understand cats, their behavior can seem very opaque, but once you get to know them you can read them as easily as you would a person.
There’s this divisive subject with cats that I wish I had an answer to, and that’s letting them free roam outside.
I had a cat that went from neurotic and needy to happy and independent once it gained access to the outdoors. Indoor litter boxes rarely if ever got used as well. The cat lived quite a full life, despite enduring a coyote attack.
Which leads into the drawbacks. The cat is exposed to all sorts of nasty business. Disease, other cats and predators. They also kill any birds they can get their hands on, as well as small rodents. As happy as the cat is, you just know it knocks years off their expected life span. It also seems like once they’re an outdoor cat there’s no going back to indoor.
I was under the impression a 6 foot privacy fence could keep a cat in. It was a complete non-obstacle. Not only could the cat climb the fence, they could just outright jump to the top in a single jump. Apparently you need a full on aviary to contain a cat outdoors.
Nobody should be letting their cats out in general. Primarily, it's bad for the cat, if you care about their health and safety at all.
Secondarily, it's bad for the environment and its a nuisance to your neighbors. Imagine if people just let their dogs roam free around your neighborhood.
I fall on the side of the fence that it is absolutely irresponsible pet ownership to let your cat freely roam. There are many other options for letting your cat get some outside time but I am very much in doubt people do it for the cat's sake. They're just lazy or indifferent pet owners who want a pet but don't want to worry about it too much so they let it live halfway wild.
I just can’t get over the idea that an outdoor cat on any given day:
My friend has adopted some strays that have become half and half and one of their friendliest cats disappeared for three days, they were worried sick.
She finally turned up in real bad shape, has been in the hospital for a few days, has cost at least $15,000 in care so far (they had insurance luckily) and only two days into trying to help her recover discovered a puncture wound the doctors are guessing was a hawk attack.
Needless to say, those strays are indoor only cats from now on. We still aren't sure if she is going to make it, it's very sad.
I feel that you are completely wrong. I have had outdoor cats all my life, with the deceased ones living 10+ years, and the current ones well on their way. (to 10 years, not dead lmao) Neither of my current cats have ever had injuries outside, I check, only from their own stupidity inside, like when one stepped one the cooker (that was a costly vet visit haha)
All my neighbors love my cats, most of the kids are very happy to see any animals, and the adults like to give them some leftovers or whatever.
This is a stupid analogy. Cats are much cleaner (see: burying their shit), quieter, and smarter, at least in keeping themselves alive, than dogs are.
I have also noticed a difference in attitude between indoor and outdoor cats. Keep in mind that this is just personal experience, but I have found my friends indoor cats to be a lot more needy and daft than all the outdoor cats I have met.
Of course, it might be different if you live next to a motorway, or in an area with loads of rare birds, but I am of the opinion that most cats should be left to roam.
It's really not. Cats cleaner? A very common misconception. Quieter? Clearly you've never lived in a neighborhood with constant yowling and fighting groups of cats. Smarter? Verifiably, they are not, and not at keeping themselves alive considering all the missing cat posters all over my city versus the rare dog poster.
Your anecdote does not invalidate the statistic that indoor cats live longer.
You haven't actually disproved cats being cleaner, just said it wasn't true?
Cats fighting and yowling, for me, is really only something that happens every month or so, and the statistic may be true, but is a cat living 15+ years really something you need? I love my cats, and I'll be really sad when they go, but nature has its way eventually.
Well we actually love our cat and want her to live a long healthy life so...we keep her indoors. This, I do not believe is a matter of opinion.
Ok...? I also love my cats, and I believe they are happier outside. I really don't mind what you do, just arguing for my position :)
All cats are invasive to their environment, unless you happen to live in the deserts of north Africa. They have a strong predator instinct and kill regardless of whether they're hungry, which makes them great for farms as working animals but not for your backyard. Outdoor cats are susceptible to parasites, fleas, ticks, attacks from other animals like coyotes or hawks or other cats and diseases like FIV, and of course being hit or run over by cars. Plenty of people lose their roaming cats to things that were entirely preventable by being kept inside, it sounds like you've been lucky.
As far as indoor cats being needy or daft, owners just need to provide enrichment. Vertical climbing space, toys, play time, maybe a companion is all it takes. I've had indoor only cats all my life and each one has lived at least 16 happy years of luxury, stress free surrounded by sun beams. Current cat is 17 and still very spry.
