Crap, Coyotes... wwyd?

~Lynchie~

So just when we are getting ready to transition Donkey to be an inside/outside kitty, dh sees a Coyote out in front of our house...  wwyd?  Still make your kitty an outdoor kitty, or keep her as an indoor cat just to be safe? 

 

ETA:  We want to make her an outside cat because she cant be trusted when left to her own devices (ie scratches the furniture or pees on things) so she ends up being locked in the garage for most of the day while we are at work and all night while we are sleeping, so we feel bad... 

kaskade

Having lost many many kitties to coyotes, I vote for inside cat.  I've even had the joy of discovering some of my pets after the coyotes found them.  Not fun.  I did grow up in a rural area that had packs of coyotes, bears and cougars, so outside pets generally didn't last long if they weren't smart or fast.

However, having just purchased a very expensive new sofa to replace the one our cats destroyed, I feel for you there.

Does your cat have experience being outside?  Does she have an escape route [kitty door into garage, access to fenced area or roof] in case the coyotes chase her down?  If she's been indoor her whole life she has no chance against coyotes. 

~Lynchie~

she has been an indoor cat her whole life (2 years) but we do let her out every now and then if we're outside and she loves it out there!   We do have a fenced in backyard (its what we were waiting for to transition her)  I just feel so bad with her being in the garage all the time...

P.s. I love that youre always on when I get home from work, much less lonely

Mrs.Kiltlifter

I would say indoor.  She probably lacks the skills to survive outside.  And then when you add the coyote then that makes it even worse.  If she is scratching at furniture, etc, try squirting her with citrus water.  They hate it.  And they will learn that if they do that behavior then they will get the nasty water.

~Lynchie~

Mrs.Kiltlifter:

I would say indoor.  She probably lacks the skills to survive outside.  And then when you add the coyote then that makes it even worse.  If she is scratching at furniture, etc, try squirting her with citrus water.  They hate it.  And they will learn that if they do that behavior then they will get the nasty water.

We did this and it just taught her to not scratch or pee while we are around... she is the best cat in the world as long as we are in the same room as her, shes too smart for us =(    I know she does have some surivial skills, one time she ran outside at 10 pm was gone for about 5 seconds and came back inside with a live bird in her mouth, which she then set free in our living room! 

chibipoe

kaskade:

Having lost many many kitties to coyotes, I vote for inside cat.  I've even had the joy of discovering some of my pets after the coyotes found them.  Not fun.  I did grow up in a rural area that had packs of coyotes, bears and cougars, so outside pets generally didn't last long if they weren't smart or fast.

This!

I would suggest a supervised outdoor version. Let the cat outside supervised and then let her back inside. I totally get where you're coming from though - our girl cat has destroyed the corners of our couch no matter how many scratching posts we give her.