keeping cat from road

Question
Hi-

I live about 200 feet from a busy suburban road.  My beloved male cat of 18 years just died (not on the road) and I want to get another.  

I only want a cat who's free to go outside when he or she wants, and I'm concerned that a new one might ty to run across the road and be killed.  My one who just died was hit on the road about 16 years ago, survived a broken leg, and lived a great long life, inside during the winter and outside many times during the good weather.  I've always assumed that he learned from his injury to stay away from the road.  

So my question is, is there any way to teach a new cat about the dangers of cars & roads?

Answer
Garret,

I'm sorry about the loss of your male cat. It's hard to lose a 'member of your family', even to old age.


Unfortunately, anytime you have animals you take the chance on something happening to them, whether it be the road or something else. But they ARE animals and you can't put them in a glass cage to protect them, unless you make them a total inside cat (then you should have a companion cat for them).

As far as the road, it would depend on the intelligence of your new cat. Some cats are road-wise and others it is amazing they don't get hit because they are 'not too bright'. I have both.

With mine, when I am in the car and it's parked, I rev up the engine when they are around so it scares them. You can take the cat to the curb and try to scare it. Say 'NO! loudly, bop it's butt, and chase it back to the yard. Keep doing that so the cat is scared to go to the curb. Park a car at the curb (I'm guessing you have one, or end of the yard), have someone in the car, take the cat to the curb, and have the person rev up the engine and move the car slightly, and/or honk the horn, just to scare the cat back. Do anything you can think of to get the cat to associate the curb/cars with being scared and his not wanting to go in that direction. Cats do not have reasoning ability. They can not reason that "if I go into the road a car will hit me and probably kill me". They learn by association and habit.

Unfortunately, a lot of times cats get killed in the road when they are being chased, either by a dog or another cat. And that is basically unpreventable. They also get hit when they are in heat and wander (especially if another cat in heat is across the street). So make sure your cat is fixed early to prevent that. Also make sure that your cat has everything he needs at home (food, toys, affection, etc) so there isn't any need to cross the street for anything.

I don't know your home situation (whether you own or rent or how big the front is) but there is also underground fencing. Here is a link to information about it (copy and paste, or type, the whole link into your address bar):  http://www.howstuffworks.com/pet-fence.htm

There isn't any tried and true method for preventing a cat from crossing the street except to do what you can to prevent him from wanting to, and keeping your fingers crossed. And maybe put him in when you go somewhere.

I hope this helped.

Tabbi