It certainly is a hot topic over the past couple years. Personally, I think it is highly dependent on the cat, and location/terrain too. I typically like letting my cats out but only during the day and under light supervision, we have a generally safe neighborhood and backyard. Although increasing coyote (and bobcat) population always worry me and there are plenty of sad stories. They also have their own "catio" which are all the rage - basically an outdoor enclosure your cats can hang out in, make it as fancy as you like.
I wonder if a catio would actually get used or not.
treats
If you buy treats, give them to your cats for rewards only, or on a purely ad hoc and very occasional basis. I've lived with a cat where I wasn't responsible for it, and the person who was started to feed it treats every morning because the cat loved them so much. These are highly processed dry treats, and I told them it was like feeding the cat fast food every day, but they didn't care. Sadly, the cat's mood and behavior changed significantly - it started to whine a lot and badger everyone, and would wake up every day in anticipation of the treats, and as soon as the person opened their door it would sprint through the house to await them. It also rejected a lot of its 'normal' food and would only eat treats in the morning. The cat became fully dependent on those treats for its wellbeing, and you don't want that!
This should be obvious, but people underestimate how important it is to spay or neuter your cat. If you won't be able to afford spay or neuter for a while, then wait awhile to get a cat or find one already fixed. This is for both the health and safety of the cat, but also your own sanity.
Unfixed cats are at higher risk for health problems, such as cancers and pyometra in female cats. They also have hormones coursing through their bodies that can make them more aggressive, cause them to mark, become easily overstimulated, and make them more prone to escaping. An unfixed cat is not living a happy life with all those hormones and no release, and no that doesn't mean you should breed as a solution. There are more than enough cats in the world, and backyard breeders, no matter how ethical they claim to be are terrible. No, one litter will not make your cat happier before you spay, no you don't need to breed because your cat is pure bred or the cutest cat in the world. I heard these excuses and more while working in shelters and vet clinics, but what it comes down to is that there are enough cats in the world without good homes and many are put down because there aren't enough homes and too many people breeding without a care.
I actually have a friend who got a kitten from a backyard breeder because it was cheaper and easier than shelters. Now that kitten is 8 months and in puberty mode, and he's aggressive and pees on everything. They have a bunch of expensive hobby items in their house that they've had to move and hide because their cat has ruined them. He runs through the house yowling and attacking anyone that comes near but they can't afford his neuter yet. My point to this story is this: it's cheaper to get a cat or kitten from a good rescue than a free one from elsewhere. A good rescue will always spay and neuter before adopting, give vaccinations, and deworm. The neuter alone can cost $100-$400 depending on your location, with spays costing more. You may also have to pay extra for complications like infections. If you look at that alone, most shelters fees are more than worth it especially once you factor in time and energy spent at vet appointments.
If your potty trained cat starts peeing outside of it's litter box, get it to the vet immediately. Some cats can develop a sensitivity to regular cat food, causing the growth of crystals in their bladder making it painful to pee. They'll associate the litter box with the pain and look elsewhere to go instead. It often first presents as excessive licking of the private parts.
It happened to our cat, we took him into the vet after he peed on our couch a couple times. Now he's on more expensive dietary vet food and the crystals no longer form.
Heat your wet food! Cats rely on smell to know what's safe to eat and warming up their food helps it smell stronger. Also if they were catching their prey naturally it would be warm most of the time while eating it fresh and they just seem to enjoy that more.
Also on the topic of food, keep their water dish away from where they eat! This is another contamination instinct for them.
I know it's really convenient and inexpensive but cats don't do well on a lifetime diet of kibble. I've learned this the hard way, unfortunately.
Cats are desert animals and have very little thirst sensation, so a cat fed only on dry kibble will be chronically dehydrated, which leads to kidney and urinary issues down the road. Kibble is also full of vegetable "fillers" and carbohydrates which cats can't digest properly, even the no-grain high protein ones, which can lead to obesity and diabetes. If you must feed kibble regularly to a cat, let it soak in a bit of warm water first for 10min to make it a soggy cereal texture. Try to supplement it with real meat or wet food. If you can afford it, canned wet food really is the best marriage of convenience and complete nutrition. Your cat will live longer and be healthier for it.
