LETTING YOUR IN-DOOR CAT OUT

Catnips: http://www.catnips.co.uk
West London cat sitter

I can totally understand the fear of letting a cat outside in an un-secure garden especially when the cat may be of a particular breed who are not
A: Used to going out
B: are not used to roads and defending off other cats and
C: owning an expensive breed and fearing it will be stolen. But the question is, if you are lucky enough to have a garden in London, is it fair on your cat not to do all you can to make sure it gets to enjoy some outside life? Consider securing your garden like you would if you wanted an aviary. It’s quite simple and can easily be done using wire mesh, garden poles and some advice from a landscape gardener or handy man friend! get some ideas from sites like this
http://www.catsofaustralia.com/cat-enclosures.htm

There’s plenty of other sites too. Google under cat runs/cat enclosures/garden aviaries
etc and see how easy it is to give your cat some respite from an entire in-door life.

Written by Anita Kelsey
owner of Catnips
West London cat sitting service

CARING FOR YOUR INDOOR CAT - By Catnips-Cat sitter West London

By Catnips - http://www.catnips.co.uk
West London cat sitting service

WHAT TO CONSIDER....
Not every one is lucky enough to have a garden for their cat to play in especially in London. Also it is a known fact that most people with a particular breed of cat keep them exclusively as indoor cats.


For cats that are kept indoors in is essential that they are given lots of stimulation within the four walls which will make up their home for the rest of their lives! You and I are able to go outside everyday and be stimulated by hundreds of different sensations, sounds, visual candy, but it is a different story for the indoor cat who only has what you leave him/her to play with. If you have space it is always better to get two cats/kittens from the same litter as they will keep each other company during the long hours when you are at work. Some breeders will not sell a kitten unless they are sold in pairs. This makes so much sense when you think about it.

Cats are natural hunters so any toys that stimulate this type of behaviour is a must for indoor cats. Toy mice, spiders, and any toys that make a sound when picked up make excellent playthings esp brightly coloured ones. A cardboard box will supply endless entertainment even when it has been battered to a pulp. Your cat will still find a way to crawl inside or underneath it like it was a matter of life and death! One great toy that I bought, which was my best buy ever, was the cat tunnel. My cats LOVE it! Cat towers are also highly recommended for indoor cats. Most cats love to climb so any opportunity for your cat to climb will be relished. Just punch in cat tower or cat furniture into any search engine and you will see a huge array of items on offer. 

Also check out this wonderful cat DVD that I have recently discovered. Especially designed for the indoor cat this DVD features singing birds, fish swimming back and forth and various other critters that your cat would love to get hold of and eat! Check out http://www.petsittervideos.com/. It may seem crazy but hey, we are cat people!


If you can have a wire mesh cat box made to attach to your window, especially if you are not on the ground floor, then this should be looked into. Your cat will love you for taking the time to supply somewhere for him/her to sit outside on to get some fresh air. Cat boxes can easily be made by a local carpenter or even a friend who is handy with wood! Wire mesh can be bought in any hardware store including Wicks and Homebase and also most garden centre’s. Attaching a cat box to your window from the outside is very easy to do so give your cat the best present ever!


Another great stimulator is a water fountain for your cat. There are many different varieties out there and your cat will have endless fun drinking from it and playing with the water drops. Seeing as you are not in to keep turning the kitchen tap on for kitty, the fountain will do until you return home from work! Last but not least, don’t come home and get straight on your computer or crash in front of the TV without giving kitty some attention. The days can be very long and boring for an indoor cat and they will be very excited to see you when you get home from work. Spend some time showing them just how special they are to you. After all, your cat isn’t just there for your entertainment. They need something from you too! http://www.catnips.co.uk - Catnips - cat sitter West London

WEST LONDON CAT SITTING SERVICE

Copyright 2008 - http://www.catnips.co.uk



How to train your cat on a harness.



CAN CATS BE TRAINED TO WEAR A HARNESS?

Yes, How do I know? Because I have trained my two kittens to go out with me on a harness. I won’t say it’s easy but with patience, perseverance and lots of understanding you can train a kitten to become accustomed to wearing a harness. I would say the older the cat the harder to achieve so always try to start as young as possible. It took me 8 weeks. Here’s how: 

Buy a kitten/cat harness from your local pet shop. Throw in with kitty’s toys so that they familiarise themselves with it. Play with them and the harness’s everyday for a least two weeks.

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Now comes the hard part! Without putting the main lead in, try putting the harness on the kitten before his/her main meal time. Always associate this with meal times or treats so that the kitten associates putting on the harness with something nice. At first there will be a struggle but the motto here is try try try again. Never give up! Start with
5 minutes a day congratulating them and reassuring them every step of the way. They will soon realise that the harness leads to treats and cuddles and all good things. This part of the training takes the longest so be very patient. As you see your kitten getting more comfortable with wearing the harness extend the time that it is on. Soon they will be playing totally unaware that they are strapped up in a strange gizmo and you can give yourself a pat on the back that the hardest part has been conquered! Make sure you leave enough space around the neck of the harness so that it is comfortable and not too tight. Test this by putting 2 fingers between the neck of your kitten and the harness. This applies to the body of the harness too. NEVER EVER leave your kitten unattended wearing the harness as it could get caught up on anything during playtime and lead to strangulation!

