Adopted world's most frightened cat

[i'mnotsofast]

Good diagram Good luck. Get the outdoor bedding set up anyway though. You don't want the poor kitteh to freeze.
What's his name btw?

The previous owners called him Mr Cat. The owner before that called him Bailey. We've renamed him Haruki, which was my housemate's choice. Actually I agreed to let my housemate pick the name so long as he would commit to cleaning out the litter tray, forever and ever. It seemed a fair deal to me. I would have just called him KITTEH!! anyway.

 

[gaijingirl]

I've got a housemate who is usually at home, but not in the lounge much. And the sound of him walking along the corridor or even opening his bedroom door is enough to get the cat to shoot out of the window.

We've been putting out both wet and dry food. The cat prefers the wet stuff.

you need to enlist his help to get the cat inside. The other sound that might attract the cat (as well as the shaking of the dry food) is the sound of the wet food tin being opened - or even just the smell.

You're going to have to put a bit of effort in I'm afraid. If you think this is troublesome.. wait until you have to give it a pill or get it in the carrier to take to the vet! We have special gloves and coats for those jobs.

 

[Glitter]

Get a cat flap. Then it can come and go as it pleases. And you don't have to leave the window open.

I know it's freezing out there but the cat obviously isn't arsed or it would stay in the warm.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

Another pretty obvious solution is that instead of lazing on the sofa like a slob, I should sit at the desk and see if the cat will still come in. If he does, and I've got the food some way behind me, I should stand a good chance of being able to close the window. He might just refuse to come in, though.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Get a cat flap. Then it can come and go as it pleases. And you don't have to leave the window open.

I know it's freezing out there but the cat obviously isn't arsed or it would stay in the warm.

But if cat's scared of cat flap, that's not going to solve the problem. When I got mine, I had to have a person either side of the door and push cats to and fro through cat flap before they got used to it.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

Get a cat flap. Then it can come and go as it pleases. And you don't have to leave the window open.

I know it's freezing out there but the cat obviously isn't arsed or it would stay in the warm.

The door to the garden is a plastic conservatory door, so we couldn't fit a catflap to it. And keeping the door from the kitchen to the conservatory would cause the flat to lose much more heat than just having the window open about a foot.

Very succinctly put.... For all this talk that I should make some kind of outdoor cat shelter, if the cat wanted to be warm he knows he could come inside. He's the one who's chosen to stay out in the garden rather than inside the warm flat. Or am I being unfair on the poor scared kitteh?

 

[lizzieloo]

Get a cat flap. Then it can come and go as it pleases. And you don't have to leave the window open.

I know it's freezing out there but the cat obviously isn't arsed or it would stay in the warm.

No, this cat needs to stay in till he understands that the house is home territory. It's the only way.

ETA: STRING FROM THE WINDOW TO THE SOFA.

 

[lizzieloo]

Another pretty obvious solution is that instead of lazing on the sofa like a slob, I should sit at the desk and see if the cat will still come in. If he does, and I've got the food some way behind me, I should stand a good chance of being able to close the window. He might just refuse to come in, though.

You're not reading all your replies are you.

 

[temper_tantrum]

There are 2 Stages here: yes you need to get the cat in ASAP.
BUT whether you get him in tonight or not, you need to provide an outside shelter for him. He could die in this cold.
If you do nothing else this evening then please please please at least sort out some outside shelter for him. It cannot wait. The discussions about how to lure him in CAN wait.

 

[Glitter]

The door to the garden is a plastic conservatory door, so we couldn't fit a catflap to it. And keeping the door from the kitchen to the conservatory would cause the flat to lose much more heat than just having the window open about a foot.

Very succinctly put.... For all this talk that I should make some kind of outdoor cat shelter, if the cat wanted to be warm he knows he could come inside. He's the one who's chosen to stay out in the garden rather than inside the warm flat. Or am I being unfair on the poor scared kitteh?

Fair enough, and I know it's hard to get a cat to use a cat flap (and even harder to shut the fuckers up when you lock it and they can't get out ).

I certainly wouldn't want the cat to come to any harm in the cold but it knows where there's warmth. You can't do much more imo. Once you catch it keep the little bastard in for good (or at least until summer)

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

For all this talk that I should make some kind of outdoor cat shelter, if the cat wanted to be warm he knows he could come inside. He's the one who's chosen to stay out in the garden rather than inside the warm flat. Or am I being unfair on the poor scared kitteh?

It's over 2 hours since a few of us told you to build him a shelter. You could have built him half a dozen shelters by now. Get up off your arse and build it - NOW

 

[i'mnotsofast]

No, this cat needs to stay in till he understands that the house is home territory. It's the only way.

ETA: STRING FROM THE WINDOW TO THE SOFA.

