A few months ago our cat, Moonshadow, got into a fight with a pregnant Raccoon!  The Raccoon tried to bite Moonshadow on his neck; the Raccoon's upper fang went deep into Moonshadow's ear, and his lower fang went into the Pettgs Breakaway collar!  The collar broke open, allowing Moonshadow to escape.  If Moonshadow hadn't had that breakaway collar on, the lower fang of the Raccoon would have sunk into Moonshadow Jugular and he probably would have bled to death before anybody could get to him.  It took weeks and surgery to beat the infection from the Raccoon bite, but Moonshadow is now fully recovered.  Of course, he is now an "indoor cat!"  He adjusted very well, and now he LOVES being spoiled and pampered.  Madame Joanne

I have another kind of problem.  My male cat always loses his break away collar.  I have probably spent at least $200 on collars and tags over the past year.  I keep telling him that I am not going to buy any more collars, but of course I always do.  He was a stray I adopted, so it is very difficult to keep him inside, plus he loves my yard.  I can't imagine him adjusting to being indoors.  It is good your cat adjusted so well.

Hello Gail:  Moonshadow was a "left behind" cat, who for all of his nine years had been kept outside for the most part.  His former owner was mentally ill, and Shadow (his former name) had been owefully neglected.  He loved the outdoors so much that we didn't think we had a chance of keeping him inside at all. When we moved in and adoped him we changed his name to Moonshadow, and even installed a cat door so he could come and go at his pleasure. It took a lot of patience just to "civilize" him and teach him not to jump up on tables, steal food, etc.  He had been starved by being left outdoors for so long that he would "wolf" down his food until he threw it all up again, but by feeding him small meals throughout the day, he has finally gotten over that "need" to eat it all before it's gone thing.  We, too, have had to replace five of his previous breakaway collars, and we have only found one of the "lost" collars under the house to date.  We figured that if he lost a collar, it was for a good reason.

After we almost lost him, at age 10, I went to my friends at Feline_Friends_Gathering_Place@yahoogroups.com for suggestions about how to even try to keep Moonshadow indoors from that point on.  They told me about their own experiences doing just that: Teaching rescued older cats how to enjoy being indoor pets.  They pointed out some really important things: Indoor cats live longer, healthier lives; they don't need all those nasty shots each year (which always made Moonshadow sick for about four days); we don't have to worry about him being abducted (he is really beautiful and friendly); we don't have to worry about some nut case on Halloween torturing and/or killing him (Moonshadow is all black); we don't have to worry about encounters with wild animals or fights with other cats; we don't have to worry about him being poisoned from pesticides and poisions neighbors use in their gardens and yards; we don't have to worry about WHAT he is eating (we have him on a "raw" protein diet with added nutrients); we don't have to worry about his former owner showing up and harming him (he used to pick Moonshadow up and squeeze him really hard until Moonshadow was screaming in pain); we don't have to worry that his former owner might get it in his head to steal Moonshadow; we can keep Moonshadow clean and free of Fleas, etc.;and we don't have to worry about how to deal with huge Vet bills like the last one when Moonshadow got hurt ($1,200.00) which we just can't afford!

     The key for teaching them to "want" to stay inside is to make their indoor experience as much fun and friendly as possible.  We purchased a Cat Vernada which installs inside a window (about the size of an Air Conditioner) so he can sit and look outside in the fresh air whenever he wants.  To get him used to it we began by opening the front door each morning, and sitting the Veranda just inside the locked security screen with the little door taped open.  Moonshadow is just now getting the idea that it's safe to go inside and watch the Mockingbirds freak out when they see him watching them.  They used to dive bomb him (and us) all the time when he was outside.  We also bought him a soft carrier which opens on each end and set it on the livingroom floor, a Boogie Mat filled with catnip, and a whole bunch of toys and cardboard boxes arranged all around the livingroom for him to play with.  At least twice a day we will sit in the livingroom and play with Moonshadow with a homemade version of Da Bird on a long string.  He races from one open box to another, attacking and chasing his toy as we "fish" for him.  We also just purchased three of the new heated Throws and pet beds that take only 4 watts to use and only heat up when he lays on them and never go over 102 degrees (his core body temp).  He has one on my bed, one on Ernie's bed, and one in the livingroom.  He absolutely loves them, he becomes mesmerized by the warmpth and goes right to sleep after playing.  We do spoil him so!  We also purchased one of those large "no scoop" cat Litter Boxes (you turn them on their side and remove the used clumps through a small door).  When we go in the bathroom to do our business, Moonshadow often takes care of his business at the same time.  Of course, we do allow him kitty treats for his teeth, and he gets lots and lots of love and brushing, etc.  We have at long last won his love and trust, and we recently noted that he no longer has nightmares like he used to.  He is one happy cat now. 

The total adjustment took about two weeks, although every once in awhile, like the first day of Spring when we had a Full Mooon he went crazy and kept us up all night, but that soon passed.  We still keep his breakaway collar on him, and we have him "chipped" and registered with Home Again, just in case he should make an "escape."  My friends say that escapes do sometimes happen, but we try our best to keep him away from doors when we go in and out, etc. Sorry for the great length, but I hope you will consider trying to do what it takes to keep your Cat indoors, too.  The effort really pays off in the long run.

