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Author Topic: outdoor cats  (Read 27913 times)

Bramblecot

  • Joined Jul 2008
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #75 on: October 30, 2014, 10:48:27 pm »
 :relief: .  He got you going though ;) .  I hate when ours go walkabout, I'm glad he made it home.

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #76 on: November 01, 2014, 11:19:38 am »
:relief: .  He got you going though ;) .  I hate when ours go walkabout, I'm glad he made it home.


yes he did (and thanks :) )! last cat I had that broke his routine was killed in a RTA so I need to learn not to panic. He's very wary of cars and is now microchipped at least, which he wasn't before we got him. He's stuck very close to home this week as far as I can tell-he's a little sneezy and eating us out of house and home.

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #77 on: November 01, 2014, 12:14:26 pm »
I have a farm cat who adopted us, i have no idea who she belongs to but she is an excellent mouser and feeds herself, we do feed her milk every time she asks for it though, she tells us when she's hungry. :)
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

CAS12

  • Joined Jan 2014
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #78 on: November 01, 2014, 12:52:51 pm »
I have a semi feral cat, who lives outside all the time. He seems to enjoy being outdoors although he does like to get cuddles to but strictly only on his terms. He is a good mouser but we also feed him as well.

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #79 on: November 01, 2014, 01:18:40 pm »
I have seen this cat eat three mice within 90 mins, 2 before his dinner and one after! feeding him does not seem to affect his want to hunt, he's a very good mouser :)

Mammyshaz

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • Durham
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #80 on: November 01, 2014, 02:29:09 pm »
I have seen this cat eat three mice within 90 mins, 2 before his dinner and one after! feeding him does not seem to affect his want to hunt, he's a very good mouser :)

Our boy is the same. Still comes home for food despite eating part of his rabbit catch half an hour earlier.  Or kills a couple of mice or rats for later. If the hunt instint is there they will kill. Tinned food is 75-80% water so they aren't getting a large meal, merely well hydrated. Cats are interesting creatures. I'd love to know their thoughts  :thinking:  :cat:

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #81 on: November 02, 2014, 09:02:45 am »
how often do you tapeworm your hunting cats? mine are getting re-infected a lot but are also hunting daily.

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #82 on: November 02, 2014, 12:02:13 pm »
every two months-he was done three weeks ago. He is only fed wet food though-think I will look for one with a better protein content.

Mammyshaz

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • Durham
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #83 on: November 02, 2014, 12:46:08 pm »
I worm monthly during high killing times of summer.

Dans

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Spalding
    • Six Oaks
    • Facebook
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #84 on: November 03, 2014, 02:44:24 pm »


yes he did (and thanks :) )! last cat I had that broke his routine was killed in a RTA so I need to learn not to panic. He's very wary of cars and is now microchipped at least, which he wasn't before we got him. He's stuck very close to home this week as far as I can tell-he's a little sneezy and eating us out of house and home.

Check with your local authority about if they scan for chips. We microchipped ours, was told by a neighbour that someone had seen a cat meeting his description who had been a RTA victim and taken by council. We thought it couldn't be him as we didn't get called. Called the council, they don't scan cats. Mine now all wear little tags with our details.

Very glad he is back with you. Cats are so rewarding, I think the worry they put us through is the cost.

Dans
9 sheep, 24 chickens, 3 cats, a toddler and a baby on the way

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SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #85 on: November 04, 2014, 07:14:07 am »
He is only fed wet food though-think I will look for one with a better protein content.

If he's hunting and eating his kills, I doubt if he'll need more additional protein than is in the tinned food ;)   Cats have a high-protein diet and are therefore prone to kidney problems in later life, I've been told, so it's best not to give them too much extra protein, as long as they're getting enough.

Eating their kills is a great way of keeping their teeth and gums healthy too ;).  The only cat of mine that had gum problems was the one that was too impatient to be a good hunter.  ;)  Even though I fed him chunks of raw meat (that he had to chew) and dog biscuits (that he had to crunch), he still didn't have such good gums as the others, who hunted.
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Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #86 on: November 05, 2014, 02:14:07 pm »
He is only fed wet food though-think I will look for one with a better protein content.

If he's hunting and eating his kills, I doubt if he'll need more additional protein than is in the tinned food ;)   Cats have a high-protein diet and are therefore prone to kidney problems in later life, I've been told, so it's best not to give them too much extra protein, as long as they're getting enough.


good point :D but he's on really cheap food mostly (he'll eat anything) and I feel a bit guilty about it when you see whats actually in it, and I'll not feed dry food. His teeth are in excellent condition according to vet-they certainly are very long and pointy..

Dans

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Spalding
    • Six Oaks
    • Facebook
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #87 on: November 05, 2014, 02:30:19 pm »


Eating their kills is a great way of keeping their teeth and gums healthy too ;).  The only cat of mine that had gum problems was the one that was too impatient to be a good hunter.  ;)  Even though I fed him chunks of raw meat (that he had to chew) and dog biscuits (that he had to crunch), he still didn't have such good gums as the others, who hunted.

When I volunteered at a vet surgery the vet was very much in favour of raw food for healthy teeth and gums. She explained to me that a combination of the different textures from raw skin, flesh and bone, gave the best clean than any on their own, but that raw bones were particularly good.

My lot are certainly hunting (4 cats, and getting 3 mice in a day some days), they've got as far as killing and skinning but not to the eating *sigh*

Dans
9 sheep, 24 chickens, 3 cats, a toddler and a baby on the way

www.sixoaks.co.uk

www.facebook.com/pg/sixoakssmallholding

www.goodlife.sixoaks.co.uk

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: outdoor cats
« Reply #88 on: November 05, 2014, 09:27:14 pm »
mine scoff a lot of mice but bring them inside to eat. I usually have some remains on my bath mat every morning...how pleasant.

 

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