# are we being mean?



## wolffang (May 23, 2013)

Hey there everyone, first off..This is my first post to this website! seems like a good place to come and talk about your kittens!

Ok..my wife and i recently adopted a cat from a local shelter, he was there about 5-6 months without being adopted. During this time he was placed with other cats outside during the day and back into the night time kennels when the shelter is closing. 
my question is, since we have had him at home, hes been staring out the window, wanting to go outside and we haven't let him (we live on a second floor apartment building and we are worried that he will fall off the edge and get seriously hurt. we have tried to put a leash on him and bring him outside, the first thing he starts doing is rolling constantly in one direction, tangling himself up in the leash and almost falling off the balcony!! since this happened we haven't let him out at all because were afriad that he will get hurt. 
He has been fairly lethargic in the last couple of days and keeps staring out the balcony doors..meowing..and then staring at his reflection in the window..now are we being mean for not letting him out? and how can we keep him happy when he dosent seem to be intrested in playing, but he is a great snuggler!! Loves to give headbutts and lay in your lap while purring up a storm!

I should mention that he is a ragdoll-main coon cross and hes been with us now for about a week. Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated!


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

You aren't being mean for not letting him out 

Can you enclose the balcony, over here they make netting for this purpose, then your cat can go out but not be in danger of falling off the balcony. 
Cat Enclosures & Cat nets - Information and Advice

Give him several tall cat trees and try different toys, mine all prefer interactive toys like feather or tinsel teasers, DaBird, laser pointer.


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## jill3 (Feb 18, 2009)

Also a Harness is much better than a collar and lead. There a few different designs and are easy to get off the internet.
Harness will stop him from getting tangled up in it and it is more comfortable.


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## Velcro (May 20, 2013)

ive seen some angled mesh thingies on my cat from hell with that Jackson galaxy guy as a couple there had issues with their cat jumping over into a neighbours apartment terrorising her lol. 

as soon as they put those up he stopped jumping over

ive just tried googling it, because I know what I mean, im just not explaining it very well.. its just like a mesh net type thing you put on your balcony on an angle so kitty wont jump off/over


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## Supasilvfoxy (Apr 6, 2013)

Hi and welcome to Petforums Wolfgang. 

Yep! as you can't let you cat outside for your fear of him falling - which is justified btw. The best you can do is to enclose the balcony as Spotty Cats advises, following that link. This should satisfy your cats wanderlust to a certain extent and provide it with fresh air and sunshine. I always worry that indoor cats miss out on the fresh air and sunshine, providing them with a safe enclosure gives them the safety they need and a certain amount of natural sunlight and air is the best we can do.


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## wolffang (May 23, 2013)

thank you eeveryone for your suggestions! we are definately looking into the netting for the balcony  i think it would be perfect in our spot to do so! Now to get the landlord to agree to us putting them there..


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## Ion (May 22, 2013)

If you do want to try a harness again, I'd suggest putting the harness on while you're indoors and unattach the leash. Let him get use to the harness over a short period of before attaching the leash, try and play with him and let him wander about with it on indoors. Reward him with a tasty treat everytime you take it off. Some harnesses are better than others though, the first one we got was really stiff and uncomfortable.


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## koekemakranka (Aug 2, 2010)

I would recommend the mynwood harnesses


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

koekemakranka said:


> I would recommend the mynwood harnesses


Koekemakranka, I have been taking one of my cats out in the garden on a strap-style harness and leash for a while, and he is fine with it. He took to it with a day or two of my introducing it to him several months ago.

I thought he might be more comfortable in the jacket style harness, also I was sure the velcro fastenings would be easier to use than the buckle fastenings on the strap harness, and I thought the Mynwood might be safer (less likely for him to wriggle out of it perhaps....

I bought him a Mynwood harness, but every time I put it on him he lies down, and won't move!  I tried leaving the harness on him when he's indoors but he cries and fusses until I take it off. After a week of trying, I have had to revert to using the old harness, which he continues to be fine with.

Do you think I should just accept he is never going to take to the Mynwood harness and stick with the strap-style harness? Maybe there are some cats who just won't take to the jacket style harness.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

If you are then so am I. I stopped my cats free roaming a couple of months back due to an accident and have cat proofed the garden. They are still meowing at the front door but hopefully they will adjust.

If I were you I would enclose the balcony as your cat will benefit from the fresh air and might feel like he is outside and stop meowing.

I have a mynwood harness which they will wear but I don't use it now they have the garden in case it makes them worse about wanting to go out of the front.

_Posted from Petforums.co.uk App for Android_


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## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

Velcro said:


> ive seen some angled mesh thingies on my cat from hell with that Jackson galaxy guy as a couple there had issues with their cat jumping over into a neighbours apartment terrorising her lol.
> 
> as soon as they put those up he stopped jumping over
> 
> ive just tried googling it, because I know what I mean, im just not explaining it very well.. its just like a mesh net type thing you put on your balcony on an angle so kitty wont jump off/over


I saw that episode too. It is fairly easy, really. There are several companies that specialize in catproofing gardens and balconies. And if you give him a cat tree on the cat-proofed balcony, he will love it. How was he with other cats in the rescue? Maybe he isn't missing the outdoors as such, but the fact that he could play there with other cats...


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## koekemakranka (Aug 2, 2010)

Is there someone with him most of the day? If not, is there a possibility that you could get him a feline friend?


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