Playing with cats is as important as walking a dog.
Mix up their food options for some variety.
Place hidden treats around the house to encourage and reward their natural curiosity.
Give them something fabric or soft to leave their scent on, preferably something that also has your scent on it.
Give them cat TV, like a window view to a bird feeder or buzzing bees on flowers, or a fish tank (that they can't jump in or turn over).
1 litter box per cat, plus 1. So if you have 3 cats, get 4 boxes. If you have 10 cats, get 11 boxes. Place them in areas where people are likely to be, not under the sink or in the corner of the garage.
Do not let them outside. There is nothing outside that they can't get inside. Exercise? Playtime with solo toys or your favorite interactive wand toy. Fresh air and sunshine? Open a window, or let them out on a screened in porch. Exploration and curiosity? Again, place treats around the house. There are many more downsides/risks to letting them go outside than keeping them inside.
DO NOT DECLAW THEM (aka de-knuckle them).
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is insurance for your cat. Currently we pay for accident/illness which doesn’t cover annual checkups and flea meds. The math roughly works out if they don’t need major medicines in our case.
Be especially concerned about indoor/outdoor cats. As a community cat dad of 30 or so, we’ve taken cats in for:
(1) broken leg
(2) limping feet
(1) abscess that needed surgery and 7 stitches
(1) eye infection
(1) broken tail (amputated)
(1) half dollar sized, 7mm deep wound
Additionally, one that we formally adopted was picked up by what we suspect to be a hawk, as it had puncture wounds that are consistent with that. It’s in a bad way currently. Fortunately we did opt for insurance for her, and it’s allowing us to afford her hospitalization.
Most of these required after care when being discharged, pain meds and antibiotics.
Granted, we do have quite a pool of cats, but all of this is all in a 2.5 year period. Cats do get hurt and they do get sick. They fight and transmit diseases between themselves. Insurance is very much worth considering.
For context: we have three cats currently, and have had many others over my life. These are what I could think of off the top of my head.
Echoing some of the advice already given, make sure to care for their teeth -- either through brushing (if the cat will allow it), or from the vet each year.
In my experience, while cats aren't social in the same way dogs are, they can be very affectionate with some encouragement. Walking in front of you or between your legs can often be a sign that they need something, either attention, food, etc.
Automatic litter boxes are great, but not perfect. We have had issues with both the Litter Robots we've bought. Still worth it, despite the frustration; your cat will thank you for an always clean litter box. Modkat sells excellent scratchers that the cat can relax on. I've never had a cat that didn't love them. Can find some that are less expensive on Amazon, too.
Flea medication is important, even if you don't anticipate the cat going outside. Microchipping is too (most cats you buy will already be microchipped).
Second the flea medication, but don't forget worming (you can buy 2 in 1). In my experience, you can forgo being super strict about the re-application times (they want you to keep buying more product after all), but don't neglect it. Fleas are really difficult to get rid of once they infest the house.
Bear in mind that cats can be allergic to flea medication or just really dislike certain products. Some also claim to be effective but stick on the fur for long periods and smell awful and my cat hated it! Find one that works where your cat doesn't appear to pay any attention to it and it fully absorbs within a few days.
Also shop around for prices and don't be sucked in by customer loyalty discounts. I've found that pet shops and vets are the worst by far. I get mine from the supermarket for 1/3 of the price I would pay anywhere else, and it works the best. I know someone who orders them from aliexpress, for much cheaper, but I'm not sure if I want to trust the product. EDIT: Also check if there are any funded charity programmes in your area! When this used to exist in my area and I was a student, it was a lifesaver as I could get everything for a couple of dollars.
Get an automated or slow feeder. It can feed them in such a way to maximize your sleep which will drop precipitously.
Play with them at least 10 minutes a day. Also helps with getting sleep.
Give them high spots to hide out on. May be a cat tree or an alcove in your house. They need their space.
Skip clay litter and go to dried corn or pine. Also keep litter boxes automated (Litter Robot), big, or open. All About Cats is a good website to consult.
