Outside cats

So this is a pretty out-there question...but seems like there's always someone here who knows what I need to find out.

My g/f and I have been living together for the last two years. She has an 8 y/o male cat who has become more and more incontinent (pee and poop) as time has gone on. We've taken him to vets, and no one has been able to diagnose it except to tell us that sometime Manxes do that because of a congenital nerve defect. We just can't do it anymore, because we're not good enough housekeepers to stay ahead of the smell. We also don't want to foist him off on some unsuspecting adoptee, although we're looking into shelter/foster options. My sister-in-law's parents have said they would take him (they have a thing for Manxes) but he would be an outdoor cat (albeit one that gets fed regularly and taken to the vet if he gets sick).

The rub is that he has had his front claws removed. I was always under the impression that a declawed cat couldn't make it as an outside cat because they can't defend themselves as well nor can they climb I have had several friends tell me since that they have heard of declawed cats making it outside and surviving just fine, and some that can even climb. He would be one of about 15 outside cats here, so he wouldn't be a lone target. My gf doesn't want to put him in any situation where he would be in danger. So I ask you, GRM community, would it be a death sentence to put him outside?

I wouldn't put him outside, but yes, i have also heard and SEEN declawed cats make it just fine.

The only difference is that they aren't real great in a fight at that point, but they're still capable of catching dinner.

My friend had a cat that was declawed that spent part of its time outside. A dog got hold of it and killed as it couldn't get up a tree or fight.

Find a nice old lady to give the cat to. Every neighborhood has a crazy cat lady.

Firstly, declawing is bad. It takes from the animal it's first line of defense and can cause mental issues/psychological issues for the cat.

I have had both indoor and outdoor cats. The only trouble I had was with the cats that would go outside. I lost too many of them to cars, dogs and other badness.

I don't know enough about Manxes (save for the bobbed tail), but must think that there is help to be found online. Have you checked with the veterinary schools at Michigan State, Ohio State, or in Boston. Lots of good stuff going on at those schools. Eight doesn't seem that old for a cat.

Best of luck and keep us posted. BTW, there may be a Manx rescue you can contact. Do a google search if you haven't already.

I wouldn't put a declawed cat outside.

I have a declawed Maine Coon of some fashion that I'd put outside. On the highway. At night. Wrapped in duct tape. HATE that cat. That being said, I've had declawed cats that did just fine outside, but I don't know that I would let one out, given all the environmental dangers that a critter can face.

vwcorvette wrote: Firstly, declawing is bad. It takes from the animal it's first line of defense and can cause mental issues/psychological issues for the cat.

No E36 M3. She didn't get him until age 4, and is aware that declawing is bad. He still favors one foot (usually sits with his front left paw in the air). We presume it's because of the declawing. Unfortunately, we can't go back and unring that bell. And the "OMG I can't believe anyone would doooooo such a thing!" is the only response we get when we ask a question like this on a cat forum.

We're looking into rescues. We haven't found a Manx-specific rescue, but rescues in general are very much an option. Unfortunately, they'll have just as hard a time finding a home for him as we will. And yeah, if we could find a crazy cat lady who had time to clean up after him, that would be spectacular. He is the sweetest cat I've ever been around.

this is grm, wheres the enginuity!? i say give him his claws back by fashioning some little cat shoes to put in the front paws that have metal spikes sticking out so the little bugger can get up trees. kind of like pirates' hooks meets cleats

Kitty diapers?

http://www.pickyguide.com/pet_supplies/cat_diapers_guide.html

You may not even need the tail hole. A quick and dirty (pun intended) trial may be preemy baby diapers depending on if he has any tail at all.

He chews the diapers off. We tried the preemie diapers, and he'll tolerate them as long as we are around, but he chews them off as soon as we leave. No need for a tail hole, though, he's completely tailless.

And I considered giving him some form of adamantium claws, but I'm no engineer.

We had a kitten that fell off something in the middle of the night last year & we found him paralysed from the waist down. We took him to the vet, but they didn't find any visible damage. We keep him in diapers & he scoots around just fine(hardwood & vinyl floors).

We had some issues with him not liking the diaper at first, but I just wrapped a couple of those velcro cable wraps around his waist & eventually he got used to it. He's about 9-months old & doing fine now. He can actually climb pretty well with just front claws.

Might be harder with an older cat though.

psteav wrote: He chews the diapers off. We tried the preemie diapers, and he'll tolerate them as long as we are around, but he chews them off as soon as we leave. No need for a tail hole, though, he's completely tailless. And I considered giving him some form of adamantium claws, but I'm no engineer.

I read something on manx's once that said that the more tailless they were, the more likely this sort of issue was to become due to the underdeveloped spine. I don't remember if there was a cure or anything, but I know of at least one place in WI that would probably take such a guy in, and another one in Montana.