Moonshadow is now a healthy 12 pounds 9 ounces (formerly barely 9 pounds and rife with Fleas).  He will turn 11 this September, and we are doing everything we can to prolong his happy life.

Thanks.  That was great.  I appreciated all the detail.

I've only had two of the many collars lost returned.  I'm pretty upset about the last pet tag one that was engraved.  I keep hoping someone will return it.

It is still hard for me to think about making them indoor cats as we have such a nice big fenced in yard.  But what you write makes sense.  Ralph has gotten in fights many times.  I do need to play with them more, and I do have two window sills for them to sit on and look outside.

So thanks for all the information.  I keep buying them things like cat condo's, but they just ignore anything expensive.  I thought of buying them other kinds of platforms and furniture - but I'm too afraid it will be another item I will have to return.

Glad your cat is happy.  I will think more about what you wrote, and take action to make my cats life better.  Thanks again for all the information, and your story. 

You're very welcome, and I do hope that you find a happy solution to your problem.  Are you aware of the Electronic Fence devices that you can get to put an invisible sound barrier around your front yard?  It would keep your cats from wandering outside of your yard, and it can also keep other animals from coming into your yard.  Only animals can hear the sound, so it won't hinder humans (although that can sometimes be desired-hee, hee).

After the incident with Moonshadow and the Raccoon, I contacted our local Wildlife Specialist for solutions.  He recommended building an Enclosure which extends from a window out into the yard.  We are renters, so we don't have that option, as our yard is shared with two other apartments.  He sent me several photos of some really creative Enclosures.  I don't know how to send them to you, but if you contact me at my e-mail address with your e-mail address I can forward them to you if you would like.  They are very interesting.  My e-mail address is madamejoanne@yahoo.com.

The invisible fence you talk about in your post is not exactly true.  The pet has to wear a special collar fitted with a device that detects the invisible fence,  burried under ground around your home and the closer the pet gets to it the device starts shocking the pets neck in faster intervals as it gets closer.  The other animals not wearing the device can come and go as they desire and it does not deterre them as you said.  Google pet safe fences and you will see what I am saying.

     Please let me clarify.  I meant to refer to the Pet Safe Radio Frequency Sonic Barrier types of animal fences which are designed for indoor and for outdoor use.  There is no "correctional electric shock" with these devices, they use only painless sonic sound when an animal comes too close to the barrier you choose.  Your pet wears a receiver on their collar.  Check it out at http://www.hitecpet.com/knowledge-base.html for yourself.  They cost $69.99 or something like that.  I've never had to use one or actually seen one in action.  Sorry for the confusion, and I wouldn't want to have to shock a pet myself.

     As for keeping other animals out of your yard, there are other sonic sound devices that you can mount outside (also wireless) which you aim away from your property.  They are motion sensitive and only emit sonic painless sound when they detect motion within their range.  Since Gail has a fenced in yard, this probably wouldn't work for her.  I have a friend who lives in the Colorado Mountains where they have Mountain Lions and Elk who come dangerously close to her home.  This device is excellent for my friend's situation, and it can be found in the American Heartland Catalog at http://www.americanheartland.com for $19.95 (unless they have sold out all ready).  I think it's wonderful that these new sonic technologies are available to help us keep our pets safe and happy.

     Thanks for pointing this out, sjg.  Details are important.

 My cat is an indoor cat and we bought him the engraved break away collar in the event that he got out of the door or something. We usually just put it on when we are leaving for work and leaving the windows open. He can manuever out of it in about 30 seconds. Luckily we have been able to find the collar each time, but it doesn't do much good if he doesn't keep it on :(

My indoor cats always wear breakaway collars with tags at all times. They are not outside cats but I want them protected and identified just incase one were to slip out.

 In the winter I frequently find their collars off. They like to sit at the heat registers and soak up the heat. Their tags dangle in between the grate, get caught and when the cat tires to leave the grate comes up. Thankfully the collars break away and the cat is unharmed. I love that I can click them back on. I'm going to order some of the embroidered breakaway collars before next winter and see if we can avoid the heat register tag trap.

    The Pettags Breakaway Collars are really great!  When we first began to keep Moonshadow indoors we used to take his Collar off for awhile and then when we would leave we would put it back on.  He began to figure out that he could pull it off when he wanted to, and he began to resent having it put back on all the time.  Finally we just decided to adjust it a little bit tighter, and to just keep it on ALL the time.  It only took him about two days to get used to the idea and he settled down, completely forgetting that he even had the Collar on.

      We do think it's better to keep Moonshadow's Collar on him all the time, just in case there should be an accidental "escape."  He's only gotten past us once, and we managed to get him back inside right away.  Moonshadow is all black and his bright red Pettags Breakaway Collar looks very striking on him.  We have his name and our telephone number embroidered in black on the red Collar.  We're all very relaxed about it now, we don't have to think about whether he has his Collar on or not and he has gotten so used to it that he doesn't think about it it at all either.