Rescues
I can't emphasize enough that cat genetics haven't been as reliably selected for domesticated tameness as dogs have been. I've lived with a number of cats over my lifetime, but nearly all of them were kittens from a barn colony where I had the chance to start handling them and getting them familiarized with my scent even before they could open their eyes. [This presumes a good relationship with Mama Cat, but the mothers in that colony were hyper-social with humans to begin with.] Even with that effort at taming and their common lineage, there was a great deal of variation in how bold/timid or affectionate/distant those cats became over time - their personalities and behaviors remained very distinct.
So when I adopted a couple of rescued Siamese-mix young cats during the pandemic, I was startled by the work it takes to socialize kittens after the magic window (usually up to 16 weeks, when they cease nursing and become completely independent of their mothers).
One of them was so shy of humans at 5 months old that the rescue believed she was unadoptable. Some stupid human tricks succeeded...
I confined her in a single room, with lots of toys, hiding, and climbing places. I placed pieces of my used clothing and bath towels near her hiding spots. I'd spend quiet time there working on a computer or reading for the first two weeks. I left treats closer and closer to me when she started venturing out. When she started to come out of hiding reliably, I read aloud for about 15 min. twice a day to accustom her to human voices.
Discovering that she loved human food (cooked meat) was the trick to getting her to tolerate petting. [In general, cats respond best to positive reinforcement only. Give them something they want when they behave as you wish, rather than punishing them for undesired behavior.] When Lilly was comfortable being petted and held for short periods, and playing interactively with feather/string toys, I let her start exploring the house. That took about a month of dedicated effort from the date of her adoption. Once she was confident with the indoor space, she started sleeping on the bed with us, and we were able to begin clicker training so she'd come when called.
Lilly is now an indoor/outdoor cat who'll demand attention from me and the spouse, and sleeps on my feet every night. She continues to vanish into hiding when strangers are around. Still not a lap cat, but she'll tolerate handling for vet visits, etc. and we're feeling like she's happy in her life. If we'd gotten Lilly at a younger age, I'm sure we could have socialized her into a contented lap cat. But she's very determined to be her own girl, to the point that she'll open the outside door handle by herself if we leave the lock undone.
Dash, short for Dashiell, may have been around the 16 week mark (the shelter thought he was 5 months, but he's turned out to be a very large cat...) when we adopted him. He was social enough to run right up to people, wagging his tail, bumping ankles, and purring like a tiny prop engine when stroked. But Dash didn't have the clawing and biting discipline that comes from being raised with littermates. He'd clearly gotten used to treating humans as chew toys and scratching posts, which is the kind of behavior that gets adult cats euthanized.
It took a few months of patient training (and plenty of swats and chomps from the older cat) before he stopped turning into an attack cactus and could be handled in confident safety. At one year old, he's now mastered climbing to laps and shoulders without causing puncture wounds.
But in the context of cat behavioral diversity, Dash is also one of the most fearless, confident, and social cats I've ever seen, a Golden Lab dog in a cat suit. He's not stupid/carelessly unafraid, but he's intensely curious about everything. Dash will hang out watching the visiting plumber and electrician, demands attention from guests, and will get into anything. He's on our shoulders when we're cooking. He's seduced my spouse (who is otherwise somewhat cat-indifferent) into providing a cozy lap. Dash managed to get Lilly to tolerate playing and curling up together through sheer persistence and hours of love-blinks [we were initially terrified that she'd be an only-cat permanently]. He's taken to harness/leash training (once we get past the few minutes of leash = toy) easily because he's so excited to be out with his humans in the Big Smells Room. [Dash will never be an independent indoor/outdoor cat if we can help it - he looks purebred Siamese enough that we fear he'd be a target for theft. But he also needs the exercise and stimulation.]
Product Recommendations
Unlike dogs, cats have some behavioral needs that come from being in the middle of the food chain. They feel safest when they have hunting blinds and perches at heights that potential predators can't reach.
Cats also need to exercise their claws, shed their outgrown claw sheaths, and mark territory with the scent glands in their paws and faces.
Others have mentioned their sensitivity to odors, and the need to have [n+1] litter boxes for n cats.
Finally, flea/tick/worm treatments.
These are modestly priced ways we've found to accommodate them:
Window perches that are sturdy enough for two large cats, paintable/stainable, with washable/replaceable fleece pads, non-permanent mounting. We did wind up nailing a narrow firring strip to our shallow windowsills to improve stability and accommodate closing or opening the windows more easily.