Wait till you see the upper body development on that paralyzed cat. My grand dad had lots of outdoor cats (rural life). One kept running away and getting hurt, so he filled an anti freeze container, one of the big ones, with gravel and connected it to the cats collar with rope.

The cat dragged it around and wore a hole in it, so it was replaced. Then it started climbing trees with it. Thing was solid muscle.

mattmacklind wrote: Wait till you see the upper body development on that paralyzed cat. My grand dad had lots of outdoor cats (rural life). One kept running away and getting hurt, so he filled an anti freeze container, one of the big ones, with gravel and connected it to the cats collar with rope. The cat dragged it around and wore a hole in it, so it was replaced. Then it started climbing trees with it. Thing was solid muscle.

I want this cat. Sounds like my kind of pain in the ass. Better even than the ferret that I had to clean carbon from a catalytic converter that looked like a play tube, and later brake dust from wheels that looked like a jungle gym off of.

mattmacklind wrote: Wait till you see the upper body development on that paralyzed cat.

Oh yeah, it's loads of fun when he decides he wants to climb your leg, like NOW!

Aside from the declawing issue, outdoor cats tend to live very short lives on average. I can't remembe the actual number, but I think it's less then four years, maybe a lot less. I believe it's mostly due to disease and cars. Something to take into consideration.

I have two cat tales. First one of my grandfather's barn cats appeared to have gotten a front leg chewed off. He put bg balm on the stump and she lived another 8-9 years in a barn, hunting the riverbank nearby. Nothing messed with that cat and she would regularly drag muskrats back for her young.

The other cat tale was my neighbors de-clawed stray Iggy. He showed up at their house and never left. He lived outdoors and whipped on all challengers. He would fight smart and use his teeth and back feet. Also when it would rain he could climb the tree by the bedroom window and raise heck until you let him in the garage

have you tried your local chinese or thai restaurant, I understand they love cats, with rice and noodles...

I had a cat who also came into my life sans claws, and also developed "pee issues" when she got older. We ended up having to make an outside cat of her, but fortunately we had a big ole lanai with a planter that fit the bill perfectly. She lived to a ripe old age of 20, and seemed quite content. I'd try to find a protected area for her, and see how it goes.

Margie

We've had two cats with litterbox problems. The first went on several drugs, but finally Prozac worked for many years. You might ask your vet about medications if you haven't already. The bad part was he lost his personality and basically turned into a zombie. He got sick and we put him down.

The second is a Manx like yours and took to peeing on the living room chair. Interesting that this is common in Manx's, I'd never heard that. He is not as bad as the first. Since he still has his claws he (and our other so-far-well-behaved cat) are part-time outdoor cats. When indoors, he is confined to one room with nothing in there that he likes to pee on. If he starts peeing in there, he'll be moved outdoors permanently.

I can relate to the frustration and exasperation. You want to strangle them, but just can't bring yourself to do it!

Maybe a local vet would like an 'office cat' and be willing to take her on?

Has the peeing problem come on gradually or did it just start happening? I could definately see it being related to diet or even anxiety, even when the cat seems otherwise "normal". I had a cat when I was younger that had kidney stones, we changed her diet to help with that. I would not recommend tossing him outside, but if you have really come to your wits' end with him, ask your vet if you can post an ad in their office to try to re-home, and ask for advice on other places to post the ad.
Good luck, I commend you on your paitence so far.

How safe the cat will be really depends on the area. An older, fixed cat won't wander too much, so an area with a closed in yard should be fine.

If you're talking about open land, especially if there are dogs, coyotes, raccoons or other feral cats, it may not be a good idea. At the minimum he should have a cat door to allow him to get back in the house if he needs it.

I had a declawed cat do just fine outdoors for many years.

The fact that there will be a bunch of other outdoor cats, I think, will help (if yours goes there). Once he gets into the pecking order with the others, they are probably safe in numbers.

That said, I have a cat-loving dog around. Any cat in her area is pretty darn safe.

I second Margie's idea. Any way to keep kitty "contained" outside? We've got one former indoe-outdoe kitty. He's still like "What the berkeley? Why can't I go out and play anymore?" With the risk of disease, dogs, coyotes (here,) it just ain't worth it. He's a big berkeleying badass (though sweet as he can be,) and he still got roughed up a few times when he was outside. He's got a cute little bite-sized chunk taken out of his ear.

It's a tough call, man. We're actually going through it with our crazy-ass cat right now. Peetarded as it sounds, we've actually got him on 'kitty prozac;' (amitriptyline,) and it's helped immensely. Before that, we had the "let him live outside knowing he'll probably die a pretty miserable death, or go ahead and put him down" conversation a bunch. Again, it's a tough call.