Would these arrangements be ok for my cat?!?!?!…HELP?!?!?
Ok, so I’m getting a cat. She’s a tabby cat and is 4 years old. She will be neutered, wormed, vaccinated and will have flea treatment so she will be alright in the outside world 
Firstly, I would like to say that I live in England and in England we always have inside/outside cats. There are no preditors, no dogs, I don’t live near any traffic, and it is just culture so if you are going to tell me to keep my cat inside then I’m sorry but I’m not going to do that.
There is nowhere to put a catflap in my house so I thought maybe these arrangements would be suitable. But I’m not sure. Please tell me what you think.
In the morning I will feed it and then I will let it out at 9:00am (when I go to work). I will leave the door from the conservatory to the garden open (but the door from the conservatory to my house will be locked) so the cat can get back to a shelter if he wants to. Don’t worry, there will be nothing of value in there. Just an old rocking chair and some comfy cushions. Of course I will put his food, water, and toys in there as well.
I will come home at 3:00 and let the cat inside the house with me. And I will play with it and give it love and affection and in the evening I will feed it again. Then, when it’s time for bed, I’ll put him in the living room, where his bed, food, water, litter tray, scratching post and everything he needs will be.
Would it be ok if in the summer I put him to bed in the conservatory? It has no heating. Is there anything else I should think of?
Please, please, PRETTY please, give me some advice!
Thanks so much,
XD
8 Responses
frank s
01 Feb 2010
Arielle H
01 Feb 2010
i think that sounds like a gr8 arrangement.we do the same for our cats,they can go onto the solarium(thats the same thing as a conservatory,i think?im writing from north carolina)any time they like,then they come in the house when we are home.as long as it doesnt get as hot as north carolina in the summer,the conservatory would still be fine for summer,i would think.i think u have a gr8 plan which will provide ur cat with shelter when he needs it,and access to the garden when he wishes.i t sounds like u really dont need anymore advice!enjoy ur cat!our cats even know the phrase "lets go to the porch","get back to ur room"(they sleep in the spare bedroom with toys,post,etc)and many other phrases.after awhile,ur cat will have a routine,and will recognise phrases such as "lets go outside!"neighborhood cats will not come into ur garden or bother ur cat,except mabe the first few days,till they understand ur cat is in charge of that territorynow.
*~Tabby~*
01 Feb 2010
What you have been thinking about is great. the cat sounds like its very lucky to have you as an owner.
i dont think you ghave left anything out, and to be in the conservatory in the summer sounds fine.
Rowan G
01 Feb 2010
Firstly, find out if the cat is male or female *G*
I think those arrangements might work. However are you sure you can’t put cat flaps in? They can be put through glass, through walls, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have 2 (one into the conservatory, and one from there out).
In winter make sure there’s somewhere warm and cosy in the conservatory for your cat. A cat igloo might work. As s/he gets older they might not be able to cope with the cold though. Maybe if there is power in there you could provide a heated blanket? (EG one with a 12 hour setting).
I’d actually say heat could be more dangerous in the conservatory. OK if the doors are open during the day, but it might be a problem on hot nights if it’s holding heat from the day, or if it heats up quickly after dawn in the summer.
If you are getting your cat from a rescue, maybe you could ask them to check out the arrangements. They quite often do a home visit anyway…
PS: Have I got deja vu, I thought I’d already seen this question, but if you’ve posted this before it’s been deleted…
david
01 Feb 2010
cats are fine outside, no predators in u.k. ok, think you’ll find we have foxes and badgers
Maisiee
01 Feb 2010
that will be fine, you dont have to worry about there not being heating as the cat will be perfectly warm, my cat stays out all night and sleeps all day inside. Is there any other cats near you? because you will need to be careful that they dont go in your conservatory and steal his food, same with hedgehogs haha
crashboombang
01 Feb 2010
Cats love prowling outside at night, having a warm, comfortable place to sleep during the way and food when they demand it. Once you have those bases covered, you’re good!
Elaine M
01 Feb 2010
If you do this the first day, how does your new cat know that your home is ‘home base’? I’d keep him in for several days, walk him around the outside, but don’t let him out till he KNOWS this is a home, not just some place he’s been shoved out and abandoned.
inside/outside arrangement is fine. i would provide a warm spot to sleep though, in corner out of wind and rain. im sure he will claim the chair cushions as his, just move one to dry corner.
i would also provide a high shelter in the room, like pile boxes or something he climb on to get up to a shelf, to escape predators.
if you intend to not let him sleep with you at night, that usually causes problems. cats are sociable, they like us and our warm beds. it is best to let him have the run of the house at night and let him sleep with you, if he chooses too.