Lilly's favorite cat tree. Unfortunately, the price has more than doubled since we got it. The box has been her preferred place to sleep and birdwatch during the day since she was a kitten. She can see out of both sides and the washable fleece pads are very cozy. I've been able to rewrap the jute cord on the posts as both cats actively scratch it, but the post parts are replaceable.
This is the big, sturdy scratching post we got for big, sturdy Dash when he grew too long to stretch out on the standard 30" carpeted post, and started working on the counter-height kitchen chair upholstery, sofa, etc. Problem solved; he can also zoom up it like a tree.
Stashable cat litter boxes. These plastic litter boxes are sturdy, the tops are easy to remove and replace. The ridged tops help reduce (but not eliminate) litter tracking. They're compact (I can hide one next to the desk in my office where it looks like a trash basket, and another in the cleaning supply closet) but deep enough for small-medium sized cats. Dash will use them for the brief time it takes to urinate. He's got a clear preference for the more spacious litter box furniture below, though.
Litter box bench. Again, the price has gone up significantly. And it's really badly made - I had to re-drill some holes, and re-nail/re-glue the decorative slats in front. But it's got plenty of room for bigger cats and may be more accessible for elderly/disabled ones. The entrance is large enough to hold a litter-catching mat to minimize tracking. This box is attractive enough to use in open spaces in an apartment, living room or entry, possibly with a bench pad.
Odor control: Even with once-daily or more frequent litter scooping, sometimes the little ones' butts unleash a mephitic stench that fells the human giants. Febreze "Small Spaces" pucks seem to control this, to the point where guests have said "I didn't realize you had a cat". I try to get whatever I think is the least-perfumed scent, but the cats aren't disturbed by any of them.
Pest control: Frontline Plus (vet prescription required) is an expensive but necessary remedy for most of the year. I don't love the idea of a persistent pesticide treatment. But both cats came from their respective shelters with roundworms, requiring repeated dewormings and tests, extensive housecleaning, replacement toys, etc. Roundworms are so endemic in the area that indoor cats get them from tracked-in dirt. As are deer and other ticks, fleas, mange mites... Neither cat has had any noticeable problems with the treatment.
Cats are pretty simple pets to keep. Just let them out and feed them whenever they want and give them lots of snuggles, and you're a pretty good cat owner :)
I disagree with your wording. Cats are not pets. They are cats. The sooner a new owner learns this, the better!
If you have a cyclical flea problem in your house, nothing works better for exterminating them than Program, and you can find generics of it for a much lower price than the mainstream products.
I have 2 female cats, and love them.
First I'd like to thank every tip posted here.
I'll just recommend this guy on YouTube I've found that has a lot of experience with cats and is, imo anyway, pretty entertaining. He's called Jackson Galaxy.
Look him up. He's great.
Is that the guy that had a TV show about trying to 'fix' really mean cats? He's awesome.
Yeah! It's him. Really cool guy!
Explain.
-Someone who hates the dusty mess of traditional litter that sticks to paws and gets everywhere.
There's a store brand, Feline Pine, but you can also get the same kind of sawdust pellets from some livestock supply places, like Tractor Supply. They disintegrate when wet and soak up the urine, and almost all of the odor is absorbed by the pulp.
I bought a sifter litterbox to go with it, and that's made it incredibly easy to take care of - sift the wet, disintegrated sawdust into the bottom, throw it in the trash, scoop the solid waste into the toilet. No significant odor problems, minimal dust. One of mine likes to chase the whole pellets around the house, but that's easy enough to deal with.
I tried, just once, to use regular sand/clumping litter when I couldn't get ahold of the pine stuff, and they gleefully turned the bathroom into the Sahara.
When investing: time in the market beats timing the market.
You're much more likely, on average, to come out far ahead by simply investing in index funds or a wide variety of sectors or companies you know about.
Then just wait patiently for multiple decades as your investments grow.
Also don't let your cat roam the city limits because they decimate bird populations.
Do not listen to this advice about letting your cats outside. Outdoor cats on average live half as long as indoor cats and do incredible amounts of damage to local native wildlife.
If you want to build a catio that might be a way to get them more fresh air but do not let them go out unsupervised for their health and the ecosystem around them.
Let people make up their own minds, please. No one likes to be told what to do.
