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I voted Jasper should be allowed out briefly, except I have one serious complaint. In your OP, you left Jasper outside alone!!!!!
When we rarely let out indoor cats outside, we were right there with them while they hid behind the bushes up against the house near the door. We would have never walked back inside and left them outside alone. They were indoors for so many years they probably didn't have the intelligence to find their own way back home if they ventured even across the yard. Most importantly, they didn't have front claws. They would have no way of protecting themselves out there by themselves, something can happen in just 10 minutes.
So my biggest problem is that you go back inside because you "have things to do." If he's really only out there for 10 minutes, you can postpone those things for 10 minutes and stay outside with him. He is more precious to you than those 10 minutes. I can't imagine one thing that can't wait 10 minutes, except your needing to go to the bathroom. If you have to "go" and can't "hold it," pick him up and take him back inside with you. If anything ever happened to your spoiled Jasper out there on his own, you would regret that put so much importance on "having things to do" that could have really waited 10 minutes.
Valid point. But he likes going out when it is so cold. Probably why he only stays out for ten or less minutes. Agreed, summer, spring, I stay out with him. The wind is just too chilly for me. He has a thick fur coat...and goes under his protected bush, while I would be right in the wind monitoring his play time.
In the summer, I gladly take out a cup of coffee and enjoy the morning sun with him.
The other day he wanted out, and it was just too nippy for me. I came in, and he did too, a few minutes later...And went directly to his warm bed. He was so cold.
You have as you already realize reinforced the behavior. If you don't want to reinforce it back the other way, you really need to take steps that the outside visit doesn't turn into a disaster.
How about an enclosure for the outside jaunts? We just had a thread on an easy to make one. Otherwise you need a harness and lead of some kind.
It comes down to this: how do you know that one day he won't finally see/hear/smell the stimulus that sets him off running after something? The answer is you don't, so even supervised IMO is not enough. Needs to be harness and leash or enclosure. If you make the harness part of the routine when he's insisting upon going out, he should adjust to that if he's that desperate to go out.
Plus I'm really into buying stuff from "Makers" as I like to call them, entrepreneurs who hand make and sell things, regardless of what country they are in, and who sell online...this, to me, is voting with dollars on what you want to see continue in the world. (Hence of course I'm an Etsy.com regular.)
I'm lucky, I let my cats outside in the fenced back yard. No worries, they are munchkins and can't jump the fence. They're more like cat/dogs. They go out every morning after breakfast, they look forward to it. They have a routine, then they come in and sleep like babies all day. I wouldn't let them out at night though. Their short legs aren't meant to defend much. They are more likely to lick you to death.
I had an outdoor cat. He lived to the rip old age of 15. I tried to keep him as an indoor cat but he was so stressed and not moving his bowel plus he kept vomiting. He would scratch at the door all day long. Finally after a complete intestinal xray series and a hospital stay which costs 3000 dollars the vet told me to let him outside. He was too stressed inside. Instant fix, he was happy outside. Some cats are just not willing to be indoor cats. They aren't as tame and crave their wild side. It was worth it for him. He'd come and go as he pleased. It's hard to judge all cats the same, or owners for that matter. By the way, he died of natural causes, not from something outdoors.
I don't have an extreme issue either way. If you want to let your cat out then I am good with that. If you don't I'm good with that as well. I don't have a stance either way. I go with the flow. Some cats adapt well to indoor life, some don't. IMO, of course.
Plus I'm really into buying stuff from "Makers" as I like to call them, entrepreneurs who hand make and sell things, regardless of what country they are in, and who sell online...this, to me, is voting with dollars on what you want to see continue in the world. (Hence of course I'm an Etsy.com regular.)
I think those are awesome!! I'm an Etsy buyer as well! Funny, hence your user name. I just bought a handmade Chao plush for my sons easter basket off of Etsy. It's adorable!! If you aren't aware, your user name is a popular game. But, you probably are.
Thank you for helping me strong. Jasper has just been really manipulating me, his begging hasmade me give in to him, because other wise I feel so "mean". Even though I know I am the adult and more responsible for his safety.
He has a jacket. And a leash. I have just been lax since moving to this new area, he goes into an enclosed yard. No traffic. And he loves looking at the deer in the yard.
I think those are awesome!! I'm an Etsy buyer as well! Funny, hence your user name. I just bought a handmade Chao plush for my sons easter basket off of Etsy. It's adorable!! If you aren't aware, your user name is a popular game. But, you probably are.
Actually no, I wasn't aware of that. My choice in username is just (to me) a Dr. Who reference with a little extra silliness. Like, if I were a timelord I wouldn't have a sonic screwdriver, I'd have a sonic spork! lol
(I'm a total geek, but I'm OK with it.) I'll have to have a look online and see what this game is you're talking about...
About things like letting cats outside or not...I do think that inside only unless using a harness or an enclosure is for the best. But I wouldn't come down too harshly on an owner for deciding otherwise unless they did so out of ignorance of factual information which I felt I could somehow helpfully provide. But I don't think that is the case here, Jasper's owner is a regular poster here who has seen what everybody says and obviously is in possession of the facts. So, Jasper's cat-parent must decide what is best for Jasper, regardless of the opinions of the other cat guardians here. Just remember...no matter how much he thinks he is, in some situations, the cat is not the boss of you!! (Hard thing for any of us to remember I think.)
You have as you already realize reinforced the behavior. If you don't want to reinforce it back the other way, you really need to take steps that the outside visit doesn't turn into a disaster.
How about an enclosure for the outside jaunts? We just had a thread on an easy to make one. Otherwise you need a harness and lead of some kind.
It comes down to this: how do you know that one day he won't finally see/hear/smell the stimulus that sets him off running after something? The answer is you don't, so even supervised IMO is not enough. Needs to be harness and leash or enclosure. If you make the harness part of the routine when he's insisting upon going out, he should adjust to that if he's that desperate to go out.
What does IMO stand for?
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