Do you mean string to pull the window shut? I tried last night by fastening a long cable to the top of the window, hoping I could use it to push the window shut (it's one of those heavy two-pane bay windows you lift up or down). But the distance / angle is all wrong, even pulling the cable tight as possible I can't get the window closed from the sofa.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Do you mean string to pull the window shut? I tried last night by fastening a long cable to the top of the window, hoping I could use it to push the window shut (it's one of those heavy two-pane bay windows you lift up or down). But the distance / angle is all wrong, even pulling the cable tight as possible I can't get the window closed from the sofa.

STOP TALKING AND GET YOUR FUCKING ARSE OUTSIDE AND BUILD THE CAT A SHELTER

 

[Glitter]

Do you mean string to pull the window shut? I tried last night by fastening a long cable to the top of the window, hoping I could use it to push the window shut (it's one of those heavy two-pane bay windows you lift up or down). But the distance / angle is all wrong, even pulling the cable tight as possible I can't get the window closed from the sofa.

You'd probably end up cutting the cat in half too.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

STOP TALKING AND GET YOUR FUCKING ARSE OUTSIDE AND BUILD THE CAT A SHELTER

Tbh, I just don't get this. Why would I want to build a shelter for the cat outside? The whole point is I want him to come in through the open window....

 

[i'mnotsofast]

You'd probably end up cutting the cat in half too.

Yes quite likely!

 

[temper_tantrum]

Tbh, I just don't get this. Why would I want to build a shelter for the cat outside? The whole point is I want him to come in through the open window....

IT IS VERY COLD.
THE CAT COULD DIE.

My vet said that if we hadn't taken our cat in when we did (autumn), she wouldn't have lasted the winter.

I don't understand why you don't get this

 

[i'mnotsofast]

Boss Cat just turned up at the window, the neighbour's confident cat, but he jumped down and ran off when he saw my housemate sat at the desk. No sign of Haruki yet.

I don't have anything with which to build a shelter apart from the cardboard box and some blankets. I can do that, though...

 

[Glitter]

IT IS VERY COLD.
THE CAT COULD DIE.

My vet said that if we hadn't taken our cat in when we did (autumn), she wouldn't have lasted the winter.

I don't understand why you don't get this

It's not that he doesn't understand that. It's more THE WINDOW IS OPEN. THE HOUSE IS WARM. THE CAT COULD COME IN.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

IT IS VERY COLD.
THE CAT COULD DIE.

My vet said that if we hadn't taken our cat in when we did (autumn), she wouldn't have lasted the winter.

I don't understand why you don't get this

I don't see the connection between it being cold, and the cat being at risk of death. Is there some kind of design flaw with healthy young cats, that a temperature close to zero is enough to make them drop dead? If so, if cold is so bad for them, yet they have an open window to a warm flat they can come into, why don't they come inside?

Seems like natural selection to me, but maybe I'm being a dick....

 

[i'mnotsofast]

It's not that he doesn't understand that. It's more THE WINDOW IS OPEN. THE HOUSE IS WARM. THE CAT COULD COME IN.

Right, exactly.

 

[temper_tantrum]

Yes you're a dick.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

OMG HE'S HERE AT THE WINDOW!!!!

 

[i'mnotsofast]

I just said "Don't come in, the cat's here!!" to my housemate, who was in the kitchen. He came to the kitchen/lounge doorway to get me to repeat it as he didn't hear. The cat saw him and ran off. I bet he will be back in a few minutes though.

 

[Spymaster]

String.

Or a lasso.

Might as well have some fun catching it.

 

[Kidda]

I wanted to post a reasoned response to the opening poster but my brain wont stop shouting long enough.

The poor cat.

There is more to having a pet than just feeding it, it needs to go to the vet for vaccinations, spaying, microchipping.

Take some responsibility or give the cat away.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

Okay I'm going to move to the desk, and keep quiet, and tell my housemate to shut up, and see if the cat will come in.
I'll put a bowl of food out in the open doorway between the lounge/kitchen.

 

[Glitter]

Drug the food. That should slow it down.

 

[Glitter]

I wanted to post a reasoned response to the opening poster but my brain wont stop shouting long enough.

The poor cat.

There is more to having a pet than just feeding it, it needs to go to the vet for vaccinations, spaying, microchipping.

Take some responsibility or give the cat away.

He's got to catch it first...

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Tbh, I just don't get this. Why would I want to build a shelter for the cat outside? The whole point is I want him to come in through the open window....

Boss Cat just turned up at the window, the neighbour's confident cat, but he jumped down and ran off when he saw my housemate sat at the desk. No sign of Haruki yet.

I don't have anything with which to build a shelter apart from the cardboard box and some blankets. I can do that, though...

It's all very well trying to get him to come inside, but if he's no intention of doing so, then you STILL NEED TO BUILD HIM A SHELTER

Cardboard box. Plastic sheeting. Staple plastic round box. If you've no staples, a bit of folding and propping something on the sides (like a brick) to hold plastic in place. Shove cushion inside.

Alternatively, stick the cat carrier outside with some added protection.

Or, if you have any small sheets of timber/plywood, prop them up against a wall and drape something over sides so he has one access/exit point