They're responding to a comment in which someone tells people to do the exact opposite. Letting people make up their own minds entails sharing arguments for more than one side, and it's no more "telling people what to do" than the comment they responded to.
Whatever you say.
we can both agree you should not own a cat.
A couple of caveats to the letting your cat outside bit:
If you live somewhere loud, your cat very well may not want to go outside. Cats have extremely sensitive ears, and blasting them with a wall of noise isn't enticing to them. They may have to get used to it over time, but they just might not be happy with it.
If you have fences, your cat probably will just hop on top of them. They climb stuff, so don't panic - but it's not a bad idea to keep an eye on them for the first few times you're letting them out.
Be aware of what's around - cats are predators but there are other animals that can and will kill your cat if given the opportunity. Birds of prey, dogs, bears, other cats - know what's in your specific area and just be aware. You can't do anything about nature, but if you see a hawk circling overhead, it might be time to try and get Mrs. Pickles inside.
An indoor cat is not a cat unless you make them an indoor jungle gym and an acre-sized catio. Of course, I say that living in a place where any cat I own is going to have to do some long distance exploring to find the neighbors. If I lived in a city there's no chance for outdoor cats. Here, however, I can let them have free reign.
I've got two girls about 16 months old now. Long hair and a short hair, sisters, never been apart. Spent their first year indoors, been letting them out since this spring for the first time. Worst they have to deal with is ticks, but it's not that hard using pet armor and a pair of tweezers - and both of them have finally learned how to groom themselves properly after being outside so it's becoming less of a problem.
While there are indeed critters that could eat them around here, none that might eat cat can climb a tree, so they have little to worry about. I've already trained both of them into monkeys, up and down trees like it's nothing. Birds of prey are not interested in full grown cats unless they are starving, and with so many rodents around here that's never happening.
The girls do catch and kill some local wildlife - and surprise me with the occasional live chipmunk. Most of the time they pounce on the gypsy moths and try to catch dragonflies. Nothing they have been murdering will be missed around here. Compared to the bloodbath my lawn mower causes every couple of weeks these cats don't even count.
I don't let them out at night, though. It's out in the morning and then they stay in once they come back for their nap and dinner. I may one day provide them with their own pet door so they can come and go as they like, but the biggest problem with that is they won't be the only ones using it if I make one. There is little to fear from raccoons and opossum, but I don't like the idea of finding a skunk in my kitchen, either.
The road is the serious risk. My family bred and sold Siamese cats for decades at this place. We let the ones we kept for life out to roam, and over the years the only deaths not from old age were the ones that wanted to run down the road and get hit by a car - five cats out of a couple dozen. I've trained the girls I have now to range up the hill into the wildlife preserve and made them uneasy of car noises, so I think they will be fine. They are both fixed and chipped so there are no worries there.
My current problem is that a stray tomcat washed up here last week. Black as midnight. He's a sweetheart to people but he wants to beat the tar out of the girls. He's desperately starved for attention, was just skin and bones when he showed up. He has a multitude of scars, he's lived on his own for some time now. I'd guess he's around five years old. No collar, no chip, balance of probability is that someone just drove by and tossed him out, that happens far more often than I like around here with both dogs and cats.
Trying to integrate him with the girls is not going well. They want out, he wants in, so they meet at the door and I feed them treats when they behave well. At least I can get them to lay down on the other side of the screen from each other and not growl too much, but it's slow going. If I leave them unsupervised he will pounce on them. Sometimes that goes his way, sometimes it does not - one of the girls left a claw stuck under his eye on their last encounter, sent him running.
It is good to have him around a bit to try to socialize the girls, and to terrify them a little so they learn to look over their shoulders. If he won't acclimate by winter I'll have to drop him off with the SPCA. He needs to get fixed at the least and I believe that's a free service. He would make for a great indoor/outdoor cat for someone if he were on his own. He's been an indoor cat before - won't get on tables, will use litter, knows how to play with most of the toys.
I don't quite know how to get the three of them to make peace with each other. Probably I need to be more patient and wait for it to happen.
Yeah who cares about just five cats getting run over over the years amirite?!
And everything else you said is sanitized, niave and conjecture about “how safe it is” in your particular area. All it says to me is that you are ignorant about the reality of nature and living outside.
It's worked for me for decades, so I hardly see a point in changing anything. /shrug