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Once you can see that your kitten has adapted to this strange looking thing around it’s body then you are ready for the next step, attaching the lead. Do this process slowly. Remember small steps will eventually lead to major leaps! Let your kitten walk along at it’s leisure with the lead dragging along. Don’t attempt to lead the walk, as it will never work! Even when you get to the stage where you go out with your kitten on a harness you will never be leading, they will! My kittens tended to play with each others leads and not much walking was done so I tried to separate them first which they didn’t really like so I quickly had to jump onto the next stage, taking them out, so that they understood what the lead was for.

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Now this next stage is very important. ALWAYS take your kitten out in the basket to the area which you want to walk them. If you just take them out the front door they will always try to dash out whenever you open the door. Mine now climb into their carrier as soon as it’s out as they know they are going somewhere nice for a walk. They never rush to the door to escape whenever I walk in. If you have this problem buy a small water pistol. Carry it with you in your bag. bagan.when you enter your home, if they are near ready to run out, squirt them with the water. They will start to associate the front door and what’s outside of it with a nasty squirt of water in the face so that should knock that little game on the head! So always use the basket. You will thank me later.

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Put the harness on before you put them in their carrier. Have the lead in your pocket. Give them treats! Don’t go too far on the first trip. They are going to be learning three things, to feel comfortable in their carrier, to feel comfortable in a car, and not be afraid of going out, not forgetting how to adjust to being walked, or should I say walking their human!! It’s difficult to know where to go that is A: quiet and B: dog free. One great place I have found is my local cemetery which says no dogs allowed. Doesn’t say cats!!! ;-)

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Make sure the harness is on secure and carry the basket from the car park to where you are going. Open the door and let kitty come out in it’s own time. Be patient and always offer words of encouragement and reassurance. Make sure you attach the lead BEFORE they take their first steps out into the big world. My kittens made my job easier at this stage as they really enjoyed be outside and, although nervous at first, they soon had a ball sniffing the grass, chasing butterflies and climbing trees! If your kitten does go to climb a tree that’s great but don’t let them go to high. Always be in control and hold that lead TIGHT! When you are both relaxed at this you can buy small puppy extendable leads which will give kitty more freedom to run along and chase things. It is never going to be like walking a dog. They go where they want to and when they want to so you just have to let them be cats and enjoy watching them lead YOU all over the place. Please be aware of dogs in your surroundings! They are quick and will chase your kitten so if you see one pick your kitten up straight away. It’s always much better to go somewhere quite and dog free if you can. A trip just outside London to the country can be a real treat for you both if you have a car and normally any wooded areas are quiet and you will hardly see any people walking their dogs.


HARNESS TRAINING CONTINUED - www.catnips.co.uk

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Once you can see that your kitten has adapted to this strange looking thing around it’s body then you are ready for the next step, attaching the lead. Do this process slowly. Remember small steps will eventually lead to major leaps! Let your kitten walk along at it’s leisure with the lead dragging along. Don’t attempt to lead the walk, as it will never work! Even when you get to the stage where you go out with your kitten on a harness you will never be leading, they will! My kittens tended to play with each others leads and not much walking was done so I tried to separate them first which they didn’t really like so I quickly had to jump onto the next stage, taking them out, so that they understood what the lead was for.

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Now this next stage is very important. ALWAYS take your kitten out in the basket to the area which you want to walk them. If you just take them out the front door they will always try to dash out whenever you open the door. Mine now climb into their carrier as soon as it’s out as they know they are going somewhere nice for a walk. They never rush to the door to escape whenever I walk in. If you have this problem buy a small water pistol. Carry it with you in your bag and when you enter your home, if they are near ready to run out, squirt them with the water. They will start to associate the front door and what’s outside of it with a nasty squirt of water in the face so that should knock that little game on the head! So always use the basket. You will thank me later. 

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Put the harness on before you put them in their carrier. Have the lead in your pocket. Give them treats! Don’t go too far on the first trip. They are going to be learning three things, to feel comfortable in their carrier, to feel comfortable in a car, and not be afraid of going out, not forgetting how to adjust to being walked, or should I say walking their human!! It’s difficult to know where to go that is A: quiet and B: dog free. One great place I have found is my local cemetery which says no dogs allowed. Doesn’t say cats!!! ;-)

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Make sure the harness is on secure and carry the basket from the car park to where you are going. Open the door and let kitty come out in it’s own time. Be patient and always offer words of encouragement and reassurance. Make sure you attach the lead BEFORE they take their first steps out into the big world. My kittens made my job easier at this stage as they really enjoyed be outside and, although nervous at first, they soon had a ball sniffing the grass, chasing butterflies and climbing trees! If your kitten does go to climb a tree that’s great but don’t let them go to high. Always be in control and hold that lead TIGHT! When you are both relaxed at this you can buy small puppy extendable leads which will give kitty more freedom to run along and chase things. It is never going to be like walking a dog. They go where they want to and when they want to so you just have to let them be cats and enjoy watching them lead YOU all over the place.

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Please be aware of dogs in your surroundings! They are quick and will chase your kitten so if you see one pick your kitten up straight away. It’s always much better to go somewhere quite and dog free if you can. A trip just outside London to the country can be a real treat for you both if you have a car and normally any wooded areas are quiet and you will hardly see any people walking their dogs.

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GOOD LUCK

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.catnips.co.uk - Cat sitting service based in West London

My Kittens

These are my two Norwegian Forest Kittens aged 5 months.

I love animals with a passion esp cats and run a cat sitting business called Catnips. Catnips is based in Notting Hill and services the West London area.
http://www.catnips.co.uk