This last couple of weeks has been crazy.....I left a week ago Thursday morning to spend some girl time at a B&B with my best friend (known her since 6th grade) as she was on a business trip only a few hours from me, so we met half way....
I came home Saturday morning to change out suitcase and drive to get on the plane to Albuquerque, NM for work...I said quick hellos; to critters.....hubby was working...and off I was again.....
He messaged me the next day and asked if I went out back to see Taz when I stopped a home....I immediately felt guilty and said no I did not actually go out there and was he okay?!
Yes, he was fine...but hubby was out front doing some work, and saw a gorgeous orange cat by the fence that he had not seen out there before...he started to talk to it as he walked closer...it did not run...he got closer and it looked up at him....he looked closer, picked up the cat and it did not struggle....felt its front paws...it was Tawny....the one from last winter...YIKES....how did he get out there?!
Hubby turned towards the house and saw a fluffy siamese looking cat....GUMP....Now there are TWO of them outside?!...so he grabbed up Gump and was almost running to the house....front door was closed...Roo was out there....
He went in to the house with these three cats...to find Ghost and Sammie on the couch...and Taz sleeping on the floor beside he couch?!
The back door to Taz's yard was wide open....
So he got Taz back to his yard....made sure all indoor cats were indoors and that no outside cats were in the house....
He had not shut and secured the back door when he had fed Taz the evening before....
But I guess we know now that we can work on letting Taz in to the house and all should be okay....he just needs to learn his way around since he is blind...
The Joys of Business Trips
Re: The Joys of Business Trips
I think I recommended that some time ago, there shouldn't be any reason you can't give this a serious try with Taz in the house. Winter is coming on, and he might really appreciate being in the house with his parents, dog companions, etc. I would however, be certain to strictly supervise with the cats, do not leave him in the house if no one is home if he has never been around them for a long period of time. That said, the more you allow him inside, the more you'll discover if this will be workable.
The cats were outside overnight? How scary for them!
The cats were outside overnight? How scary for them!
..........Traci
Re: The Joys of Business Trips
No, thankfully they were not outside overnight...Taz is good about sleeping all night, so probably when he got up in the morning and was getting a drink, which is right by the door, he bumped the door and it opened for him
Yes, you did suggest doing so a while ago, and while the dogs know each other from visiting at the doorway, we were unsure of him around the cats...but so far, he has even let the outside cats come up on the porch with him and sleep and even eat and drink from his dishes...
I just worry about bringing him in and then out all day....going from warm to not so warm like that, if he will end up getting sick from it...we do have a heat lamp on his porch, and it rarely gets down below freezing, but it is a big difference from the house...
However, we could close the half door to the kitchen, that has a cat sized opening cut in the bottom....no way can Taz fit through that opening, so the cats would have a place to go, other than UP, if they did not want to be around Taz
Yes, you did suggest doing so a while ago, and while the dogs know each other from visiting at the doorway, we were unsure of him around the cats...but so far, he has even let the outside cats come up on the porch with him and sleep and even eat and drink from his dishes...
I just worry about bringing him in and then out all day....going from warm to not so warm like that, if he will end up getting sick from it...we do have a heat lamp on his porch, and it rarely gets down below freezing, but it is a big difference from the house...
However, we could close the half door to the kitchen, that has a cat sized opening cut in the bottom....no way can Taz fit through that opening, so the cats would have a place to go, other than UP, if they did not want to be around Taz
Re: The Joys of Business Trips
Please remember that this rings true: If it's too cold for you, it's too cold for the pets.
Short-haired pets even moreso than those with longer fur, senior pets, etc. Not to mention rain or snow, if fur is wet, most animals instinctively lick the rain or snow off the fur, but they are still "wet".
Older pets seek more warmth due to restricted activity, tired bones and arthritis. Warmth is always needed for those 'ailments' in aging.
I cringe every time I hear a farmer, rancher, kennel operator, and even some vets state that anything below *35-degrees* outside and any pet should be in an indoor warm environment. They are old school thinking, and it's wrong. They don't take into account humidity, wind/wind-chilll-factor, overcast vs clear cold nights, non-insulated shelter, etc etc. Even on a good day or night, 35-degrees is COLD.
So, please keep that in mind when you're thinking of modifying the shelters for the pets.
I'm not saying you're not keeping them warm enough, I don't know the basics of your shelters. But, for any pet that is obviously needing warmth, such as with Taz, I would personally work with him to introduce and slowly acclimate him indoors. Of course, you cannot risk cats getting hurt, this just takes committment on yours and hubby's part. So, when you're home and able to supervise strictly, keep him indoors....when you're not home, ensure that his outdoor shelter is warm enough to accommodate tired bones, arthritis, etc so that he is ultra comfortable. It's not going to make much of a difference going from one area to another, as long as the temperature difference is not extreme. If you're committed and this works out where Taz gets along with the cats, then it won't take long to discover that.
Your last sentence seems like an option, unless wherever the half-door leads is not an area a cat can get trapped in a corner by Taz and unable to get to the door or jump over it. Likewise, that Taz could jump over it or get himself stuck in the cat-door somehow.
Short-haired pets even moreso than those with longer fur, senior pets, etc. Not to mention rain or snow, if fur is wet, most animals instinctively lick the rain or snow off the fur, but they are still "wet".
Older pets seek more warmth due to restricted activity, tired bones and arthritis. Warmth is always needed for those 'ailments' in aging.
I cringe every time I hear a farmer, rancher, kennel operator, and even some vets state that anything below *35-degrees* outside and any pet should be in an indoor warm environment. They are old school thinking, and it's wrong. They don't take into account humidity, wind/wind-chilll-factor, overcast vs clear cold nights, non-insulated shelter, etc etc. Even on a good day or night, 35-degrees is COLD.
So, please keep that in mind when you're thinking of modifying the shelters for the pets.
I'm not saying you're not keeping them warm enough, I don't know the basics of your shelters. But, for any pet that is obviously needing warmth, such as with Taz, I would personally work with him to introduce and slowly acclimate him indoors. Of course, you cannot risk cats getting hurt, this just takes committment on yours and hubby's part. So, when you're home and able to supervise strictly, keep him indoors....when you're not home, ensure that his outdoor shelter is warm enough to accommodate tired bones, arthritis, etc so that he is ultra comfortable. It's not going to make much of a difference going from one area to another, as long as the temperature difference is not extreme. If you're committed and this works out where Taz gets along with the cats, then it won't take long to discover that.
Your last sentence seems like an option, unless wherever the half-door leads is not an area a cat can get trapped in a corner by Taz and unable to get to the door or jump over it. Likewise, that Taz could jump over it or get himself stuck in the cat-door somehow.
..........Traci